Systems and methods are disclosed for saving and restoring the search state of a pattern-recognition processor. Embodiments include a pattern-recognition processor having a state variable array and a state variable storage array stored in on-chip memory (on-silicon memory with the processor). State variable storage control logic of the pattern-recognition processor may control the saving of state variables from the state variable array to the state variable storage array. The state variable storage control logic may also control restoring of the state variables from the state variable storage array to restore a search state.