diff --git a/lib/actions/sessions.ts b/lib/actions/sessions.ts
index 4cb53f9d..d36563ff 100644
--- a/lib/actions/sessions.ts
+++ b/lib/actions/sessions.ts
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ export function openSearch(uid?: string) {
     dispatch({
       type: SESSION_SEARCH,
       uid: targetUid,
-      value: true
+      value: new Date()
     });
   };
 }
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ export function closeSearch(uid?: string, keyEvent?: any) {
       dispatch({
         type: SESSION_SEARCH,
         uid: targetUid,
-        value: false
+        value: null
       });
     } else {
       if (keyEvent) {
diff --git a/lib/components/searchBox.tsx b/lib/components/searchBox.tsx
index 55a72f16..a8d2f50e 100644
--- a/lib/components/searchBox.tsx
+++ b/lib/components/searchBox.tsx
@@ -87,6 +87,7 @@ const SearchButton = ({
 const SearchBox = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, SearchBoxProps>((props, ref) => {
   const {
     caseSensitive,
+    dateFocused,
     wholeWord,
     regex,
     results,
@@ -122,6 +123,14 @@ const SearchBox = forwardRef<HTMLDivElement, SearchBoxProps>((props, ref) => {
     inputRef.current?.focus();
   }, [inputRef.current]);
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!dateFocused) {
+      return;
+    }
+    inputRef.current?.focus();
+    inputRef.current?.select();
+  }, [dateFocused]);
+
   const searchButtonColors: SearchButtonColors = {
     backgroundColor: borderColor,
     selectionColor,
diff --git a/lib/components/term.tsx b/lib/components/term.tsx
index 923f398c..b59fe80c 100644
--- a/lib/components/term.tsx
+++ b/lib/components/term.tsx
@@ -518,6 +518,7 @@ export default class Term extends React.PureComponent<
         {this.props.customChildren}
         {this.props.search ? (
           <SearchBox
+            dateFocused={this.props.search}
             next={this.searchNext}
             prev={this.searchPrevious}
             close={this.closeSearchBox}
diff --git a/lib/reducers/sessions.ts b/lib/reducers/sessions.ts
index 12c2d404..9fc82ac4 100644
--- a/lib/reducers/sessions.ts
+++ b/lib/reducers/sessions.ts
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ function Session(obj: Immutable.DeepPartial<session>) {
     cols: null,
     rows: null,
     cleared: false,
-    search: false,
+    search: null,
     shell: '',
     pid: null,
     profile: ''
diff --git a/typings/constants/sessions.d.ts b/typings/constants/sessions.d.ts
index db52a757..10d64303 100644
--- a/typings/constants/sessions.d.ts
+++ b/typings/constants/sessions.d.ts
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ export interface SessionSetCwdAction {
 export interface SessionSearchAction {
   type: typeof SESSION_SEARCH;
   uid: string;
-  value: boolean;
+  value: Date | null;
 }
 
 export type SessionActions =
diff --git a/typings/hyper.d.ts b/typings/hyper.d.ts
index 55f7b484..dc2d442b 100644
--- a/typings/hyper.d.ts
+++ b/typings/hyper.d.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 // eslint-disable-next-line eslint-comments/disable-enable-pair
 /* eslint-disable import/order */
-import type {Immutable} from 'seamless-immutable';
+import type {Immutable, ImmutableDate} from 'seamless-immutable';
 import type Client from '../lib/utils/rpc';
 
 declare global {
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ export type session = {
   pid: number | null;
   resizeAt?: number;
   rows: number | null;
-  search: boolean;
+  search: ImmutableDate | null;
   shell: string | null;
   title: string;
   uid: string;
@@ -326,6 +326,7 @@ import type {TermGroupConnectedProps} from '../lib/components/term-group';
 export type TermGroupProps = TermGroupConnectedProps & TermGroupOwnProps;
 
 export type SearchBoxProps = {
+  dateFocused: ImmutableDate | null;
   caseSensitive: boolean;
   wholeWord: boolean;
   regex: boolean;
@@ -386,7 +387,7 @@ export type TermProps = {
   rows: number | null;
   screenReaderMode: boolean;
   scrollback: number;
-  search: boolean;
+  search: ImmutableDate | null;
   searchAddon: SearchAddon | null;
   selectionColor: string;
   term: Terminal | null;