diff --git a/client/lib/ui/app/app_layout.dart b/client/lib/ui/app/app_layout.dart
index 568e7cb7..0a228749 100644
--- a/client/lib/ui/app/app_layout.dart
+++ b/client/lib/ui/app/app_layout.dart
@@ -3,10 +3,9 @@ import 'package:flutter_state_notifier/flutter_state_notifier.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/app/app_actions.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/app/fab_action.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/app/nav_list.dart';
-import 'package:phylum/ui/app/router.dart';
+import 'package:phylum/ui/app/search_field.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/explorer_view.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/explorer_controller.dart';
-import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/page.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/resource_drop_and_drop.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/resource_info_view.dart';
 import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/selection_mode.dart';
@@ -157,19 +156,7 @@ class ExpandedAppLayout extends StatelessWidget {
                           child: Icon(Icons.search),
                         ),
                         Expanded(
-                          child: TextField(
-                            decoration: InputDecoration.collapsed(
-                              hintText: 'Search Files...',
-                              hintStyle: TextStyle(fontSize: 18),
-                            ),
-                            style: TextStyle(fontSize: 18),
-                            onSubmitted: (text) {
-                              final query = text.trim();
-                              if (query.isNotEmpty) {
-                                context.read<PhylumRouterDelegate>().go(ExplorerPageSearch(query: query));
-                              }
-                            },
-                          ),
+                          child: SearchField(),
                         ),
                       ],
                     ),
diff --git a/client/lib/ui/app/search_field.dart b/client/lib/ui/app/search_field.dart
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..25c2a26c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/client/lib/ui/app/search_field.dart
@@ -0,0 +1,53 @@
+import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
+import 'package:phylum/ui/app/router.dart';
+import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/explorer_controller.dart';
+import 'package:phylum/ui/explorer/page.dart';
+import 'package:provider/provider.dart';
+
+class SearchField extends StatefulWidget {
+  const SearchField({super.key});
+
+  @override
+  State<SearchField> createState() => _SearchFieldState();
+}
+
+class _SearchFieldState extends State<SearchField> {
+  final _controller = TextEditingController();
+
+  @override
+  void initState() {
+    super.initState();
+    context.read<ExplorerController>().addListener((state) {
+      final page = state.page;
+      if (page is ExplorerPageSearch) {
+        _controller.text = page.query;
+      } else {
+        _controller.text = '';
+      }
+    });
+  }
+
+  @override
+  void dispose() {
+    _controller.dispose();
+    super.dispose();
+  }
+
+  @override
+  Widget build(BuildContext context) {
+    return TextField(
+      decoration: InputDecoration.collapsed(
+        hintText: 'Search Files...',
+        hintStyle: TextStyle(fontSize: 18),
+      ),
+      controller: _controller,
+      style: TextStyle(fontSize: 18),
+      onSubmitted: (text) {
+        final query = text.trim();
+        if (query.isNotEmpty) {
+          context.read<PhylumRouterDelegate>().go(ExplorerPageSearch(query: query));
+        }
+      },
+    );
+  }
+}