diff --git a/ILSpy.Tests/Search/SearchPaneViewTests.cs b/ILSpy.Tests/Search/SearchPaneViewTests.cs
index 2dce5905a..024c63164 100644
--- a/ILSpy.Tests/Search/SearchPaneViewTests.cs
+++ b/ILSpy.Tests/Search/SearchPaneViewTests.cs
@@ -73,4 +73,32 @@ public class SearchPaneViewTests
 		vm.SearchTerm.Should().Be("Enumerable",
 			"the TextBox is bound two-way to SearchPaneModel.SearchTerm");
 	}
+
+	[AvaloniaTest]
+	public async Task Pressing_Escape_In_The_Search_Input_Clears_SearchTerm()
+	{
+		// The clear-X button's tooltip advertises "Clear (Esc)". Pressing Esc while the
+		// SearchInput TextBox has focus must wipe the term — same path as clicking the
+		// button. Goes through the bound view-model so the orchestrator's cancel-and-
+		// restart path fires too.
+
+		var window = AppComposition.Current.GetExport<MainWindow>();
+		window.Show();
+		var pane = await window.WaitForComponent<SearchPane>();
+		var vm = (SearchPaneModel)pane.DataContext!;
+
+		var input = pane.FindControl<TextBox>("SearchInput");
+		input!.Text = "Enumerable";
+		vm.SearchTerm.Should().Be("Enumerable",
+			"baseline: the test setup must put a value in the box before testing the clear");
+
+		input.RaiseEvent(new global::Avalonia.Input.KeyEventArgs {
+			Key = global::Avalonia.Input.Key.Escape,
+			KeyModifiers = global::Avalonia.Input.KeyModifiers.None,
+			RoutedEvent = global::Avalonia.Input.InputElement.KeyDownEvent,
+			Source = input,
+		});
+
+		vm.SearchTerm.Should().BeEmpty("Escape in the search input must clear the term");
+	}
 }
diff --git a/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml b/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml
index 2ebb4bca9..78900ebc0 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml
+++ b/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@
 		<ProgressBar Grid.Row="1" Name="SearchProgress"
 		             IsIndeterminate="True"
 		             IsVisible="{Binding IsSearching}"
-		             Height="3" Margin="0,0,0,2"
-		             BorderThickness="0" />
+		             Height="2" Margin="0,0,0,1"
+		             BorderThickness="0"
+		             MinHeight="2" />
 		<ListBox Grid.Row="2" Name="SearchResults"
 		         ItemsSource="{Binding Results}"
 		         x:CompileBindings="False">
diff --git a/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml.cs b/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml.cs
index 6b2dbba83..ca4562fa9 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Search/SearchPane.axaml.cs
@@ -36,6 +36,21 @@ namespace ILSpy.Search
 			InitializeComponent();
 			SearchResults.DoubleTapped += OnResultDoubleTapped;
 			SearchResults.KeyDown += OnResultKeyDown;
+			SearchInput.KeyDown += OnSearchInputKeyDown;
+		}
+
+		void OnSearchInputKeyDown(object? sender, KeyEventArgs e)
+		{
+			// Escape mirrors the clear-X button. Goes through the bound view-model so the
+			// orchestrator's cancel-and-restart path fires the same way it does when the
+			// user backspaces the box empty by hand.
+			if (e.Key != Key.Escape)
+				return;
+			if (DataContext is SearchPaneModel vm && vm.SearchTerm.Length > 0)
+			{
+				vm.SearchTerm = string.Empty;
+				e.Handled = true;
+			}
 		}
 
 		void OnClearSearchClicked(object? sender, RoutedEventArgs e)