diff --git a/src/e-util/e-search-bar.c b/src/e-util/e-search-bar.c
index a3101d25d9..60319f31bc 100644
--- a/src/e-util/e-search-bar.c
+++ b/src/e-util/e-search-bar.c
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 
 struct _ESearchBarPrivate {
 	EWebView *web_view;
+	GtkWidget *hide_button;
 	GtkWidget *entry;
 	GtkWidget *case_sensitive_button;
 	GtkWidget *wrapped_next_box;
@@ -47,12 +48,14 @@ struct _ESearchBarPrivate {
 	gchar *active_search;
 
 	gboolean search_forward;
+	gboolean can_hide;
 };
 
 enum {
 	PROP_0,
 	PROP_ACTIVE_SEARCH,
 	PROP_CASE_SENSITIVE,
+	PROP_CAN_HIDE,
 	PROP_TEXT,
 	PROP_WEB_VIEW
 };
@@ -307,6 +310,12 @@ search_bar_set_property (GObject *object,
                          GParamSpec *pspec)
 {
 	switch (property_id) {
+		case PROP_CAN_HIDE:
+			e_search_bar_set_can_hide (
+				E_SEARCH_BAR (object),
+				g_value_get_boolean (value));
+			return;
+
 		case PROP_CASE_SENSITIVE:
 			e_search_bar_set_case_sensitive (
 				E_SEARCH_BAR (object),
@@ -342,6 +351,12 @@ search_bar_get_property (GObject *object,
 				E_SEARCH_BAR (object)));
 			return;
 
+		case PROP_CAN_HIDE:
+			g_value_set_boolean (
+				value, e_search_bar_get_can_hide (
+				E_SEARCH_BAR (object)));
+			return;
+
 		case PROP_CASE_SENSITIVE:
 			g_value_set_boolean (
 				value, e_search_bar_get_case_sensitive (
@@ -378,6 +393,7 @@ search_bar_dispose (GObject *object)
 		priv->web_view = NULL;
 	}
 
+	g_clear_object (&priv->hide_button);
 	g_clear_object (&priv->entry);
 	g_clear_object (&priv->case_sensitive_button);
 	g_clear_object (&priv->prev_button);
@@ -459,7 +475,8 @@ search_bar_key_press_event (GtkWidget *widget,
 {
 	GtkWidgetClass *widget_class;
 
-	if (event->keyval == GDK_KEY_Escape) {
+	if (event->keyval == GDK_KEY_Escape &&
+	    e_search_bar_get_can_hide (E_SEARCH_BAR (widget))) {
 		gtk_widget_hide (widget);
 		return TRUE;
 	}
@@ -518,6 +535,16 @@ e_search_bar_class_init (ESearchBarClass *class)
 			FALSE,
 			G_PARAM_READABLE));
 
+	g_object_class_install_property (
+		object_class,
+		PROP_CAN_HIDE,
+		g_param_spec_boolean (
+			"can-hide",
+			"Can Hide",
+			NULL,
+			TRUE,
+			G_PARAM_READWRITE));
+
 	g_object_class_install_property (
 		object_class,
 		PROP_CASE_SENSITIVE,
@@ -576,6 +603,7 @@ e_search_bar_init (ESearchBar *search_bar)
 	GtkWidget *container;
 
 	search_bar->priv = E_SEARCH_BAR_GET_PRIVATE (search_bar);
+	search_bar->priv->can_hide = TRUE;
 
 	gtk_box_set_spacing (GTK_BOX (search_bar), 12);
 	gtk_container_set_border_width (GTK_CONTAINER (search_bar), 6);
@@ -596,6 +624,7 @@ e_search_bar_init (ESearchBar *search_bar)
 	gtk_button_set_relief (GTK_BUTTON (widget), GTK_RELIEF_NONE);
 	gtk_widget_set_tooltip_text (widget, _("Close the find bar"));
 	gtk_box_pack_start (GTK_BOX (container), widget, FALSE, FALSE, 0);
+	search_bar->priv->hide_button = g_object_ref (widget);
 	gtk_widget_show (widget);
 
 	g_signal_connect_swapped (
@@ -825,3 +854,29 @@ e_search_bar_set_text (ESearchBar *search_bar,
 	/* This will trigger a "notify::text" signal. */
 	gtk_entry_set_text (entry, text);
 }
+
+gboolean
+e_search_bar_get_can_hide (ESearchBar *search_bar)
+{
+	g_return_val_if_fail (E_IS_SEARCH_BAR (search_bar), FALSE);
+
+	return search_bar->priv->can_hide;
+}
+
+void
+e_search_bar_set_can_hide (ESearchBar *search_bar,
+			   gboolean can_hide)
+{
+	g_return_if_fail (E_IS_SEARCH_BAR (search_bar));
+
+	if (!search_bar->priv->can_hide == !can_hide)
+		return;
+
+	search_bar->priv->can_hide = can_hide;
+
+	gtk_widget_set_visible (search_bar->priv->hide_button, can_hide);
+	if (!can_hide)
+		gtk_widget_show (GTK_WIDGET (search_bar));
+
+	g_object_notify (G_OBJECT (search_bar), "can-hide");
+}
diff --git a/src/e-util/e-search-bar.h b/src/e-util/e-search-bar.h
index 2fbc32fe17..9fd9551c83 100644
--- a/src/e-util/e-search-bar.h
+++ b/src/e-util/e-search-bar.h
@@ -79,6 +79,9 @@ void		e_search_bar_set_case_sensitive	(ESearchBar *search_bar,
 gchar *		e_search_bar_get_text		(ESearchBar *search_bar);
 void		e_search_bar_set_text		(ESearchBar *search_bar,
 						 const gchar *text);
+gboolean	e_search_bar_get_can_hide	(ESearchBar *search_bar);
+void		e_search_bar_set_can_hide	(ESearchBar *search_bar,
+						 gboolean can_hide);
 
 G_END_DECLS
 
diff --git a/src/mail/em-filter-editor.c b/src/mail/em-filter-editor.c
index b2c07cb533..e88a7ee000 100644
--- a/src/mail/em-filter-editor.c
+++ b/src/mail/em-filter-editor.c
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ static void
 emfe_show_html (GtkWindow *parent,
 		const gchar *html)
 {
-	GtkWidget *dialog, *widget, *container;
+	GtkWidget *dialog, *widget, *container, *searchbar;
 
 	dialog = gtk_dialog_new_with_buttons (_("Description of Filters"), parent,
 		GTK_DIALOG_MODAL | GTK_DIALOG_DESTROY_WITH_PARENT,
@@ -71,6 +71,14 @@ emfe_show_html (GtkWindow *parent,
 		NULL);
 	gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (container), widget);
 
+	container = gtk_dialog_get_content_area (GTK_DIALOG (dialog));
+	searchbar = e_search_bar_new (E_WEB_VIEW (widget));
+	g_object_set (G_OBJECT (searchbar),
+		"can-hide", FALSE,
+		"visible", TRUE,
+		NULL);
+	gtk_container_add (GTK_CONTAINER (container), searchbar);
+
 	e_web_view_load_string (E_WEB_VIEW (widget), html);
 
 	gtk_dialog_run (GTK_DIALOG (dialog));