diff --git a/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker3.c b/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker3.c
index 4aba6312ff..0e2c86de6b 100644
--- a/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker3.c
+++ b/gtk/gtksearchenginetracker3.c
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@
 
 #include "gtksearchenginetracker3.h"
 
+#define N_RESULT_BATCH_ITEMS 50
+
 #define MINER_FS_BUS_NAME "org.freedesktop.Tracker3.Miner.Files"
 
 #define SEARCH_QUERY_BASE(__PATTERN__)                                 \
@@ -65,6 +67,7 @@ struct _GtkSearchEngineTracker3
   TrackerSparqlStatement *search_location_query;
   TrackerSparqlStatement *file_check_query;
   GCancellable *cancellable;
+  guint idle_id;
   GtkQuery *query;
   gboolean query_pending;
 };
@@ -74,6 +77,13 @@ struct _GtkSearchEngineTracker3Class
   GtkSearchEngineClass parent_class;
 };
 
+typedef struct
+{
+  TrackerSparqlCursor *cursor;
+  GtkSearchEngineTracker3 *engine;
+  gboolean got_results;
+} CursorData;
+
 static void gtk_search_engine_tracker3_initable_iface_init (GInitableIface *iface);
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_CODE (GtkSearchEngineTracker3,
@@ -97,6 +107,8 @@ finalize (GObject *object)
       g_object_unref (engine->cancellable);
     }
 
+  g_clear_handle_id (&engine->idle_id, g_source_remove);
+
   g_clear_object (&engine->search_query);
   g_clear_object (&engine->search_location_query);
   g_clear_object (&engine->file_check_query);
@@ -149,6 +161,59 @@ create_file_info (TrackerSparqlCursor *cursor)
   return info;
 }
 
+static gboolean
+handle_cursor_idle_cb (gpointer user_data)
+{
+  CursorData *data = user_data;
+  GtkSearchEngineTracker3 *engine = data->engine;
+  TrackerSparqlCursor *cursor = data->cursor;
+  gboolean has_next;
+  GList *hits = NULL;
+  GtkSearchHit *hit;
+  int i = 0;
+
+  for (i = 0; i < N_RESULT_BATCH_ITEMS; i++)
+    {
+      const gchar *url;
+
+      has_next = tracker_sparql_cursor_next (cursor, NULL, NULL);
+      if (!has_next)
+        break;
+
+      url = tracker_sparql_cursor_get_string (cursor, 0, NULL);
+      hit = g_slice_new0 (GtkSearchHit);
+      hit->file = g_file_new_for_uri (url);
+      hit->info = create_file_info (cursor);
+      hits = g_list_prepend (hits, hit);
+      data->got_results = TRUE;
+    }
+
+  _gtk_search_engine_hits_added (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (engine), hits);
+
+  g_list_free_full (hits, free_hit);
+
+  if (has_next)
+    return G_SOURCE_CONTINUE;
+  else
+    {
+      engine->idle_id = 0;
+      return G_SOURCE_REMOVE;
+    }
+}
+
+static void
+cursor_data_free (gpointer user_data)
+{
+  CursorData *data = user_data;
+
+  tracker_sparql_cursor_close (data->cursor);
+  _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (data->engine),
+                               data->got_results);
+  g_object_unref (data->cursor);
+  g_object_unref (data->engine);
+  g_free (data);
+}
+
 static void
 query_callback (TrackerSparqlStatement *statement,
                 GAsyncResult           *res,
@@ -156,9 +221,8 @@ query_callback (TrackerSparqlStatement *statement,
 {
   GtkSearchEngineTracker3 *engine;
   TrackerSparqlCursor *cursor;
-  GList *hits = NULL;
   GError *error = NULL;
-  GtkSearchHit *hit;
+  CursorData *data;
 
   engine = GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE_TRACKER3 (user_data);
 
@@ -174,25 +238,14 @@ query_callback (TrackerSparqlStatement *statement,
       return;
     }
 
-  while (tracker_sparql_cursor_next (cursor, NULL, NULL))
-    {
-      const gchar *url;
+  data = g_new0 (CursorData, 1);
+  data->cursor = cursor;
+  data->engine = engine;
 
-      url = tracker_sparql_cursor_get_string (cursor, 0, NULL);
-      hit = g_slice_new0 (GtkSearchHit);
-      hit->file = g_file_new_for_uri (url);
-      hit->info = create_file_info (cursor);
-      hits = g_list_prepend (hits, hit);
-    }
-
-  tracker_sparql_cursor_close (cursor);
-
-  _gtk_search_engine_hits_added (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (engine), hits);
-  _gtk_search_engine_finished (GTK_SEARCH_ENGINE (engine), hits != NULL);
-
-  g_list_free_full (hits, free_hit);
-  g_object_unref (engine);
-  g_object_unref (cursor);
+  engine->idle_id =
+    g_idle_add_full (G_PRIORITY_DEFAULT_IDLE,
+                     handle_cursor_idle_cb,
+                     data, cursor_data_free);
 }
 
 static void
@@ -271,6 +324,8 @@ gtk_search_engine_tracker3_stop (GtkSearchEngine *engine)
       g_cancellable_cancel (tracker->cancellable);
       tracker->query_pending = FALSE;
     }
+
+  g_clear_handle_id (&tracker->idle_id, g_source_remove);
 }
 
 static void