diff --git a/desktoppackage/contents/explorer/WidgetExplorer.qml b/desktoppackage/contents/explorer/WidgetExplorer.qml
--- a/desktoppackage/contents/explorer/WidgetExplorer.qml
+++ b/desktoppackage/contents/explorer/WidgetExplorer.qml
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
  *   51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor, Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
  */
 
-import QtQuick 2.2
+import QtQuick 2.7
 import QtQuick.Controls 1.1
 
 import org.kde.plasma.components 2.0 as PlasmaComponents
@@ -152,7 +152,9 @@
         // model set on first invocation
         onClicked: model.trigger()
     }
+
     /*
+    * This was here when I got here 5/12/18 - sharvey
     PlasmaCore.Dialog {
         id: tooltipDialog
         property Item appletDelegate
@@ -198,43 +200,30 @@
 
     RowLayout {
         id: topBar
+        spacing: 10
         anchors {
             top: parent.top
             left: parent.left
             right: parent.right
         }
 
+
         Item {
             id: header
             property bool showingSearch: false
             Layout.fillWidth: true
-            Layout.minimumHeight: Math.max(heading.height, searchInput.height)
+            Layout.minimumHeight: heading.height
             Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignVCenter
             PlasmaExtras.Title {
                 id: heading
                 anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
                 text: i18nd("plasma_shell_org.kde.plasma.desktop", "Widgets")
                 width: parent.width
                 elide: Text.ElideRight
-                visible: !header.showingSearch
-            }
-            PlasmaComponents.TextField {
-                id: searchInput
-                width: parent.width
-                clearButtonShown: true
-                anchors.verticalCenter: parent.verticalCenter
-                placeholderText: i18nd("plasma_shell_org.kde.plasma.desktop", "Search...")
-                onTextChanged: {
-                    list.positionViewAtBeginning()
-                    list.currentIndex = -1
-                    widgetExplorer.widgetsModel.searchTerm = text
-                    header.showingSearch = (text != "");
-                }
-
-                Component.onCompleted: forceActiveFocus()
-                visible: header.showingSearch
+                visible: true
             }
         }
+        
 
         PlasmaComponents.ToolButton {
             id: searchButton
@@ -246,10 +235,14 @@
             onCheckedChanged: {
                 if (!checked) {
                     searchInput.text = "";
-                }
+                    newSearchRow.height = 1;
+                    widgetExplorer.widgetsModel.searchTerm = ""
+                } else {
+                   newSearchRow.height = header.height;
+                
             }
         }
-
+    }
         PlasmaComponents.ToolButton {
             id: categoryButton
             tooltip: i18nd("plasma_shell_org.kde.plasma.desktop", "Categories")
@@ -267,6 +260,45 @@
         }
     }
 
+        // move search textbox to its own row
+        RowLayout {
+            id: newSearchRow
+            anchors.top: topBar.bottom
+            Layout.fillWidth: true
+            Layout.bottomMargin: heading.height
+            Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignVCenter
+
+            height: 1
+            visible: heading.showingSearch
+
+            spacing: 10
+
+            Item {
+                id: searchBarContainer
+                anchors.top: topBar.bottom
+                Layout.fillWidth: true
+                visible: header.showingSearch
+
+                    PlasmaComponents.TextField {
+                        id: searchInput
+                        // full width borrowed from panel definition
+                        width: Math.max(heading.paintedWidth, units.iconSizes.enormous * 2 + units.smallSpacing * 4 + units.gridUnit * 2)
+                    
+                        clearButtonShown: true
+                        placeholderText: i18nd("plasma_shell_org.kde.plasma.desktop", "Search...")
+                        onTextChanged: {
+                            list.positionViewAtBeginning()
+                            list.currentIndex = -1
+                            widgetExplorer.widgetsModel.searchTerm = text
+                            header.showingSearch = (text != "");
+                        }
+
+                    Component.onCompleted: forceActiveFocus()
+                
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
     Timer {
         id: setModelTimer
         interval: 20
@@ -276,11 +308,11 @@
 
     PlasmaExtras.ScrollArea {
         anchors {
-            top: topBar.bottom
+            top: newSearchRow.bottom
             left: parent.left
             right: parent.right
             bottom: bottomBar.top
-            topMargin: units.smallSpacing
+            topMargin: units.largeSpacing
             bottomMargin: units.smallSpacing
         }
 
@@ -386,4 +418,3 @@
         */
     }
 }
-