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
@@ -198,6 +198,7 @@
 
     RowLayout {
         id: topBar
+        spacing: units.gridUnit * 0.5
         anchors {
             top: parent.top
             left: parent.left
@@ -208,34 +209,16 @@
             id: header
             property bool showingSearch: false
             Layout.fillWidth: true
-            Layout.minimumHeight: Math.max(heading.height, searchInput.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
             }
         }
-
+        
         PlasmaComponents.ToolButton {
             id: searchButton
             iconSource: "edit-find"
@@ -246,9 +229,13 @@
             onCheckedChanged: {
                 if (!checked) {
                     searchInput.text = "";
-                }
+                    newSearchRow.height = 0;
+                    widgetExplorer.widgetsModel.searchTerm = "";
+                } else {
+                     newSearchRow.height = units.gridUnit * 2
             }
         }
+    }
 
         PlasmaComponents.ToolButton {
             id: categoryButton
@@ -266,6 +253,40 @@
             onClicked: main.closed()
         }
     }
+    
+        RowLayout {
+            id: newSearchRow
+            anchors.top: topBar.bottom
+            Layout.fillWidth: true
+            Layout.bottomMargin: heading.height
+            Layout.alignment: Qt.AlignVCenter 
+
+           // height: 0
+            visible: heading.showingSearch
+
+            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
+                        }
+
+                    Component.onCompleted: forceActiveFocus()
+                }
+            }
+        }
 
     Timer {
         id: setModelTimer
@@ -276,11 +297,12 @@
 
     PlasmaExtras.ScrollArea {
         anchors {
-            top: topBar.bottom
+            top: newSearchRow.bottom
             left: parent.left
             right: parent.right
             bottom: bottomBar.top
-            topMargin: units.smallSpacing
+            // prevent top of scroll area from overlapping search bar
+            topMargin: units.largeSpacing * 1.5
             bottomMargin: units.smallSpacing
         }
 
@@ -386,4 +408,3 @@
         */
     }
 }
-