diff --git a/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/Header.qml b/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/Header.qml
--- a/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/Header.qml
+++ b/applets/kickoff/package/contents/ui/Header.qml
@@ -35,33 +35,7 @@
         id: kuser
     }
 
-    state: "name"
-
-    states: [
-        State {
-            name: "name"
-            PropertyChanges {
-                target: nameLabel
-                opacity: 1
-            }
-            PropertyChanges {
-                target: infoLabel
-                opacity: 0
-            }
-        },
-        State {
-            name: "info"
-            PropertyChanges {
-                target: nameLabel
-                opacity: 0
-            }
-            PropertyChanges {
-                target: infoLabel
-                opacity: 0.4
-            }
-        }
-    ] // states
-
+    state: (query !== "") ? "query" : "hint"
 
     Image {
         id: faceIcon
@@ -111,78 +85,212 @@
     PlasmaExtras.Heading {
         id: nameLabel
 
-        level: 2
+        level: 3
         text: kuser.fullName
         elide: Text.ElideRight
         horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignLeft
-        verticalAlignment: Text.AlignBottom
-
-        Behavior on opacity { NumberAnimation { duration:  units.longDuration; easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad; } }
+        verticalAlignment: Text.AlignTop
+        height: paintedHeight
 
         anchors {
             left: faceIcon.right
-            bottom: queryField.top
+            top: faceIcon.top
             right: parent.right
             leftMargin: units.gridUnit
             rightMargin: units.gridUnit
         }
     }
-
-    PlasmaExtras.Heading {
-        id: infoLabel
-
-        level: 5
-        opacity: 0
-        text: kuser.os != "" ? i18n("%2@%3 (%1)", kuser.os, kuser.loginName, kuser.host) : i18n("%1@%2", kuser.loginName, kuser.host)
-        elide: Text.ElideRight
-        horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignLeft
-        verticalAlignment: Text.AlignBottom
-
-        Behavior on opacity { NumberAnimation { duration:  units.longDuration; easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad; } }
-
-        anchors {
-            left: faceIcon.right
-            bottom: queryField.top
-            right: parent.right
-            leftMargin: units.gridUnit
-            rightMargin: units.gridUnit
+    
+     PlasmaExtras.Heading {
+            id: infoLabel
+            level: 5
+            opacity: 0
+            text: kuser.os != "" ? i18n("%2@%3 (%1)", kuser.os, kuser.loginName, kuser.host) : i18n("%1@%2", kuser.loginName, kuser.host)
+            elide: Text.ElideRight
+            horizontalAlignment: Text.AlignLeft
+            verticalAlignment: Text.AlignVCenter
+            Behavior on opacity { NumberAnimation { duration:  searchWidget.animationDuration; easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad; } }
+            anchors {
+                top: faceIcon.top
+                left: faceIcon.right
+                right: parent.right
+                leftMargin: units.gridUnit
+                rightMargin: units.gridUnit
+            }
         }
-    }
-
+    
     // Show the info instead of the user's name when hovering over it
     MouseArea {
         anchors.fill: nameLabel
         hoverEnabled: true
         onEntered: {
-            header.state = "info"
-        }
+                    if (queryField.opacity != 0) {
+                        header.state = "infofocused";
+                    } else {
+                        header.state = "info"; 
+                    }
+                }
         onExited: {
-            header.state = "name"
-        }
+                    if (queryField.opacity != 0) {
+                        header.state = "query";
+                    } else {
+                        header.state = "hint";
+                    }
+                }
     }
+    
+    Item {
+        id: searchWidget
 
-    PlasmaComponents.TextField {
-        id: queryField
+        property int animationDuration: units.longDuration
+        property real normalOpacity: .6
+        property int yOffset: height / 2
+
+        height: infoLabel.height
+        anchors {
+            left: nameLabel.left
+            top: nameLabel.bottom
+            right: nameLabel.right
+        }
+        PlasmaComponents.TextField {
+            id: hintLabel
+            anchors {
+                left: parent.left
+                right: parent.right
+                top: nameLabel.bottom
+                bottom: faceIcon.bottom
+            }
+            text: i18nc("Type is a verb here, not a noun", "Type to search...")
+            activeFocusOnTab: false
+            opacity: .6
+            Behavior on opacity { NumberAnimation { duration: searchWidget.animationDuration; easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad; } }
+            Behavior on y { NumberAnimation { duration: searchWidget.animationDuration; easing.type: Easing.InOutQuad; } }
+        }
 
-        placeholderText: i18n("Search...")
-        clearButtonShown: true
 
-        onTextChanged: {
-            if (root.state != "Search") {
-                root.previousState = root.state;
-                root.state = "Search";
+        MouseArea {
+            anchors.fill: parent
+            cursorShape: header.state === "hint" ? Qt.PointingHandCursor : Qt.ArrowCursor
+            acceptedButtons: Qt.LeftButton
+            enabled: header.state === "hint"
+            onClicked: {
+                root.previousState = "hint"
+                root.state = "query"
+                header.state = "query"
+                queryField.forceActiveFocus()
             }
-            if (text == "") {
-                root.state = root.previousState;
+            onExited: {
+                    if (queryField.opacity != 0) {
+                        header.state = "query";
+                    } else {
+                        header.state = "Normal";
+                    }
+                }
+
+            PlasmaComponents.TextField {
+                id: queryField
+                anchors.fill: parent
+                clearButtonShown: true
+                visible: opacity > 0
+                placeholderText: i18nc("Type is a verb here, not a noun", "Type to search...")
+                Behavior on opacity { NumberAnimation { duration: searchWidget.animationDuration / 4 } }
+
+                onTextChanged: {
+                    if (root.state != "Search") {
+                        root.previousState = root.state;
+                        root.state = "Search";
+                    }
+                    if (text == "") {
+                        root.state = root.previousState;
+                        header.state = "hint";
+                    } else {
+                        header.state = "query";
+                    }
+                }
+                
+                Keys.onPressed: {
+                    if ((event.key == Qt.Key_Escape) && (text == "")) {
+                        plasmoid.expanded = false;
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
+    }
 
-        anchors {
-            left: faceIcon.right
-            bottom: faceIcon.bottom
-            right: parent.right
-            leftMargin: units.gridUnit
-            rightMargin: units.gridUnit
+    states: [
+        State {
+            name: "info"
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: infoLabel
+                opacity: 1
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: nameLabel
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: queryField
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+        },
+        State {
+            name: "infofocused"
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: infoLabel
+                opacity: 1
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: nameLabel
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: queryField
+                opacity: 1
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: hintLabel
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+        },
+        State {
+            name: "hint"
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: infoLabel
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: nameLabel
+                opacity: 1
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: hintLabel
+                y: 0
+                opacity: searchWidget.normalOpacity
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: queryField
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+        },
+        State {
+            name: "query"
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: infoLabel
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: hintLabel
+                opacity: 0
+            }
+            PropertyChanges {
+                target: queryField
+                opacity: 1
+            }
+        }
+    ] // states
+    Keys.onPressed: {
+        if (event.key == Qt.Key_Tab) {
+            header.state = "query";
         }
     }
 }