Index: kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.h
===================================================================
--- kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.h
+++ kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.h
@@ -27,6 +27,8 @@
 
 namespace Ui { class BranchDialogBase; }
 
+class QSortFilterProxyModel;
+
 namespace KDevelop
 {
 class BranchesListModel;
@@ -58,6 +60,7 @@
 
     Ui::BranchDialogBase* m_ui;
     KDevelop::BranchesListModel* m_model;
+    QSortFilterProxyModel* m_filterModel;
 };
 
 #endif
Index: kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.cpp
===================================================================
--- kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.cpp
+++ kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.cpp
@@ -70,7 +70,7 @@
     // Filter Model
     m_filterModel = new QSortFilterProxyModel();
     m_filterModel->setSourceModel(m_model);
-    m_filterModel->setFilterWildcard(QString::fromLatin1(""));
+    m_filterModel->setFilterWildcard(QString());
     m_filterModel->sort(0, Qt::AscendingOrder);
 
     //Changes in filter edit trigger filtering
@@ -105,7 +105,6 @@
     delete m_ui;
 }
 
-
 void BranchManager::createBranch()
 {
     const QModelIndex currentBranchIdx = m_ui->branchView->currentIndex();
Index: kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.ui
===================================================================
--- kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.ui
+++ kdevplatform/vcs/dvcs/ui/branchmanager.ui
@@ -34,8 +34,7 @@
         <string>New</string>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset theme="list-add">
-         <normaloff>.</normaloff>.</iconset>
+        <iconset theme="list-add"/>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
@@ -48,8 +47,7 @@
         <string>Delete</string>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset theme="edit-delete">
-         <normaloff>.</normaloff>.</iconset>
+        <iconset theme="edit-delete"/>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
@@ -59,8 +57,7 @@
         <string>Rename</string>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset theme="edit-rename">
-         <normaloff>.</normaloff>.</iconset>
+        <iconset theme="edit-rename"/>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
@@ -89,8 +86,7 @@
         <string>Compare to Branch</string>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset theme="text-x-patch">
-         <normaloff>.</normaloff>.</iconset>
+        <iconset theme="text-x-patch"/>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
@@ -119,8 +115,7 @@
         <string>Checkout</string>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset theme="dialog-ok-apply">
-         <normaloff>.</normaloff>.</iconset>
+        <iconset theme="dialog-ok-apply"/>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
@@ -130,8 +125,7 @@
         <string>Merge</string>
        </property>
        <property name="icon">
-        <iconset theme="merge">
-         <normaloff>.</normaloff>.</iconset>
+        <iconset theme="merge"/>
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
@@ -153,15 +147,14 @@
    <item row="0" column="1">
     <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_2" stretch="0,0">
      <item>
-      <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_3">
-       <item>
-        <widget class="QLineEdit" name="branchFilterEdit">
-         <property name="text">
-          <string/>
-         </property>
-        </widget>
-       </item>
-      </layout>
+      <widget class="QLineEdit" name="branchFilterEdit">
+       <property name="text">
+        <string/>
+       </property>
+       <property name="placeholderText">
+        <string>Search...</string>
+       </property>
+      </widget>
      </item>
      <item>
       <widget class="QListView" name="branchView">