diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistcontroller.cpp
@@ -472,19 +472,18 @@
     if (!m_model || m_model->count() == 0) {
         return;
     }
-    const int currentIndex = m_selectionManager->currentItem();
     int index;
     if (searchFromNextItem) {
+        const int currentIndex = m_selectionManager->currentItem();
         index = m_model->indexForKeyboardSearch(text, (currentIndex + 1) % m_model->count());
     } else {
-        index = m_model->indexForKeyboardSearch(text, currentIndex);
+        index = m_model->indexForKeyboardSearch(text, 0);
     }
     if (index >= 0) {
         m_selectionManager->setCurrentItem(index);
 
         if (m_selectionBehavior != NoSelection) {
-            m_selectionManager->clearSelection();
-            m_selectionManager->setSelected(index, 1);
+            m_selectionManager->replaceSelection(index);
             m_selectionManager->beginAnchoredSelection(index);
         }
 
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.h b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.h
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.h
@@ -62,6 +62,13 @@
     bool hasSelection() const;
 
     void setSelected(int index, int count = 1, SelectionMode mode = Select);
+    /**
+     * Equivalent to:
+     * clearSelection();
+     * setSelected(index, count);
+     * but emitting once only selectionChanged signal
+     */
+    void replaceSelection(int index, int count = 1);
     void clearSelection();
 
     void beginAnchoredSelection(int anchor);
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.cpp b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.cpp
--- a/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/kitemlistselectionmanager.cpp
@@ -173,6 +173,16 @@
     }
 }
 
+void KItemListSelectionManager::replaceSelection(int index, int count)
+{
+    const KItemSet previous = selectedItems();
+    if (!previous.isEmpty()) {
+        m_selectedItems.clear();
+        m_isAnchoredSelectionActive = false;
+    }
+    setSelected(index, count);
+}
+
 void KItemListSelectionManager::beginAnchoredSelection(int anchor)
 {
     if (anchor >= 0 && m_model && anchor < m_model->count()) {