diff --git a/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp b/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp
--- a/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp
+++ b/applets/appmenu/lib/appmenuapplet.cpp
@@ -158,6 +158,7 @@
 
 void AppMenuApplet::onMenuAboutToHide()
 {
+    m_model->setProperty("menuOpen", false);
     setCurrentIndex(-1);
 }
 
@@ -210,11 +211,7 @@
         actionMenu->winId();//create window handle
         actionMenu->windowHandle()->setTransientParent(ctx->window());
 
-        actionMenu->popup(pos);
-
         if (view() == FullView) {
-            // hide the old menu only after showing the new one to avoid brief flickering
-            // in other windows as they briefly re-gain focus
             QMenu *oldMenu = m_currentMenu;
             m_currentMenu = actionMenu;
             if (oldMenu && oldMenu != actionMenu) {
@@ -224,6 +221,9 @@
             }
         }
 
+        actionMenu->popup(pos);
+        m_model->setProperty("menuOpen", true);
+
         setCurrentIndex(idx);
 
         // FIXME TODO connect only once
diff --git a/applets/appmenu/package/contents/ui/main.qml b/applets/appmenu/package/contents/ui/main.qml
--- a/applets/appmenu/package/contents/ui/main.qml
+++ b/applets/appmenu/package/contents/ui/main.qml
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@
                 // QMenu opens on press, so we'll replicate that here
                 MouseArea {
                     anchors.fill: parent
+                    hoverEnabled: plasmoid.nativeInterface.currentIndex !== -1
                     onPressed: parent.clicked()
+                    onEntered: parent.clicked()
                 }
             }
         }
diff --git a/applets/appmenu/plugin/CMakeLists.txt b/applets/appmenu/plugin/CMakeLists.txt
--- a/applets/appmenu/plugin/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/applets/appmenu/plugin/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
                       Qt5::Quick
                       KF5::Plasma
                       KF5::WindowSystem
+                      KF5::I18n
                       PW::LibTaskManager
                       dbusmenuqt)
 
diff --git a/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.h b/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.h
--- a/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.h
+++ b/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #ifndef APPMENUMODEL_H
 #define APPMENUMODEL_H
 
+#include <QAction>
 #include <QAbstractListModel>
 #include <QStringList>
 #include <KWindowSystem>
@@ -42,6 +43,7 @@
     Q_PROPERTY(bool visible READ visible NOTIFY visibleChanged)
 
     Q_PROPERTY(QRect screenGeometry READ screenGeometry WRITE setScreenGeometry NOTIFY screenGeometryChanged)
+    Q_PROPERTY(bool menuOpen READ menuOpen WRITE setMenuOpen NOTIFY menuOpenChanged)
 
 public:
     explicit AppMenuModel(QObject *parent = nullptr);
@@ -65,6 +67,11 @@
 
     QRect screenGeometry() const;
     void setScreenGeometry(QRect geometry);
+    QList<QAction*> flatActionList();
+
+    void setMenuOpen(bool open);
+    bool menuOpen() const;
+    Q_SIGNAL void menuOpenChanged();
 
 signals:
     void requestActivateIndex(int index);
@@ -93,6 +100,12 @@
     WId m_delayedMenuWindowId = 0;
 
     QPointer<QMenu> m_menu;
+    QPointer<QAction> m_searchAction;
+    QList<QAction*> m_currentSearchActions;
+    bool m_menuOpen;
+
+    void removeSearchActionsFromMenu();
+    void insertSearchActionsIntoMenu(const QString &filter = QString());
 
     QDBusServiceWatcher *m_serviceWatcher;
     QString m_serviceName;
diff --git a/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp b/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp
--- a/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp
+++ b/applets/appmenu/plugin/appmenumodel.cpp
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 #include <QDBusConnectionInterface>
 #include <QDBusServiceWatcher>
 #include <QGuiApplication>
+#include <QWidgetAction>
+#include <QDebug>
+#include <KLocalizedString>
+
+#include <QLineEdit>
+#include <QListView>
 
 #include <dbusmenuimporter.h>
 #include <abstracttasksmodel.h>
@@ -57,6 +63,8 @@
               m_tasksModel(new TaskManager::TasksModel(this))
 {
     m_tasksModel->setFilterByScreen(true);
+    m_menuOpen = false;
+    connect(this, &AppMenuModel::menuOpenChanged, this, &AppMenuModel::onActiveWindowChanged);
     connect(m_tasksModel, &TaskManager::TasksModel::activeTaskChanged, this, &AppMenuModel::onActiveWindowChanged);
     connect(m_tasksModel, &TaskManager::TasksModel::screenGeometryChanged, this, &AppMenuModel::screenGeometryChanged);
 
@@ -79,6 +87,34 @@
             emit modelNeedsUpdate();
         }
     });
+
+    // X11 has funky menu behaviour that prevents this from working properly.
+    if (KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland()) {
+        m_searchAction = new QAction(this);
+        m_searchAction->setText(i18n("Search"));
+        m_searchAction->setObjectName(QStringLiteral("appmenu"));
+
+        auto searchMenu = new QMenu;
+        auto searchAction = new QWidgetAction(this);
+        auto searchBar = new QLineEdit;
+        searchBar->setPlaceholderText(i18n("Search..."));
+        searchBar->setMinimumWidth(200);
+        connect(m_tasksModel, &TaskManager::TasksModel::activeTaskChanged, [=]() {
+            if (!m_menuOpen) {
+                searchBar->setText("");
+            }
+        });
+        connect(searchBar, &QLineEdit::textChanged, [=]() mutable {
+            insertSearchActionsIntoMenu(searchBar->text());
+        connect(this, &AppMenuModel::modelNeedsUpdate, this, [this, searchBar]() mutable {
+        });
+            insertSearchActionsIntoMenu(searchBar->text());
+        });
+        searchAction->setDefaultWidget(searchBar);
+        searchMenu->addAction(searchAction);
+        searchMenu->addSeparator();
+        m_searchAction->setMenu(searchMenu);
+    }
 }
 
 AppMenuModel::~AppMenuModel() = default;
@@ -97,6 +133,19 @@
     }
 }
 
+void AppMenuModel::setMenuOpen(bool open)
+{
+    if (m_menuOpen != open) {
+        m_menuOpen = open;
+        emit menuOpenChanged();
+    }
+}
+
+bool AppMenuModel::menuOpen() const
+{
+    return m_menuOpen;
+}
+
 bool AppMenuModel::visible() const
 {
     return m_visible;
@@ -127,7 +176,30 @@
         return 0;
     }
 
-    return m_menu->actions().count();
+    return m_menu->actions().count()+(KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland() ? 1 : 0);
+}
+
+void AppMenuModel::removeSearchActionsFromMenu()
+{
+    for (const auto &action: m_currentSearchActions) {
+        m_searchAction->menu()->removeAction(action);
+    }
+    m_currentSearchActions = QList<QAction*>();
+}
+
+void AppMenuModel::insertSearchActionsIntoMenu(const QString &filter)
+{
+    removeSearchActionsFromMenu();
+    if (filter.isEmpty()) {
+        return;
+    }
+    const auto actions = flatActionList();
+    for (const auto &action: actions) {
+        if (action->text().contains(filter, Qt::CaseInsensitive)) {
+            m_searchAction->menu()->addAction(action);
+            m_currentSearchActions << action;
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 void AppMenuModel::update()
@@ -143,6 +215,9 @@
     const QString objectPath = m_tasksModel->data(activeTaskIndex, TaskManager::AbstractTasksModel::ApplicationMenuObjectPath).toString();
     const QString serviceName = m_tasksModel->data(activeTaskIndex, TaskManager::AbstractTasksModel::ApplicationMenuServiceName).toString();
 
+    if (m_menuOpen) {
+        return;
+    }
     if (!objectPath.isEmpty() && !serviceName.isEmpty()) {
         setMenuAvailable(true);
         updateApplicationMenu(serviceName, objectPath);
@@ -162,14 +237,36 @@
     return roleNames;
 }
 
+QList<QAction*> AppMenuModel::flatActionList()
+{
+    QList<QAction*> ret;
+    if (!m_menuAvailable || !m_menu) {
+        return ret;
+    }
+    const auto actions = m_menu->findChildren<QAction*>();
+    for (auto &action: actions) {
+        if (action->menu() == nullptr) {
+            ret << action;
+        }
+    }
+    return ret;
+}
+
 QVariant AppMenuModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) const
 {
     const int row = index.row();
     if (row < 0 || !m_menuAvailable || !m_menu) {
         return QVariant();
     }
 
     const auto actions = m_menu->actions();
+    if (row == actions.count() && KWindowSystem::isPlatformWayland()) {
+        if (role == MenuRole) {
+            return m_searchAction->text();
+        } else if (role == ActionRole) {
+            return QVariant::fromValue((void*)m_searchAction);
+        }
+    }
     if (row >= actions.count()) {
         return QVariant();
     }