diff --git a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js
index b05307d10e..1824f7fd65 100644
--- a/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/controllers/organisms/RoomView.js
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
 limitations under the License.
 */
 
+var Matrix = require("matrix-js-sdk");
 var MatrixClientPeg = require("matrix-react-sdk/lib/MatrixClientPeg");
 var React = require("react");
 var q = require("q");
@@ -38,7 +39,8 @@ module.exports = {
             uploadingRoomSettings: false,
             numUnreadMessages: 0,
             draggingFile: false,
-            searchResults: [],
+            searching: false,
+            searchResults: null,
         }
     },
 
@@ -357,9 +359,23 @@ module.exports = {
         return WhoIsTyping.whoIsTypingString(this.state.room);
     },
 
-    onSearch: function(term) {
-        MatrixClientPeg.get().searchMessageText(term).then(function(data) {
+    onSearch: function(term, scope) {
+        var self = this;
+        MatrixClientPeg.get().search({
+            body: {
+                search_categories: {
+                    room_events: {
+                        search_term: term,
+                        event_context: {
+                            before_limit: 1,
+                            after_limit: 1,
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }            
+        }).then(function(data) {
             self.setState({
+                searchTerm: term,
                 searchResults: data,
             });
         }, function(error) {
@@ -375,7 +391,27 @@ module.exports = {
 
         var EventTile = sdk.getComponent('molecules.EventTile');
 
-        if (this.state.searchResults.length) {
+        if (this.state.searchResults) {
+            // XXX: this dance is foul, due to the results API not returning sorted results
+            var results = this.state.searchResults.search_categories.room_events.results;
+            var eventIds = Object.keys(results);
+            // XXX: todo: merge overlapping results somehow?
+            // XXX: why doesn't searching on name work?
+            var resultList = eventIds.map(function(key) { return results[key]; }).sort(function(a, b) { b.rank - a.rank });
+            for (var i = 0; i < resultList.length; i++) {
+                var ts1 = resultList[i].result.origin_server_ts;
+                ret.push(<li key={ts1}><DateSeparator ts={ts1}/></li>); //  Rank: {resultList[i].rank}
+                var mxEv = new Matrix.MatrixEvent(resultList[i].result);
+                if (resultList[i].context.events_before[0]) {
+                    var mxEv2 = new Matrix.MatrixEvent(resultList[i].context.events_before[0]);
+                    ret.push(<li key={mxEv.getId() + "," + mxEv2.getId()}><EventTile mxEvent={mxEv2} contextual={true} /></li>);
+                }
+                ret.push(<li key={mxEv.getId()}><EventTile mxEvent={mxEv} searchTerm={this.state.searchTerm}/></li>);
+                if (resultList[i].context.events_after[0]) {
+                    var mxEv2 = new Matrix.MatrixEvent(resultList[i].context.events_after[0]);
+                    ret.push(<li key={mxEv.getId() + "," + mxEv2.getId()}><EventTile mxEvent={mxEv2} contextual={true} /></li>);
+                }
+            }
             return ret;
         }
 
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/SearchBar.js b/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/SearchBar.js
index da1dfb6b64..04130ca51d 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/SearchBar.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/molecules/SearchBar.js
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
 
     onSearchChange: function(e) {
         if (e.keyCode === 13) {
-            this.props.onSearch(this.refs.search_term.getDOMNode().value);
+            this.props.onSearch(this.refs.search_term.getDOMNode().value, this.state.scope);
         }
     },
     
     render: function() {
         return (
             <div className="mx_SearchBar">
-                <input ref="search_term" className="mx_SearchBar_input" type="text" placeholder="Search..." onChange={this.onSearchChange}/>
+                <input ref="search_term" className="mx_SearchBar_input" type="text" autoFocus={true} placeholder="Search..." onKeyDown={this.onSearchChange}/>
                 <div className={"mx_SearchBar_button" + (this.state.scope !== this.Scope.Room ? " mx_SearchBar_unselected" : "")} onClick={this.onThisRoomClick}>This Room</div>
                 <div className={"mx_SearchBar_button" + (this.state.scope !== this.Scope.All ? " mx_SearchBar_unselected" : "")} onClick={this.onAllRoomsClick}>All Rooms</div>
                 <img className="mx_SearchBar_cancel" src="img/cancel-black.png" width="18" height="18" onClick={this.props.onCancelClick} />
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomView.js b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomView.js
index 3406448c3a..0a2d2411a2 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomView.js
+++ b/src/skins/vector/views/organisms/RoomView.js
@@ -63,6 +63,10 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
         this.setState(this.getInitialState());
     },
 
+    onSearchClick: function() {
+        this.setState({ searching: true });
+    },
+
     onConferenceNotificationClick: function() {
         dis.dispatch({
             action: 'place_call',