diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/components/search.jsx b/chrome/content/zotero/components/search.jsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..7fed3ca4e4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/components/search.jsx
@@ -0,0 +1,93 @@
+'use strict';
+
+const React = require('react');
+const PropTypes = require('prop-types');
+
+class Search extends React.PureComponent {
+	constructor(props) {
+		super(props);
+		this.inputRef = React.createRef();
+	}
+	
+	state = {
+		immediateValue: this.props.value
+	};
+	
+	static getDerivedStateFromProps(props, state) {
+		var prevProps = state.prevProps || {};
+		return {
+			prevProps: props,
+			immediateValue: prevProps.value !== props.value
+				? props.value
+				: state.immediateValue
+		};
+	}
+	
+	handleInput = (event) => {
+		var value = event.target.value;
+		// Update controlled value and cancel button immediately
+		this.setState({
+			immediateValue: value
+		});
+		// Debounce the search based on the timeout
+		if (this._timeout) {
+			clearTimeout(this._timeout);
+		}
+		this._timeout = this.props.timeout
+			&& setTimeout(() => this.props.onSearch(value), this.props.timeout);
+	}
+	
+	handleClear = () => {
+		if (this._timeout) {
+			clearTimeout(this._timeout);
+		}
+		this.setState({
+			immediateValue: ''
+		});
+		this.props.onSearch('');
+	}
+	
+	handleKeyDown = (event) => {
+		if (event.key == 'Escape') {
+			this.handleClear();
+		}
+	}
+	
+	focus() {
+		this.inputRef.focus();
+	}
+	
+	render() {
+		return (
+			<div className="search">
+				<input
+					type="search"
+					onInput={this.handleInput}
+					onKeyDown={this.handleKeyDown}
+					ref={this.inputRef}
+					value={this.state.immediateValue}
+				/>
+				{this.state.immediateValue !== ''
+					? <div
+						className="search-cancel-button"
+						onClick={this.handleClear}/>
+					: ''}
+			</div>
+		);
+	}
+
+	static propTypes = {
+		inputRef: PropTypes.object,
+		onSearch: PropTypes.func,
+		timeout: PropTypes.number,
+		value: PropTypes.string,
+	};
+
+	static defaultProps = {
+		onSearch: () => {},
+		timeout: 300,
+		value: '',
+	};
+}
+
+module.exports = Search;
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/components/tag-selector.jsx b/chrome/content/zotero/components/tag-selector.jsx
index 4d2bd11f74..bf415fa671 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/components/tag-selector.jsx
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/components/tag-selector.jsx
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const TagList = require('./tag-selector/tag-list');
 const Input = require('./form/input');
 const { Button } = require('./button');
 const { IconTagSelectorMenu } = require('./icons');
+const Search = require('./search');
 
 class TagSelector extends React.Component {
 	render() {
@@ -13,13 +14,11 @@ class TagSelector extends React.Component {
 			<div className="tag-selector">
 				<TagList {...this.props} />
 				<div className="tag-selector-filter-container">
-					<Input
-						type="search"
-						ref={ref => this.focusTextbox = ref && ref.focus}
+					<Search
 						value={this.props.searchString}
-						onChange={this.props.onSearch}
+						onSearch={this.props.onSearch}
+						inputRef={this.searchBoxRef}
 						className="tag-selector-filter"
-						size="1"
 					/>
 					<Button
 						icon={<IconTagSelectorMenu />}
@@ -46,8 +45,8 @@ TagSelector.propTypes = {
 		onDragExit: PropTypes.func,
 		onDrop: PropTypes.func
 	}),
+	searchBoxRef: PropTypes.object,
 	searchString: PropTypes.string,
-	shouldFocus: PropTypes.bool,
 	onSelect: PropTypes.func,
 	onTagContext: PropTypes.func,
 	onSearch: PropTypes.func,
@@ -58,7 +57,6 @@ TagSelector.propTypes = {
 TagSelector.defaultProps = {
 	tags: [],
 	searchString: '',
-	shouldFocus: false,
 	onSelect: () => Promise.resolve(),
 	onTagContext: () => Promise.resolve(),
 	onSearch: () => Promise.resolve(),
diff --git a/chrome/content/zotero/containers/tagSelector.jsx b/chrome/content/zotero/containers/tagSelector.jsx
index 3987a3760e..8ca27ef848 100644
--- a/chrome/content/zotero/containers/tagSelector.jsx
+++ b/chrome/content/zotero/containers/tagSelector.jsx
@@ -29,6 +29,11 @@ Zotero.TagSelector = class TagSelectorContainer extends React.Component {
 		this.displayAllTags = Zotero.Prefs.get('tagSelector.displayAllTags');
 		this.selectedTags = new Set();
 		this.state = defaults;
+		this.searchBoxRef = React.createRef();
+	}
+	
+	focusTextbox() {
+		this.searchBoxRef.focus();
 	}
 	
 	// Update trigger #1 (triggered by ZoteroPane)
@@ -177,9 +182,8 @@ Zotero.TagSelector = class TagSelectorContainer extends React.Component {
 		});	
 		return <TagSelector
 			tags={tags}
-			ref={ref => this.focusTextbox = ref && ref.focusTextbox}
+			searchBoxRef={this.searchBoxRef}
 			searchString={this.state.searchString}
-			shouldFocus={this.state.shouldFocus}
 			dragObserver={this.dragObserver}
 			onSelect={this.state.viewOnly ? () => {} : this.handleTagSelected}
 			onTagContext={this.handleTagContext}
@@ -226,9 +230,9 @@ Zotero.TagSelector = class TagSelectorContainer extends React.Component {
 		}
 	}
 
-	handleSearch = Zotero.Utilities.debounce((searchString) => {
+	handleSearch = (searchString) => {
 		this.setState({searchString});
-	})
+	}
 	
 	dragObserver = {
 		onDragOver: function(event) {
diff --git a/scss/_zotero-react-client.scss b/scss/_zotero-react-client.scss
index 49a4c53d1a..2664659a91 100644
--- a/scss/_zotero-react-client.scss
+++ b/scss/_zotero-react-client.scss
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 // Components
 // --------------------------------------------------
 
-@import "components/tag-selector";
 @import "components/button";
 @import "components/icons";
+@import "components/search";
+@import "components/tag-selector";
diff --git a/scss/components/_search.scss b/scss/components/_search.scss
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..e53f618027
--- /dev/null
+++ b/scss/components/_search.scss
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+.search {
+	position: relative;
+}
+
+.search input {
+	-moz-appearance: searchfield;
+	flex: 1 0;
+	min-width: 40px;
+	height: 24px;
+	padding-left: 4px;
+}
+
+.search .search-cancel-button {
+	background-image: url(chrome://global/skin/icons/searchfield-cancel.svg);
+	position: absolute;
+	width: 14px;
+	height: 14px;
+	top: 6px;
+	right: 6px;
+	cursor: default;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/scss/components/_tag-selector.scss b/scss/components/_tag-selector.scss
index 29d371e0d4..9009cf3961 100644
--- a/scss/components/_tag-selector.scss
+++ b/scss/components/_tag-selector.scss
@@ -24,6 +24,13 @@
 	height: 100%;
 }
 
+.tag-selector-list {
+	list-style: none;
+	display: inline-block;
+	margin: 0;
+	padding: 0;
+}
+
 .tag-selector-filter-container {
 	height: auto;
 	flex: 0 0 1em;
@@ -32,16 +39,9 @@
 	padding: 0.125em 0 0.125em 0.5em;
 }
 
-.tag-selector-list {
-	list-style: none;
-	display: inline-block;
-	margin: 0;
-	padding: 0;
-}
-
-.tag-selector-filter {
+.tag-selector-filter-container .search {
+	display: flex;
 	flex: 1 0;
-	min-width: 40px;
 }
 
 .tag-selector-actions {