diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCommon.js b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCommon.js
index 16192904d202..2a8734614540 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCommon.js
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abCommon.js
@@ -925,47 +925,15 @@ function GetSelectedDirectory()
   }
 }
 
-function onAbSearchKeyPress(event)
-{
-  // 13 == return
-  if (event && event.keyCode == 13) 
-    onAbSearchInput(true);
-}
-    
-function onAbSearchInput(returnKeyHit)
-{
-  SearchInputChanged();
-
-  if (gSearchTimer) {
-    clearTimeout(gSearchTimer);
-    gSearchTimer = null;
-  }
-
-  if (returnKeyHit) {
-    gSearchInput.select();
-    onEnterInSearchBar();
-  }
-  else {
-    gSearchTimer = setTimeout("onEnterInSearchBar();", 800);
-  }
-}
-
 function SearchInputChanged() 
 {
-  var clearButton = document.getElementById("clear");
-  if (clearButton) {
-    if (gSearchInput.value && (gSearchInput.value != ""))
-      clearButton.removeAttribute("disabled");
-    else
-      clearButton.setAttribute("disabled", "true");
-  }
+  gSearchInput.nextSibling.disabled = !gSearchInput.value;
 }
 
 function onAbClearSearch() 
 {
-  if (gSearchInput) 
-    gSearchInput.value ="";  //on input does not get fired for some reason
-  onAbSearchInput(true);
+  gSearchInput.value = "";
+  onEnterInSearchBar();
 }
 
 function AbSwapFirstNameLastName()
diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abSelectAddressesDialog.xul b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abSelectAddressesDialog.xul
index 5490b97bfee4..506fb5342f39 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abSelectAddressesDialog.xul
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/abSelectAddressesDialog.xul
@@ -98,8 +98,9 @@
       </menulist>  
       <label value="&for.label;" accesskey="&for.accesskey;" control="searchInput"/>
       <textbox id="searchInput" flex="1"
-               oninput="onAbSearchInput(false);"
-               onkeypress="onAbSearchKeyPress(event);"/>
+               type="timed" timeout="800"
+               oninput="SearchInputChanged();"
+               oncommand="onEnterInSearchBar();"/>  
       <button id="clear" label="&clearButton.label;" disabled="true" accesskey="&clearButton.accesskey;" oncommand="onAbClearSearch();"/>
     </hbox>
     
diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook-panel.xul b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook-panel.xul
index 8a3e58b5f1a6..91c40c90788c 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook-panel.xul
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook-panel.xul
@@ -108,8 +108,8 @@
 	<hbox align="center">
 	  <label value="&for.label;"/> 
 	  <textbox id="searchInput" flex="1"
-      oninput="onAbSearchInput(false);"
-      onkeypress="onAbSearchKeyPress(event);"/>
+                   type="timed" timeout="800"
+                   oncommand="onEnterInSearchBar();"/>
 	</hbox>
 
     <tree id="abResultsTree" flex="1" context="composeMail" onclick="AbResultsPaneOnClick(event);" class="plain"
diff --git a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul
index 358dc8acb572..a4937502e234 100644
--- a/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/resources/content/addressbook.xul
@@ -428,8 +428,10 @@
                accesskey="&SearchNameOrEmail.accesskey;"
                control="searchInput"/>
         <textbox id="searchInput" flex="1" 
-                oninput="onAbSearchInput(false);"
-                onkeypress="onAbSearchKeyPress(event);"
+                type="timed" timeout="800"
+                oninput="SearchInputChanged();"
+                oncommand="onEnterInSearchBar();"
+                onkeypress="if (event.keyCode == KeyEvent.DOM_VK_RETURN) this.select();"
                 onfocus="this.select();" onclick="this.select();"/>
         <button id="clear" label="&clearButton.label;" disabled="true"
                 accesskey="&clearButton.accesskey;"