diff --git a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarController.jsm b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarController.jsm
index d9fb6f946a47..ca7b19517f6c 100644
--- a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarController.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarController.jsm
@@ -80,6 +80,13 @@ class UrlbarController {
     this.engagementEvent = new TelemetryEvent(options.eventTelemetryCategory);
   }
 
+  uninit() {
+    this.browserWindow = null;
+    this.input = null;
+    this.view = null;
+    this._listeners.clear();
+  }
+
   get NOTIFICATIONS() {
     return NOTIFICATIONS;
   }
diff --git a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarInput.jsm b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarInput.jsm
index dc6f42179f27..2cd97364ac26 100644
--- a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarInput.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarInput.jsm
@@ -270,6 +270,8 @@ class UrlbarInput {
 
     Services.prefs.removeObserver("browser.urlbar.openViewOnFocus", this);
 
+    this.controller.uninit();
+
     delete this.document;
     delete this.window;
     delete this.eventBufferer;
@@ -956,11 +958,12 @@ class UrlbarInput {
 
   get openViewOnFocusForCurrentTab() {
     return (
-      this._openViewOnFocus &&
-      !["about:newtab", "about:home"].includes(
-        this.window.gBrowser.currentURI.spec
-      ) &&
-      !this.isPrivate
+      this._openViewOnFocusAndSearchString ||
+      (this._openViewOnFocus &&
+        !["about:newtab", "about:home"].includes(
+          this.window.gBrowser.currentURI.spec
+        ) &&
+        !this.isPrivate)
     );
   }
 
@@ -1016,6 +1019,14 @@ class UrlbarInput {
 
   // Private methods below.
 
+  get _openViewOnFocusAndSearchString() {
+    return (
+      this.megabar &&
+      this.value &&
+      this.getAttribute("pageproxystate") != "valid"
+    );
+  }
+
   async _updateLayoutBreakoutDimensions() {
     // When this method gets called a second time before the first call
     // finishes, we need to disregard the first one.
diff --git a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarProvidersManager.jsm b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarProvidersManager.jsm
index 4a61bc3aa812..2c334c9fcbc1 100644
--- a/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarProvidersManager.jsm
+++ b/browser/components/urlbar/UrlbarProvidersManager.jsm
@@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ class Query {
     // Nothing should be failing above, since we catch all the promises, thus
     // this is not in a finally for now.
     this.complete = true;
+
+    // Break cycles with the controller to avoid leaks.
+    this.controller = null;
   }
 
   /**
diff --git a/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser.ini b/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser.ini
index 0149cea3d417..cfe55bb3b018 100644
--- a/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser.ini
+++ b/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser.ini
@@ -90,6 +90,7 @@ support-files = redirect_error.sjs
 [browser_removeUnsafeProtocolsFromURLBarPaste.js]
 tags = clipboard
 [browser_restoreEmptyInput.js]
+[browser_retainedResultsOnFocus.js]
 [browser_search_favicon.js]
 skip-if = true # Bug 1526222 - Doesn't currently work with QuantumBar
 [browser_searchTelemetry.js]
diff --git a/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser_retainedResultsOnFocus.js b/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser_retainedResultsOnFocus.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..d109688745be
--- /dev/null
+++ b/browser/components/urlbar/tests/browser/browser_retainedResultsOnFocus.js
@@ -0,0 +1,116 @@
+/* Any copyright is dedicated to the Public Domain.
+ * http://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ */
+
+"use strict";
+
+// Tests "megabar" redesign approach with retained results.
+// When there is a pending search (user typed a search string and blurred
+// without picking a result), on focus we should the search results again.
+
+// Note: this is similar to openViewOnFocus, but has a different behavior:
+// * Private browsing windows work the same as normal windows
+// * Opens the panel only if there is a user typed search string
+
+async function checkOpensOnFocus(win = window) {
+  Assert.ok(!win.gURLBar.view.isOpen, "check urlbar panel is not open");
+  win.gURLBar.blur();
+
+  info("Check the keyboard shortcut.");
+  await UrlbarTestUtils.promisePopupOpen(win, () => {
+    win.document.getElementById("Browser:OpenLocation").doCommand();
+  });
+  await UrlbarTestUtils.promisePopupClose(win, () => {
+    win.gURLBar.blur();
+  });
+  info("Focus with the mouse.");
+  await UrlbarTestUtils.promisePopupOpen(win, () => {
+    EventUtils.synthesizeMouseAtCenter(win.gURLBar.inputField, {}, win);
+  });
+}
+
+async function checkDoesNotOpenOnFocus(win = window) {
+  Assert.ok(
+    !win.gURLBar.openViewOnFocusForCurrentTab,
+    "openViewOnFocusForCurrentTab should be false"
+  );
+  Assert.ok(!win.gURLBar.view.isOpen, "check urlbar panel is not open");
+  win.gURLBar.blur();
+
+  info("Check the keyboard shortcut.");
+  win.document.getElementById("Browser:OpenLocation").doCommand();
+  // Because the panel opening may not be immediate, we must wait a bit.
+  // eslint-disable-next-line mozilla/no-arbitrary-setTimeout
+  await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 500));
+  Assert.ok(!win.gURLBar.view.isOpen, "check urlbar panel is not open");
+  win.gURLBar.blur();
+  info("Focus with the mouse.");
+  EventUtils.synthesizeMouseAtCenter(win.gURLBar.inputField, {}, win);
+  // Because the panel opening may not be immediate, we must wait a bit.
+  // eslint-disable-next-line mozilla/no-arbitrary-setTimeout
+  await new Promise(resolve => setTimeout(resolve, 500));
+  Assert.ok(!win.gURLBar.view.isOpen, "check urlbar panel is not open");
+}
+
+add_task(async function setup() {
+  await SpecialPowers.pushPrefEnv({
+    set: [["browser.urlbar.megabar", true]],
+  });
+  // Add some history for the empty panel.
+  await PlacesTestUtils.addVisits([
+    {
+      uri: "http://mochi.test:8888/",
+      transition: PlacesUtils.history.TRANSITIONS.TYPED,
+    },
+  ]);
+  registerCleanupFunction(PlacesUtils.history.clear);
+});
+
+async function test_window(win) {
+  for (let url of ["about:newtab", "about:home", "http://example.com/"]) {
+    // withNewTab may hang on preloaded pages, thus instead of waiting for load
+    // we just wait for the expected currentURI value.
+    await BrowserTestUtils.withNewTab(
+      { gBrowser: win.gBrowser, url, waitForLoad: false },
+      async browser => {
+        await TestUtils.waitForCondition(
+          () => win.gBrowser.currentURI.spec == url,
+          "Ensure we're on the expected page"
+        );
+
+        info("The panel should not open on the page by default");
+        await checkDoesNotOpenOnFocus(win);
+
+        await UrlbarTestUtils.promiseAutocompleteResultPopup({
+          window: win,
+          waitForFocus,
+          value: "foo",
+        });
+        await UrlbarTestUtils.promisePopupClose(win, () => {
+          win.gURLBar.blur();
+        });
+
+        info("The panel should open when there's a search string");
+        await checkOpensOnFocus(win);
+
+        await UrlbarTestUtils.promisePopupClose(win, () => {
+          win.gURLBar.blur();
+        });
+      }
+    );
+  }
+}
+
+add_task(async function test_normalWindow() {
+  // The megabar works properly in a new window.
+  let win = await BrowserTestUtils.openNewBrowserWindow();
+  await test_window(win);
+  await BrowserTestUtils.closeWindow(win);
+});
+
+add_task(async function privateWindow() {
+  let privateWin = await BrowserTestUtils.openNewBrowserWindow({
+    private: true,
+  });
+  await test_window(privateWin);
+  await BrowserTestUtils.closeWindow(privateWin);
+});