diff --git a/mailnews/base/resources/content/mailWindowOverlay.xul b/mailnews/base/resources/content/mailWindowOverlay.xul
index 87e58c4fe73..3e70a71937d 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/resources/content/mailWindowOverlay.xul
+++ b/mailnews/base/resources/content/mailWindowOverlay.xul
@@ -1488,7 +1488,7 @@ Rights Reserved.
 
 <hbox id="searchBox" persist="collapsed" align="center">
   <label id="searchCriteria" value="&SearchSubjectOrSender.label;"/>
-  <textbox id="searchInput" flex="1" onfocus="searchInputFocus();" oninput="onSearchInput(event);"/>
+  <textbox id="searchInput" flex="1" onfocus="this.select();" oninput="onSearchInput(event);"/>
   <button id="clearButton" label="&clearButton.label;" disabled="true" tooltiptext="&clearButton.tooltip;" oncommand="onClearSearch();" accesskey="&clearButton.accesskey;"/>
   <button id="advancedButton" label="&advancedButton.label;" tooltiptext="&advancedButton.tooltip;" oncommand="onAdvancedSearch();"/>
 </hbox>
diff --git a/mailnews/base/resources/content/searchBar.js b/mailnews/base/resources/content/searchBar.js
index efbc8306045..7c2af37d2a7 100644
--- a/mailnews/base/resources/content/searchBar.js
+++ b/mailnews/base/resources/content/searchBar.js
@@ -82,6 +82,7 @@ function getDocumentElements()
   gStatusBar = document.getElementById('statusbar-icon');
   gSearchCriteria =document.getElementById('searchCriteria');
   gClearButton = document.getElementById('clearButton');
+  GetSearchInput();
 }
 
 function addListeners()
@@ -129,8 +130,10 @@ function onEnterInSearchBar()
      return;
    }
    else
+   {
+     gSearchInput.select();
      gClearButton.setAttribute("disabled", false); //coming into search enable clear button
-
+   }
 
    ClearThreadPaneSelection();
    ClearMessagePane();
@@ -233,10 +236,3 @@ function disableQuickSearchClearButton()
  if (gClearButton)
    gClearButton.setAttribute("disabled", true); //going out of search disable clear button
 }
-
-function searchInputFocus()
-{
-  var searchInput = GetSearchInput();
-  if (searchInput.value)
-    searchInput.select();
-}