diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs
index 324f35e62..8b326a06b 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/headless.rs
@@ -678,6 +678,41 @@ mod tests {
         assert!(egui::Popup::is_any_open(&h.view.ctx), "its context menu");
     }
 
+    /// The search field is a shared text field: right-click ▸ Paste puts the clipboard's text in
+    /// and filters by it.
+    #[test]
+    fn the_search_field_pastes_from_its_menu() {
+        let mut h = demo([1200.0, 760.0]);
+        let t = Duration::from_secs(10);
+        h.settle(SETTLE);
+        h.view.clipboard = "wedding".into();
+        for (id, button) in [("field:search", "right"), ("field:search:paste", "left")] {
+            let r = h.request("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": id, "button": button}), t);
+            assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{id}: {r}");
+            h.settle(SETTLE);
+        }
+        assert_eq!(h.app.ui.search, "wedding");
+        assert_eq!(h.app.session.filter.text, "wedding", "and the library is filtered by it");
+    }
+
+    /// Esc in the search field gives back the search from before the edit, and the filter with it.
+    #[test]
+    fn escape_in_the_search_field_gives_back_the_search() {
+        let mut h = demo([1200.0, 760.0]);
+        let t = Duration::from_secs(10);
+        h.settle(SETTLE);
+        for (method, params) in [("ui.clickWidget", json!({"id": "field:search"})), ("ui.text", json!({"text": "travel"}))] {
+            let r = h.request(method, params, t);
+            assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+            h.settle(SETTLE);
+        }
+        assert_eq!(h.app.session.filter.text, "travel", "filtered while typing");
+        let r = h.request("ui.key", json!({"key": "Escape"}), t);
+        assert_eq!(r["ok"], true, "{r}");
+        h.settle(SETTLE);
+        assert_eq!((h.app.ui.search.as_str(), h.app.session.filter.text.as_str()), ("", ""));
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn demo_grid_snapshot_has_ui_pixels() {
         let t0 = Instant::now();
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/topbar.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/topbar.rs
index d06a75594..6462c87d6 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/topbar.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/panels/topbar.rs
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
             });
             // search field (centred on the window)
             let sr = Rect::from_center_size(pos2(full.center().x, full.center().y), vec2(sw, 28.0));
-            let id = egui::Id::new("search-field");
+            let id = crate::text_field::id("field:search");
             if std::mem::take(&mut app.ui.focus_search) {
                 ui.memory_mut(|m| m.request_focus(id));
             }
@@ -91,7 +91,6 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
                 Stroke::new(1.0, if focused { t.accent } else { t.field_border }),
                 StrokeKind::Inside,
             );
-            register(ui.ctx(), "field:search", sr);
             let mut child =
                 ui.new_child(egui::UiBuilder::new().max_rect(sr.shrink2(vec2(10.0, 4.0))).layout(egui::Layout::left_to_right(egui::Align::Center)));
             let empty = app.ui.search.is_empty();
@@ -102,14 +101,13 @@ pub fn show(app: &mut LightcraftApp, ui: &mut egui::Ui) {
                 paint(child.painter(), Rect::from_min_size(pos2(x0, sr.center().y - 8.0), vec2(16.0, 16.0)), Icon::Search, t.text_dim);
                 child.painter().galley(pos2(x0 + 24.0, sr.center().y - g.size().y / 2.0), g, t.text_dim);
             }
-            let resp = child.add(
-                egui::TextEdit::singleline(&mut app.ui.search)
-                    .id(id)
-                    .frame(egui::Frame::NONE)
-                    .desired_width(sr.width() - 20.0)
-                    .font(t.font(13.5))
-                    .text_color(t.text),
-            );
+            let resp = crate::text_field::TextField::singleline("field:search", &mut app.ui.search)
+                .frame(false)
+                .width(sr.width() - 20.0)
+                .font(t.font(13.5))
+                .text_color(t.text)
+                .show(&mut child)
+                .response;
             if resp.changed() {
                 let q = app.ui.search.clone();
                 let _ = app.run("library.filter", json!({"text": q}));
diff --git a/crates/ui-egui/src/text_field.rs b/crates/ui-egui/src/text_field.rs
index 060c1ba0b..8174d5072 100644
--- a/crates/ui-egui/src/text_field.rs
+++ b/crates/ui-egui/src/text_field.rs
@@ -47,12 +47,34 @@ pub struct TextField<'a> {
     hint: Option<String>,
     width: Option<f32>,
     select_on_focus: bool,
+    frame: bool,
+    font: Option<egui::FontId>,
+    color: Option<egui::Color32>,
+    align: Option<egui::Align>,
+    margin: Option<egui::Margin>,
+}
+
+/// The egui id of the field registered as `widget`, to give it the focus (⌘F to search).
+pub fn id(widget: &str) -> egui::Id {
+    egui::Id::new("lc-text-field").with(widget)
 }
 
 impl<'a> TextField<'a> {
     /// A one-line field (Return ends the edit) registered as `widget`.
     pub fn singleline(widget: &'a str, text: &'a mut String) -> Self {
-        TextField { widget, text, multiline: false, hint: None, width: None, select_on_focus: false }
+        TextField {
+            widget,
+            text,
+            multiline: false,
+            hint: None,
+            width: None,
+            select_on_focus: false,
+            frame: true,
+            font: None,
+            color: None,
+            align: None,
+            margin: None,
+        }
     }
 
     /// A multi-line field: Return starts a new line; leaving the field ends the edit.
@@ -71,6 +93,32 @@ impl<'a> TextField<'a> {
         self
     }
 
+    /// Draw the field's own box (on by default); off where the caller draws one around it.
+    pub fn frame(mut self, on: bool) -> Self {
+        self.frame = on;
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn font(mut self, font: egui::FontId) -> Self {
+        self.font = Some(font);
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn text_color(mut self, color: egui::Color32) -> Self {
+        self.color = Some(color);
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn horizontal_align(mut self, align: egui::Align) -> Self {
+        self.align = Some(align);
+        self
+    }
+
+    pub fn margin(mut self, margin: egui::Margin) -> Self {
+        self.margin = Some(margin);
+        self
+    }
+
     /// Select all the text when the field takes focus, so typing replaces it (names, numbers).
     pub fn select_on_focus(mut self, on: bool) -> Self {
         self.select_on_focus = on;
@@ -78,7 +126,7 @@ impl<'a> TextField<'a> {
     }
 
     pub fn show(self, ui: &mut Ui) -> TextFieldResponse {
-        let id = egui::Id::new("lc-text-field").with(self.widget);
+        let id = id(self.widget);
         let mut memo: Memo = ui.data_mut(|d| d.get_temp(id.with("memo"))).unwrap_or_default();
         // a choice from the menu last frame: the field takes the focus back and does it, with
         // egui's own handling of the clipboard events (a password is never copied)
@@ -100,6 +148,21 @@ impl<'a> TextField<'a> {
         if let Some(w) = self.width {
             edit = edit.desired_width(w);
         }
+        if !self.frame {
+            edit = edit.frame(egui::Frame::NONE);
+        }
+        if let Some(font) = self.font {
+            edit = edit.font(font);
+        }
+        if let Some(color) = self.color {
+            edit = edit.text_color(color);
+        }
+        if let Some(align) = self.align {
+            edit = edit.horizontal_align(align);
+        }
+        if let Some(margin) = self.margin {
+            edit = edit.margin(margin);
+        }
         let (escape, enter) = ui.input(|i| (i.key_pressed(egui::Key::Escape), i.key_pressed(egui::Key::Enter)));
         // a right-click places the cursor as a left one does: the selection the menu acts on
         // would be gone