diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorDialog.cc b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorDialog.cc
index 49da27914..90a0b1f27 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorDialog.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorDialog.cc
@@ -1978,7 +1978,11 @@ MacroEditorDialog::replace_all_button_clicked ()
 void
 MacroEditorDialog::search_requested (const QString &s)
 {
-  searchEditBox->setText (s);
+  if (! s.isNull ()) {
+    searchEditBox->setText (s);
+  } else {
+    searchEditBox->selectAll ();
+  }
   searchEditBox->setFocus ();
   search_editing ();
 }
diff --git a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
index 8983724ce..d5929a4bb 100644
--- a/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
+++ b/src/lay/lay/layMacroEditorPage.cc
@@ -1788,7 +1788,11 @@ MacroEditorPage::eventFilter (QObject *watched, QEvent *event)
           QTextBlock e = mp_text->document ()->findBlock (c.selectionEnd ());
           if (e == s) {
             emit search_requested (c.selectedText ());
+          } else {
+            emit search_requested (QString ());
           }
+        } else {
+          emit search_requested (QString ());
         }
 
         return true;