diff --git a/openide.awt/apichanges.xml b/openide.awt/apichanges.xml
--- a/openide.awt/apichanges.xml
+++ b/openide.awt/apichanges.xml
@@ -50,6 +50,20 @@
 <apidef name="awt">AWT API</apidef>
 </apidefs>
 <changes>
+    <change id="QuickSearch.dismissOnFocusLost">
+      <api name="awt"/>
+      <summary>QuickSearch allows to customize of whether the quick search field should dismiss on focus lost, or not.</summary>
+      <version major="7" minor="48"/>
+      <date day="25" month="7" year="2012"/>
+      <author login="mentlicher"/>
+      <compatibility addition="yes" binary="compatible" source="compatible" deprecation="no" semantic="compatible" modification="no" deletion="no"/>
+      <description>
+          QuickSearch.isDismissOnFocusLost() and QuickSearch.setDismissOnFocusLost(boolean) methods are added.
+          They can be used to change the default behavior of automatic dismiss of the quick search field on focus lost.
+      </description>
+      <class package="org.openide.awt" name="QuickSearch"/>
+        <issue number="215688"/>
+    </change>
     <change id="CheckForUpdatesProvider">
         <api name="awt"/>
         <summary>Support for Check for Updates feature</summary>
diff --git a/openide.awt/manifest.mf b/openide.awt/manifest.mf
--- a/openide.awt/manifest.mf
+++ b/openide.awt/manifest.mf
@@ -2,5 +2,5 @@
 OpenIDE-Module: org.openide.awt
 OpenIDE-Module-Localizing-Bundle: org/openide/awt/Bundle.properties
 AutoUpdate-Essential-Module: true
-OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 7.47
+OpenIDE-Module-Specification-Version: 7.48
 
diff --git a/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/QuickSearch.java b/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/QuickSearch.java
--- a/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/QuickSearch.java
+++ b/openide.awt/src/org/openide/awt/QuickSearch.java
@@ -77,6 +77,7 @@
     private final JMenu popupMenu;
     private final boolean asynchronous;
     private boolean enabled = true;
+    private boolean dismissOnFocusLost = true;
     private SearchTextField searchTextField;
     private KeyAdapter quickSearchKeyAdapter;
     private SearchFieldListener searchFieldListener;
@@ -231,6 +232,29 @@
     }
     
     /**
+     * Test whether the quick search field is automatically dismissed,
+     * when it loses focus. This is <code>true</code> by default.
+     * @return <code>true</code> when the search field is dismissed on focus lost,
+     *         <code>false</code> otherwise.
+     * @since 7.48
+     */
+    public boolean isDismissOnFocusLost() {
+        return dismissOnFocusLost;
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * Set whether the quick search field should be automatically dismissed,
+     * when it loses focus.
+     * @param dismissOnFocusLost <code>true</code> to automatically dismiss
+     *                                             the search field on focus lost,
+     *                           <code>false</code> to ignore focus lost.
+     * @since 7.48
+     */
+    public void setDismissOnFocusLost(boolean dismissOnFocusLost) {
+        this.dismissOnFocusLost = dismissOnFocusLost;
+    }
+    
+    /**
      * Process this key event in addition to the key events obtained from the
      * component we're attached to.
      * @param ke a key event to process.
@@ -702,6 +726,9 @@
 
         @Override
         public void focusGained(FocusEvent e) {
+            if (!isDismissOnFocusLost()) {
+                return ;
+            }
             if (e.getSource() == searchTextField) {
                 // make sure nothing is selected
                 int n = searchTextField.getText().length();
@@ -711,7 +738,9 @@
 
         @Override
         public void focusLost(FocusEvent e) {
-            if (e.isTemporary()) return ;
+            if (e.isTemporary() || !isDismissOnFocusLost()) {
+                return ;
+            }
             Component oppositeComponent = e.getOppositeComponent();
             if (e.getSource() != searchTextField) {
                 ((Component) e.getSource()).removeFocusListener(this);