diff -r 1617c82406aa api.search/src/org/netbeans/modules/search/BasicSearchForm.java
--- a/api.search/src/org/netbeans/modules/search/BasicSearchForm.java	Fri Jan 10 00:14:07 2014 +0000
+++ b/api.search/src/org/netbeans/modules/search/BasicSearchForm.java	Fri Jan 10 18:10:22 2014 +0100
@@ -276,6 +276,9 @@
             replacementPatternEditor = (JTextComponent) cboxEditorComp;
         }
         this.setLayout(new BoxLayout(this, BoxLayout.PAGE_AXIS));
+        UiUtils.fixComboBoxes(cboxTextToFind.getComponent(), cboxReplacement,
+                cboxScope.getComponent(), cboxFileNamePattern.getComponent(),
+                textToFindType);
     }
 
     /**
diff -r 1617c82406aa api.search/src/org/netbeans/modules/search/ui/UiUtils.java
--- a/api.search/src/org/netbeans/modules/search/ui/UiUtils.java	Fri Jan 10 00:14:07 2014 +0000
+++ b/api.search/src/org/netbeans/modules/search/ui/UiUtils.java	Fri Jan 10 18:10:22 2014 +0100
@@ -42,19 +42,34 @@
 package org.netbeans.modules.search.ui;
 
 import java.awt.Color;
+import java.awt.Component;
 import java.awt.EventQueue;
+import java.awt.Window;
 import java.awt.datatransfer.DataFlavor;
 import java.awt.datatransfer.Transferable;
 import java.awt.datatransfer.UnsupportedFlavorException;
+import java.awt.event.ActionEvent;
+import java.awt.event.KeyAdapter;
+import java.awt.event.KeyEvent;
+import java.awt.event.KeyListener;
 import java.io.CharConversionException;
 import java.io.File;
 import java.io.IOException;
 import javax.swing.AbstractButton;
+import javax.swing.Action;
+import javax.swing.ComboBoxEditor;
+import javax.swing.JButton;
+import javax.swing.JComboBox;
+import javax.swing.JComponent;
+import javax.swing.JDialog;
 import javax.swing.JLabel;
+import javax.swing.JRootPane;
+import javax.swing.KeyStroke;
 import javax.swing.UIManager;
 import org.netbeans.modules.search.BasicSearchProvider;
 import org.openide.awt.Mnemonics;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
+import org.openide.util.Utilities;
 import org.openide.xml.XMLUtil;
 
 /**
@@ -158,4 +173,123 @@
                     "BasicSearchForm.cboxFileNamePattern.example");     //NOI18N
         }
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Workaround bugs in checkboxes - they consume some key events on Mac with
+     * JDK8. See bug 239241.
+     *
+     * @param comboBoxes
+     */
+    public static void fixComboBoxes(JComboBox... comboBoxes) {
+
+        int javaVersion = -1;
+        String javaVersionStr = System.getProperty("java.version");     //NOI18N
+        if (javaVersionStr != null) {
+            String[] parts = javaVersionStr.split("\\.");               //NOI18N
+            if (parts != null && parts.length > 1) {
+                try {
+                    javaVersion = Integer.parseInt(parts[1]);
+                } catch (NumberFormatException e) {
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        if (Utilities.isMac() && (javaVersion < 0 || javaVersion > 7)
+                && comboBoxes.length > 0) {
+
+            KeyListener kl = new JComboBoxEscapeAndEnterListener();
+
+            for (JComboBox<?> comboBox : comboBoxes) {
+                if (comboBox != null) {
+                    comboBox.addKeyListener(kl);
+                    ComboBoxEditor editor = comboBox.getEditor();
+                    if (editor != null) {
+                        Component editorComponent = editor.getEditorComponent();
+                        if (editorComponent != null) {
+                            editorComponent.addKeyListener(kl);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Listener for Enter and Escape pressing in JComboBoxes. See
+     * {@link #fixComboBoxes(JComboBox...)}.
+     *
+     */
+    private static class JComboBoxEscapeAndEnterListener extends KeyAdapter {
+
+        /**
+         * Key pressed in a JComboBox or in its editor.
+         *
+         * @param e
+         */
+        @Override
+        public void keyPressed(KeyEvent e) {
+            Object source = e.getSource();
+            if (source instanceof Component) {
+                for (Component a = ((Component) source); a != null;
+                        a = a.getParent()) {
+                    if (a instanceof JComboBox) {
+                        process((JComboBox<?>) a, e);
+                        return;
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Check whether the event should handled, find the containing dialog
+         * and invoke proper action in its root pane.
+         *
+         * @param comboBox
+         * @param e
+         */
+        private void process(JComboBox<?> comboBox, KeyEvent e) {
+            if (!comboBox.isPopupVisible()
+                    && comboBox.getParent() != null
+                    && (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE
+                    || e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER)) {
+                Component parent = comboBox;
+                while (parent != null && !(parent instanceof Window)) {
+                    parent = parent.getParent();
+                }
+                if (parent instanceof JDialog) {
+                    JDialog dial = (JDialog) parent;
+                    JRootPane rootPane = dial.getRootPane();
+                    invokeProperAction(e, rootPane);
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
+        /**
+         * Invoke proper action for the event - click the default button or
+         * invoke the action associated with Escape key.
+         *
+         * @param e
+         * @param rootPane
+         */
+        private void invokeProperAction(KeyEvent e, JRootPane rootPane) {
+            if (e.getKeyCode() == KeyEvent.VK_ENTER) {
+                JButton button = rootPane.getDefaultButton();
+                if (button != null) {
+                    button.doClick();
+                }
+            } else {
+                Object key = rootPane.getInputMap(
+                        JComponent.WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT)
+                        .get(KeyStroke.getKeyStroke(KeyEvent.VK_ESCAPE, 0));
+                if (key != null) {
+                    Action action = rootPane.getActionMap().get(key);
+                    if (action != null) {
+                        action.actionPerformed(
+                                new ActionEvent(e.getSource(),
+                                        e.getID(), "Escape")); //NOI18N
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+        }
+    }
 }