diff --git a/data/gui/roster_window.ui b/data/gui/roster_window.ui
index c10486ab4..65f452421 100644
--- a/data/gui/roster_window.ui
+++ b/data/gui/roster_window.ui
@@ -348,7 +348,11 @@
 		    <property name="no_show_all">True</property>
 		    <property name="editable">False</property>
 		    <property name="can_focus">True</property>
-		    <signal name="changed" handler="on_roster_filter_entry_changed" />
+		    <property name="primary_icon_stock">gtk-close</property>
+		    <property name="primary_icon_activatable">True</property>
+		    <signal name="changed" handler="on_roster_filter_entry_changed"/>
+		    <signal name="icon_press" handler="on_roster_filter_entry_icon_press"/>
+		    <signal name="key_press_event" handler="on_roster_filter_entry_key_press_event"/>
 		  </object>
                   <packing>
                     <property name="expand">False</property>
diff --git a/src/roster_window.py b/src/roster_window.py
index e61b8b6bf..72ca0d565 100644
--- a/src/roster_window.py
+++ b/src/roster_window.py
@@ -4176,12 +4176,19 @@ class RosterWindow:
             self.search_enabled = True
         self.refilter_shown_roster_items()
 
+    def on_roster_filter_entry_icon_press(self, widget):
+        pass
+
+    def on_roster_filter_entry_key_press_event(self, widget):
+        pass
+
     def on_show_roster_filter_menuitem_toggled(self, widget):
         """ Show the roster filter entry """
         self.search_enabled = widget.get_active()
         self.xml.get_object('roster_filter_entry').set_visible(self.search_enabled)
         self.xml.get_object('roster_filter_entry').set_editable(self.search_enabled)
         if self.search_enabled:
+            self.xml.get_object('roster_filter_entry').set_text('')
             self.xml.get_object('roster_filter_entry').grab_focus()
 
     def on_roster_hpaned_notify(self, pane, gparamspec):