diff --git a/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js b/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js
index f8a68a88d9..58347a068d 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.js
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@ var LeftPanel = React.createClass({
     getInitialState: function() {
         return {
             showCallElement: null,
+            searchFilter: '',
         };
     },
 
@@ -84,6 +85,10 @@ var LeftPanel = React.createClass({
         }
     },
 
+    onSearch: function(term) {
+        this.setState({ searchFilter: term });
+    },
+
     render: function() {
         var RoomList = sdk.getComponent('rooms.RoomList');
         var BottomLeftMenu = sdk.getComponent('structures.BottomLeftMenu');
@@ -111,12 +116,13 @@ var LeftPanel = React.createClass({
 
         return (
             <aside className={classes} style={{ opacity: this.props.opacity }}>
-                <SearchBox collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } />
+                <SearchBox collapsed={ this.props.collapsed } onSearch={ this.onSearch } />
                 { collapseButton }
                 { callPreview }
                 <RoomList
                     selectedRoom={this.props.selectedRoom}
                     collapsed={this.props.collapsed}
+                    searchFilter={this.state.searchFilter}
                     ConferenceHandler={VectorConferenceHandler} />
                 <BottomLeftMenu collapsed={this.props.collapsed}/>
             </aside>
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
index ab89fd0f5b..497acdec07 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSubList.js
@@ -65,16 +65,12 @@ var RoomSubList = React.createClass({
         selectedRoom: React.PropTypes.string.isRequired,
         startAsHidden: React.PropTypes.bool,
         showSpinner: React.PropTypes.bool, // true to show a spinner if 0 elements when expanded
-
-        // TODO: Fix the name of this. This is too easily confused with the
-        // "hidden" state which is the expanded (or not) view of the list of rooms.
-        // What this prop *really* does is control whether the room name is displayed
-        // so it should be named as such.
-        collapsed: React.PropTypes.bool.isRequired,
+        collapsed: React.PropTypes.bool.isRequired, // is LeftPanel collapsed?
         onHeaderClick: React.PropTypes.func,
         alwaysShowHeader: React.PropTypes.bool,
         incomingCall: React.PropTypes.object,
-        onShowMoreRooms: React.PropTypes.func
+        onShowMoreRooms: React.PropTypes.func,
+        searchFilter: React.PropTypes.string,
     },
 
     getInitialState: function() {
@@ -93,13 +89,20 @@ var RoomSubList = React.createClass({
     },
 
     componentWillMount: function() {
-        this.sortList(this.props.list, this.props.order);
+        this.sortList(this.applySearchFilter(this.props.list, this.props.searchFilter), this.props.order);
     },
 
     componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
         // order the room list appropriately before we re-render
         //if (debug) console.log("received new props, list = " + newProps.list);
-        this.sortList(newProps.list, newProps.order);
+        this.sortList(this.applySearchFilter(newProps.list, newProps.searchFilter), newProps.order);
+    },
+
+    applySearchFilter: function(list, filter) {
+        if (filter === "") return list;
+        return list.filter((room) => {
+            return room.name && room.name.toLowerCase().indexOf(filter.toLowerCase()) >= 0
+        });
     },
 
     onClick: function(ev) {
diff --git a/src/components/structures/SearchBox.js b/src/components/structures/SearchBox.js
index 69434dc2a0..553feffe0c 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/SearchBox.js
+++ b/src/components/structures/SearchBox.js
@@ -19,32 +19,78 @@ limitations under the License.
 var React = require('react');
 var sdk = require('matrix-react-sdk')
 var dis = require('matrix-react-sdk/lib/dispatcher');
+var rate_limited_func = require('matrix-react-sdk/lib/ratelimitedfunc');
 
 module.exports = React.createClass({
     displayName: 'SearchBox',
 
+    propTypes: {
+        collapsed: React.PropTypes.bool,
+        onSearch: React.PropTypes.func,
+    },
+
+    onChange: new rate_limited_func(
+        function() {
+            if (this.refs.search) {
+                this.props.onSearch(this.refs.search.value);
+            }
+        },
+        100
+    ),
+
+    onToggleCollapse: function(show) {
+        if (show) {
+            dis.dispatch({
+                action: 'show_left_panel',
+            });
+        }
+        else {
+            dis.dispatch({
+                action: 'hide_left_panel',
+            });
+        }
+    },
+
     render: function() {
         var TintableSvg = sdk.getComponent('elements.TintableSvg');
 
         var toggleCollapse;
         if (this.props.collapsed) {
-            toggleCollapse = <img className="mx_SearchBox_maximise" src="img/maximise.svg" width="10" height="16" alt="&lt;"/>;
+            toggleCollapse =
+                <div className="mx_SearchBox_maximise" onClick={ this.onToggleCollapse.bind(this, true) }>
+                    <TintableSvg src="img/maximise.svg" width="10" height="16" alt="&lt;"/>
+                </div>
         }
         else {
-            toggleCollapse = <img className="mx_SearchBox_minimise" src="img/minimise.svg" width="10" height="16" alt="&lt;"/>;
+            toggleCollapse =
+                <div className="mx_SearchBox_minimise" onClick={ this.onToggleCollapse.bind(this, false) }>
+                    <TintableSvg src="img/minimise.svg" width="10" height="16" alt="&lt;"/>
+                </div>
         }
 
+        var searchControls;
+        if (!this.props.collapsed) {
+            searchControls = [
+                    <TintableSvg
+                        key="button"
+                        className="mx_SearchBox_searchButton"
+                        src="img/search.svg" width="21" height="19"
+                    />,
+                    <input
+                        key="searchfield"
+                        type="text"
+                        ref="search"
+                        className="mx_SearchBox_search"
+                        onChange={ this.onChange }
+                        placeholder="Search room names"
+                    />
+                ];
+        }
+
+        var self = this;
         return (
             <div className="mx_SearchBox">
-                <TintableSvg
-                    className="mx_SearchBox_searchButton"
-                    src="img/search.svg" width="21" height="19"
-                />
-                <input
-                    type="text"
-                    className="mx_SearchBox_search"
-                    placeholder="Search Vector"
-                />
+                { searchControls }
                 { toggleCollapse }
             </div>
         );
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomStatusBar.css b/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomStatusBar.css
index dfbc354aed..4d91755c3f 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomStatusBar.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/RoomStatusBar.css
@@ -15,9 +15,9 @@ limitations under the License.
 */
 
 .mx_RoomStatusBar {
-    margin-top: 12px;
+    margin-top: 15px;
     margin-left: 65px;
-    min-height: 37px;
+    min-height: 34px;
 }
 
 /* position the indicator in the same place horizontally as .mx_EventTile_avatar. */
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ limitations under the License.
 .mx_RoomStatusBar_placeholderIndicator span {
     color: #4a4a4a;
     opacity: 0.5;
-/*    
     position: relative;
+    top: -4px;
+/*    
     animation-duration: 1s;
     animation-name: bounce;
     animation-direction: alternate;
diff --git a/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/SearchBox.css b/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/SearchBox.css
index 8c8c470a37..d94efd9826 100644
--- a/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/SearchBox.css
+++ b/src/skins/vector/css/matrix-react-sdk/structures/SearchBox.css
@@ -45,5 +45,17 @@ limitations under the License.
 
 .mx_SearchBox_minimise,
 .mx_SearchBox_maximise {
+    cursor: pointer;
+}
+
+.mx_SearchBox_minimise {
     margin-left: 10px;
 }
+
+.mx_SearchBox_maximise {
+    margin-left: 6px;
+}
+
+.mx_SearchBox object {
+    pointer-events: none;
+}
\ No newline at end of file