diff --git a/src/CMakeLists.txt b/src/CMakeLists.txt
index a5cb7d534..a93cea8c6 100644
--- a/src/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/src/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -324,6 +324,15 @@ ecm_qt_declare_logging_category(neochat
     EXPORT NEOCHAT
 )
 
+ecm_qt_declare_logging_category(neochat
+    HEADER "publicroomlist_logging.h"
+    IDENTIFIER "PublicRoomList"
+    CATEGORY_NAME "org.kde.neochat.publicroomlistmodel"
+    DESCRIPTION "Neochat: publicroomlistmodel"
+    DEFAULT_SEVERITY Info
+    EXPORT NEOCHAT
+)
+
 ecm_qt_declare_logging_category(neochat
     HEADER "eventhandler_logging.h"
     IDENTIFIER "EventHandling"
diff --git a/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.cpp b/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.cpp
index ad41d0315..d0dba9030 100644
--- a/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.cpp
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 
 #include <Quotient/connection.h>
 
+#include "publicroomlist_logging.h"
+
 using namespace Quotient;
 
 PublicRoomListModel::PublicRoomListModel(QObject *parent)
@@ -70,7 +72,6 @@ void PublicRoomListModel::setServer(const QString &value)
     nextBatch = QString();
     attempted = false;
     rooms.clear();
-    Q_EMIT searchingChanged();
 
     endResetModel();
 
@@ -99,26 +100,16 @@ void PublicRoomListModel::setSearchText(const QString &value)
     }
 
     m_searchText = value;
-
-    beginResetModel();
+    Q_EMIT searchTextChanged();
 
     nextBatch = QString();
     attempted = false;
-    rooms.clear();
-
-    endResetModel();
 
     if (job) {
         job->abandon();
         job = nullptr;
         Q_EMIT searchingChanged();
     }
-
-    if (m_connection) {
-        next();
-    }
-
-    Q_EMIT searchTextChanged();
 }
 
 bool PublicRoomListModel::showOnlySpaces() const
@@ -135,15 +126,28 @@ void PublicRoomListModel::setShowOnlySpaces(bool showOnlySpaces)
     Q_EMIT showOnlySpacesChanged();
 }
 
-void PublicRoomListModel::next(int count)
+void PublicRoomListModel::search(int limit)
 {
-    if (count < 1) {
+    if (limit < 1 || attempted) {
         return;
     }
 
     if (job) {
-        qDebug() << "PublicRoomListModel: Other jobs running, ignore";
+        qCDebug(PublicRoomList) << "Other job running, ignore";
+        return;
+    }
 
+    next(limit);
+}
+
+void PublicRoomListModel::next(int limit)
+{
+    if (m_connection == nullptr || limit < 1) {
+        return;
+    }
+
+    if (job) {
+        qCDebug(PublicRoomList) << "Other job running, ignore";
         return;
     }
 
@@ -151,11 +155,17 @@ void PublicRoomListModel::next(int count)
     if (m_showOnlySpaces) {
         roomTypes += QLatin1String("m.space");
     }
-    job = m_connection->callApi<QueryPublicRoomsJob>(m_server, count, nextBatch, QueryPublicRoomsJob::Filter{m_searchText, roomTypes});
+    job = m_connection->callApi<QueryPublicRoomsJob>(m_server, limit, nextBatch, QueryPublicRoomsJob::Filter{m_searchText, roomTypes});
     Q_EMIT searchingChanged();
 
     connect(job, &BaseJob::finished, this, [this] {
-        attempted = true;
+        if (!attempted) {
+            beginResetModel();
+            rooms.clear();
+            endResetModel();
+
+            attempted = true;
+        }
 
         if (job->status() == BaseJob::Success) {
             nextBatch = job->nextBatch();
@@ -177,8 +187,7 @@ QVariant PublicRoomListModel::data(const QModelIndex &index, int role) const
     }
 
     if (index.row() >= rooms.count()) {
-        qDebug() << "PublicRoomListModel, something's wrong: index.row() >= "
-                    "rooms.count()";
+        qCDebug(PublicRoomList) << "something's wrong: index.row() >= rooms.count()";
         return {};
     }
     auto room = rooms.at(index.row());
@@ -267,7 +276,7 @@ int PublicRoomListModel::rowCount(const QModelIndex &parent) const
 bool PublicRoomListModel::canFetchMore(const QModelIndex &parent) const
 {
     Q_UNUSED(parent)
-    return !(attempted && nextBatch.isEmpty());
+    return !nextBatch.isEmpty();
 }
 
 void PublicRoomListModel::fetchMore(const QModelIndex &parent)
diff --git a/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.h b/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.h
index 3e50c20d3..e2c81ea10 100644
--- a/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.h
+++ b/src/models/publicroomlistmodel.h
@@ -108,6 +108,13 @@ public:
 
     [[nodiscard]] bool searching() const;
 
+    /**
+     * @brief Search the room directory.
+     *
+     * @param limit the maximum number of rooms to load.
+     */
+    Q_INVOKABLE void search(int limit = 50);
+
 private:
     QPointer<Quotient::Connection> m_connection = nullptr;
     QString m_server;
@@ -117,9 +124,9 @@ private:
     /**
      * @brief Load the next set of rooms.
      *
-     * @param count the maximum number of rooms to load.
+     * @param limit the maximum number of rooms to load.
      */
-    void next(int count = 50);
+    void next(int limit = 50);
     bool canFetchMore(const QModelIndex &parent) const override;
     void fetchMore(const QModelIndex &parent) override;
 
diff --git a/src/models/userdirectorylistmodel.cpp b/src/models/userdirectorylistmodel.cpp
index 6226a6492..6bbf78405 100644
--- a/src/models/userdirectorylistmodel.cpp
+++ b/src/models/userdirectorylistmodel.cpp
@@ -59,6 +59,12 @@ void UserDirectoryListModel::setSearchText(const QString &value)
     m_searchText = value;
     Q_EMIT searchTextChanged();
 
+    if (m_job) {
+        m_job->abandon();
+        m_job = nullptr;
+        Q_EMIT searchingChanged();
+    }
+
     attempted = false;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/qml/SearchPage.qml b/src/qml/SearchPage.qml
index 24595fba7..a908f3151 100644
--- a/src/qml/SearchPage.qml
+++ b/src/qml/SearchPage.qml
@@ -110,6 +110,7 @@ Kirigami.ScrollablePage {
                 Keys.onEnterPressed: searchButton.clicked()
                 Keys.onReturnPressed: searchButton.clicked()
                 onTextChanged: {
+                    searchTimer.restart()
                     if (model) {
                         model.searchText = text;
                     }
@@ -124,6 +125,14 @@ Kirigami.ScrollablePage {
                     }
                 }
             }
+            Timer {
+                id: searchTimer
+                interval: 500
+                running: true
+                onTriggered: if (typeof model.search === 'function') {
+                    model.search()
+                }
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -149,7 +158,7 @@ Kirigami.ScrollablePage {
 
         Kirigami.LoadingPlaceholder {
             anchors.centerIn: parent
-            visible: root.model.searching
+            visible: searchField.text.length > 0 && listView.count === 0 && root.model.searching
         }
     }
 }