diff --git a/editor/js/ui/palette-editor.js b/editor/js/ui/palette-editor.js
index e9bd7a969..280fe4859 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/palette-editor.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/palette-editor.js
@@ -262,23 +262,27 @@ RED.palette.editor = (function() {
         $("#header-shade").show();
         $("#editor-shade").show();
         $("#sidebar-shade").show();
+        $("#sidebar-separator").hide();
         $("#main-container").addClass("palette-expanded");
         setTimeout(function() {
             editorTabs.resize();
         },250);
-
+        RED.events.emit("palette-editor:open");
     }
     function hidePaletteEditor() {
         $("#main-container").removeClass("palette-expanded");
         $("#header-shade").hide();
         $("#editor-shade").hide();
         $("#sidebar-shade").hide();
+        $("#sidebar-separator").show();
         $("#palette-editor").find('.expanded').each(function(i,el) {
             $(el).find(".palette-module-content").slideUp();
             $(el).removeClass('expanded');
         });
         filterInput.searchBox('value',"");
         searchInput.searchBox('value',"");
+        RED.events.emit("palette-editor:close");
+
     }
 
     function filterChange(val) {
diff --git a/editor/js/ui/search.js b/editor/js/ui/search.js
index b7fd9ddbc..9804418fb 100644
--- a/editor/js/ui/search.js
+++ b/editor/js/ui/search.js
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@
  **/
 RED.search = (function() {
 
-
+    var disabled = false;
     var dialog = null;
     var searchInput;
     var searchResults;
@@ -244,6 +244,7 @@ RED.search = (function() {
             $("#editor-shade").show();
             $("#palette-shade").show();
             $("#sidebar-shade").show();
+            $("#sidebar-separator").hide();
             indexWorkspace();
             if (dialog === null) {
                 createDialog();
@@ -261,6 +262,7 @@ RED.search = (function() {
             $("#editor-shade").hide();
             $("#palette-shade").hide();
             $("#sidebar-shade").hide();
+            $("#sidebar-separator").show();
             if (dialog !== null) {
                 dialog.slideUp(200,function() {
                     searchInput.searchBox('value','');
@@ -270,7 +272,14 @@ RED.search = (function() {
     }
 
     function init() {
-        RED.keyboard.add("*",/* . */ 190,{ctrl:true},function(){show();d3.event.preventDefault();});
+        RED.keyboard.add("*",/* . */ 190,{ctrl:true},function(){if (!disabled) { show(); } d3.event.preventDefault();});
+        RED.events.on("editor:open",function() { disabled = true; });
+        RED.events.on("editor:close",function() { disabled = false; });
+        RED.events.on("palette-editor:open",function() { disabled = true; });
+        RED.events.on("palette-editor:close",function() { disabled = false; });
+
+
+
         $("#header-shade").on('mousedown',hide);
         $("#editor-shade").on('mousedown',hide);
         $("#palette-shade").on('mousedown',hide);
diff --git a/editor/sass/colors.scss b/editor/sass/colors.scss
index 576292fc7..15bbc9d7e 100644
--- a/editor/sass/colors.scss
+++ b/editor/sass/colors.scss
@@ -66,4 +66,4 @@ $editor-button-background-primary-hover: #6E0A1E;
 $editor-button-color: #999;
 $editor-button-background: #fff;
 
-$shade-color: rgba(220,220,220,0.5);
+$shade-color: rgba(100,100,100,0.5);
diff --git a/editor/sass/editor.scss b/editor/sass/editor.scss
index 2642e698f..fe0b18dac 100644
--- a/editor/sass/editor.scss
+++ b/editor/sass/editor.scss
@@ -176,6 +176,11 @@
     background: $shade-color;
     z-index: 2;
 }
+#sidebar-shade  {
+    left: -8px;
+    top: -1px;
+    bottom: -1px;
+}
 
 
 .dialog-form,#dialog-form, #dialog-config-form {
diff --git a/editor/sass/palette-editor.scss b/editor/sass/palette-editor.scss
index 70b575d89..8565d91b3 100644
--- a/editor/sass/palette-editor.scss
+++ b/editor/sass/palette-editor.scss
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@
         bottom:0;
         left:0;
         right:0;
-        background: rgba(255,255,255,0.8);
+        background: $shade-color;
         text-align: center;
         padding-top: 20px;
     }
diff --git a/editor/sass/search.scss b/editor/sass/search.scss
index 1884efbb1..7ad8cbe5c 100644
--- a/editor/sass/search.scss
+++ b/editor/sass/search.scss
@@ -84,18 +84,19 @@
     margin-right: 5px;
 }
 .red-ui-search-result-node-label {
-    font-weight: bold;
+    color: #222;
 }
 .red-ui-search-result-node-type {
     font-style: italic;
+    font-size: 0.9em;
 }
 .red-ui-search-result-node-flow {
     float:right;
-    font-size: 0.9em;
+    font-size: 0.8em;
 }
 .red-ui-search-result-node-id {
     display:none;
-    font-size: 0.9em;
+    font-size: 0.8em;
 }
 .red-ui-search-empty {
     padding: 10px;