diff --git a/internal_packages/search-bar/keymaps/search-bar.cson b/internal_packages/search-bar/keymaps/search-bar.cson
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a0f869032
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal_packages/search-bar/keymaps/search-bar.cson
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+'.search-bar input':
+  'escape': 'search-bar:escape-search'
diff --git a/internal_packages/search-bar/lib/search-bar.cjsx b/internal_packages/search-bar/lib/search-bar.cjsx
index c500e5790..6402d753e 100644
--- a/internal_packages/search-bar/lib/search-bar.cjsx
+++ b/internal_packages/search-bar/lib/search-bar.cjsx
@@ -19,6 +19,9 @@ SearchBar = React.createClass
     @body_unsubscriber = atom.commands.add 'body', {
       'application:focus-search': @_onFocusSearch
     }
+    @body_unsubscriber = atom.commands.add '.search-bar', {
+      'search-bar:escape-search': @_clearAndBlur
+    }
 
   # It's important that every React class explicitly stops listening to
   # atom events before it unmounts. Thank you event-kit
@@ -118,6 +121,10 @@ SearchBar = React.createClass
   _onClearSearch: (event) ->
     Actions.searchQueryCommitted('')
 
+  _clearAndBlur: ->
+    @_onClearSearch()
+    @refs.searchInput?.getDOMNode().blur()
+
   _onFocus: ->
     @setState focused: true