diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.escape-blur.test.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.escape-blur.test.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..edd47a1f39b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.escape-blur.test.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,118 @@
+// @vitest-environment happy-dom
+
+import { act, renderHook } from '@testing-library/react'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import { useFileSearchPanel } from './useFileSearchPanel'
+
+const mocks = vi.hoisted(() => ({
+  clearFileSearch: vi.fn(),
+  updateFileSearchState: vi.fn(),
+  consumeFileSearchSeedRequest: vi.fn(),
+  toggleFileSearchCollapsedFile: vi.fn(),
+  openFile: vi.fn(),
+  setPendingEditorReveal: vi.fn(),
+  executeSearch: vi.fn(),
+  cancelPendingSearch: vi.fn(),
+  query: ''
+}))
+
+const WORKTREE_ID = 'repo::/repo'
+
+function buildState(): Record<string, unknown> {
+  return {
+    activeWorktreeId: WORKTREE_ID,
+    openFile: mocks.openFile,
+    setPendingEditorReveal: mocks.setPendingEditorReveal,
+    fileSearchStateByWorktree: {
+      [WORKTREE_ID]: { query: mocks.query }
+    },
+    updateFileSearchState: mocks.updateFileSearchState,
+    consumeFileSearchSeedRequest: mocks.consumeFileSearchSeedRequest,
+    toggleFileSearchCollapsedFile: mocks.toggleFileSearchCollapsedFile,
+    clearFileSearch: mocks.clearFileSearch
+  }
+}
+
+vi.mock('@/store', () => ({
+  useAppStore: Object.assign(
+    (selector: (s: Record<string, unknown>) => unknown) => selector(buildState()),
+    { getState: () => buildState() }
+  )
+}))
+
+vi.mock('@/store/selectors', () => ({
+  useActiveWorktree: () => ({ id: WORKTREE_ID, path: '/repo' })
+}))
+
+vi.mock('./useFileSearchRunner', () => ({
+  useFileSearchRunner: () => ({
+    executeSearch: mocks.executeSearch,
+    cancelPendingSearch: mocks.cancelPendingSearch
+  })
+}))
+
+// Escape must always release the query field: with text it also clears, empty it
+// still backs out. Asserted against real focus, not a spy, so a handler that
+// "handles" Escape without blurring still fails.
+function pressEscapeOnFocusedInput(query: string): {
+  activeAfter: Element | null
+  input: HTMLInputElement
+} {
+  mocks.query = query
+  const { result } = renderHook(() => useFileSearchPanel('search'))
+
+  const input = document.createElement('input')
+  document.body.appendChild(input)
+  ;(result.current.queryRowProps.inputRef as { current: HTMLInputElement | null }).current = input
+  input.focus()
+  expect(document.activeElement).toBe(input)
+
+  act(() => {
+    result.current.queryRowProps.onKeyDown?.({
+      key: 'Escape',
+      nativeEvent: { isComposing: false }
+    } as unknown as React.KeyboardEvent)
+  })
+
+  return { activeAfter: document.activeElement, input }
+}
+
+describe('file search panel Escape handling', () => {
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    vi.clearAllMocks()
+    document.body.innerHTML = ''
+  })
+
+  it('releases focus and clears when the query is non-empty', () => {
+    const { activeAfter, input } = pressEscapeOnFocusedInput('useCallback')
+
+    expect(activeAfter).not.toBe(input)
+    expect(mocks.clearFileSearch).toHaveBeenCalledWith(WORKTREE_ID)
+  })
+
+  it('releases focus when the query is empty without clearing', () => {
+    const { activeAfter, input } = pressEscapeOnFocusedInput('')
+
+    expect(activeAfter).not.toBe(input)
+    expect(mocks.clearFileSearch).not.toHaveBeenCalled()
+  })
+
+  it('leaves focus alone for other keys', () => {
+    mocks.query = 'useCallback'
+    const { result } = renderHook(() => useFileSearchPanel('search'))
+
+    const input = document.createElement('input')
+    document.body.appendChild(input)
+    ;(result.current.queryRowProps.inputRef as { current: HTMLInputElement | null }).current = input
+    input.focus()
+
+    act(() => {
+      result.current.queryRowProps.onKeyDown?.({
+        key: 'Enter',
+        nativeEvent: { isComposing: false }
+      } as unknown as React.KeyboardEvent)
+    })
+
+    expect(document.activeElement).toBe(input)
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.ts b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.ts
index f0935b625a0..7166b825817 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/right-sidebar/useFileSearchPanel.ts
@@ -213,6 +213,9 @@ export function useFileSearchPanel(explorerView: 'files' | 'search'): FileSearch
         if (fileSearchQuery) {
           handleClearSearch()
         }
+        // Why: Esc must back out of the field even with an empty query; other
+        // search surfaces close on Esc, and this panel has no close to fall back on.
+        inputRef.current?.blur()
       }
       if (e.key === 'Enter') {
         executeSearch(fileSearchQuery)