diff --git a/include/ControlLayout.h b/include/ControlLayout.h
index 625b3f468..601820107 100644
--- a/include/ControlLayout.h
+++ b/include/ControlLayout.h
@@ -110,6 +110,9 @@ public:
 	void setGeometry(const QRect &rect) override;
 	QSize sizeHint() const override;
 	QLayoutItem *takeAt(int index) override;
+	//! remove focus from QLineEdit search bar
+	//! this may be useful if the mouse is outside the layout
+	void removeFocusFromSearchBar();
 
 private slots:
 	void onTextChanged(const QString&);
diff --git a/include/LinkedModelGroupViews.h b/include/LinkedModelGroupViews.h
index 79fab76af..390d25568 100644
--- a/include/LinkedModelGroupViews.h
+++ b/include/LinkedModelGroupViews.h
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@ protected:
 
 	void removeControl(const QString &key);
 
+	void removeFocusFromSearchBar();
+
 private:
 	class LinkedModelGroup* m_model;
 
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/ControlLayout.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/ControlLayout.cpp
index ce2e9e4ef..aa265b14e 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/ControlLayout.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/ControlLayout.cpp
@@ -177,6 +177,11 @@ QLayoutItem *ControlLayout::takeAt(int index)
 	return (itr == m_itemMap.end()) ? nullptr : m_itemMap.take(itr.key());
 }
 
+void ControlLayout::removeFocusFromSearchBar()
+{
+	m_searchBar->clearFocus();
+}
+
 Qt::Orientations ControlLayout::expandingDirections() const
 {
 	return Qt::Orientations();
diff --git a/src/gui/widgets/LinkedModelGroupViews.cpp b/src/gui/widgets/LinkedModelGroupViews.cpp
index 21d40efcc..1b4bd8bbd 100644
--- a/src/gui/widgets/LinkedModelGroupViews.cpp
+++ b/src/gui/widgets/LinkedModelGroupViews.cpp
@@ -142,6 +142,14 @@ void LinkedModelGroupView::removeControl(const QString& key)
 }
 
 
+
+
+void LinkedModelGroupView::removeFocusFromSearchBar()
+{
+	m_layout->removeFocusFromSearchBar();
+}
+
+
 /*
 	LinkedModelGroupsViewBase
 */