diff --git a/callbacks.c b/callbacks.c
index 124837c..87e2100 100644
--- a/callbacks.c
+++ b/callbacks.c
@@ -106,6 +106,13 @@ cb_view_vadjustment_value_changed(GtkAdjustment* GIRARA_UNUSED(adjustment), gpoi
       }
     } else {
       zathura_page_set_visibility(page, false);
+
+      girara_list_t* results = NULL;
+      g_object_get(page_widget, "search-results", &results, NULL);
+
+      if (results != NULL) {
+	g_object_set(page_widget, "search-current", 0, NULL);
+      }
     }
   }
 
diff --git a/commands.c b/commands.c
index 38f7470..713963b 100644
--- a/commands.c
+++ b/commands.c
@@ -339,7 +339,6 @@ cmd_search(girara_session_t* session, const char* input, girara_argument_t* argu
     return false;
   }
 
-  bool firsthit = true;
   zathura_error_t error = ZATHURA_ERROR_OK;
 
   /* set search direction */
@@ -352,10 +351,6 @@ cmd_search(girara_session_t* session, const char* input, girara_argument_t* argu
   bool nohlsearch = false;
   girara_setting_get(session, "nohlsearch", &nohlsearch);
 
-  if (nohlsearch == false) {
-    document_draw_search_results(zathura, true);
-  }
-
   /* search pages */
   for (unsigned int page_id = 0; page_id < number_of_pages; ++page_id) {
     unsigned int index = (page_id + current_page_number) % number_of_pages;
@@ -383,20 +378,21 @@ cmd_search(girara_session_t* session, const char* input, girara_argument_t* argu
     }
 
     g_object_set(page_widget, "search-results", result, NULL);
-    if (firsthit == true) {
-      if (page_id != 0) {
-        page_set_delayed(zathura, zathura_page_get_index(page));
-      }
-      if (argument->n == BACKWARD) {
-        /* start at bottom hit in page */
-        g_object_set(page_widget, "search-current", girara_list_size(result) - 1, NULL);
-      } else {
-        g_object_set(page_widget, "search-current", 0, NULL);
-      }
-      firsthit = false;
+
+    if (argument->n == BACKWARD) {
+      /* start at bottom hit in page */
+      g_object_set(page_widget, "search-current", girara_list_size(result) - 1, NULL);
+    } else {
+      g_object_set(page_widget, "search-current", 0, NULL);
     }
   }
 
+  girara_argument_t* arg = g_malloc0(sizeof(girara_argument_t));
+
+  arg->n = FORWARD;
+  sc_search(session, arg, NULL, 0);
+  g_free(arg);
+
   return true;
 }
 
diff --git a/page-widget.c b/page-widget.c
index 7bcb186..0c95624 100644
--- a/page-widget.c
+++ b/page-widget.c
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ enum properties_e {
   PROP_SEARCH_RESULTS,
   PROP_SEARCH_RESULTS_LENGTH,
   PROP_SEARCH_RESULTS_CURRENT,
-  PROP_DRAW_SEACH_RESULTS,
+  PROP_DRAW_SEARCH_RESULTS,
   PROP_LAST_VIEW,
 };
 
@@ -131,8 +131,8 @@ zathura_page_widget_class_init(ZathuraPageClass* class)
                                   g_param_spec_int("search-current", "search-current", "The current search result", -1, INT_MAX, 0, G_PARAM_WRITABLE | G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
   g_object_class_install_property(object_class, PROP_SEARCH_RESULTS_LENGTH,
                                   g_param_spec_int("search-length", "search-length", "The number of search results", -1, INT_MAX, 0, G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
-  g_object_class_install_property(object_class, PROP_DRAW_SEACH_RESULTS,
-                                  g_param_spec_boolean("draw-search-results", "draw-search-results", "Set to true if search results should be drawn", FALSE, G_PARAM_WRITABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
+  g_object_class_install_property(object_class, PROP_DRAW_SEARCH_RESULTS,
+                                  g_param_spec_boolean("draw-search-results", "draw-search-results", "Set to true if search results should be drawn", FALSE, G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_WRITABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
   g_object_class_install_property(object_class, PROP_LAST_VIEW,
                                   g_param_spec_int64("last-view", "last-view", "Last time the page has been viewed", -1, G_MAXINT64, 0, G_PARAM_READABLE | G_PARAM_STATIC_STRINGS));
 }
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ zathura_page_widget_init(ZathuraPage* widget)
 
   priv->search.list    = NULL;
   priv->search.current = INT_MAX;
-  priv->search.draw    = true;
+  priv->search.draw    = false;
 
   priv->images.list      = NULL;
   priv->images.retrieved = false;
@@ -269,8 +269,19 @@ zathura_page_widget_set_property(GObject* object, guint prop_id, const GValue* v
       }
       break;
     }
-    case PROP_DRAW_SEACH_RESULTS:
+    case PROP_DRAW_SEARCH_RESULTS:
       priv->search.draw = g_value_get_boolean(value);
+
+      /*
+       * we do the following instead of only redrawing the rectangles of the
+       * search results in order to avoid the rectangular margins that appear
+       * around the search terms after their highlighted rectangular areas are
+       * redrawn without highlighting.
+       */
+
+      if (priv->search.list != NULL && zathura_page_get_visibility(priv->page)) {
+	gtk_widget_queue_draw(GTK_WIDGET(object));
+      }
       break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID(object, prop_id, pspec);
@@ -299,6 +310,9 @@ zathura_page_widget_get_property(GObject* object, guint prop_id, GValue* value,
     case PROP_LAST_VIEW:
       g_value_set_int64(value, priv->last_view);
       break;
+    case PROP_DRAW_SEARCH_RESULTS:
+      g_value_set_boolean(value, priv->search.draw);
+      break;
     default:
       G_OBJECT_WARN_INVALID_PROPERTY_ID(object, prop_id, pspec);
   }
diff --git a/shortcuts.c b/shortcuts.c
index 0174598..f6cd733 100644
--- a/shortcuts.c
+++ b/shortcuts.c
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ draw_links(zathura_t* zathura)
     }
 
     GtkWidget* page_widget = zathura_page_get_widget(zathura, page);
-    g_object_set(page_widget, "search-results", NULL, NULL);
+    g_object_set(page_widget, "draw-search-results", FALSE, NULL);
     if (zathura_page_get_visibility(page) == true) {
       g_object_set(page_widget, "draw-links", TRUE, NULL);
 
@@ -71,9 +71,10 @@ sc_abort(girara_session_t* session, girara_argument_t* UNUSED(argument),
         continue;
       }
 
-      g_object_set(zathura_page_get_widget(zathura, page), "draw-links", FALSE, NULL);
+      GtkWidget* page_widget = zathura_page_get_widget(zathura, page);
+      g_object_set(page_widget, "draw-links", FALSE, NULL);
       if (clear_search == true) {
-        g_object_set(zathura_page_get_widget(zathura, page), "search-results", NULL, NULL);
+        g_object_set(page_widget, "draw-search-results", FALSE, NULL);
       }
     }
   }
@@ -890,8 +891,23 @@ sc_search(girara_session_t* session, girara_argument_t* argument,
   g_return_val_if_fail(argument != NULL, false);
   g_return_val_if_fail(zathura->document != NULL, false);
 
-  const int num_pages = zathura_document_get_number_of_pages(zathura->document);
-  const int cur_page  = zathura_document_get_current_page_number(zathura->document);
+  const unsigned int num_pages = zathura_document_get_number_of_pages(zathura->document);
+  const unsigned int cur_page  = zathura_document_get_current_page_number(zathura->document);
+  GtkWidget *cur_page_widget = zathura_page_get_widget(zathura, zathura_document_get_page(zathura->document, cur_page));
+  bool nohlsearch, first_time_after_abort, draw;
+
+  nohlsearch = first_time_after_abort = draw = false;
+  girara_setting_get(session, "nohlsearch", &nohlsearch);
+
+  if (nohlsearch == false) {
+    g_object_get(cur_page_widget, "draw-search-results", &draw, NULL);
+
+    if (draw == false) {
+      first_time_after_abort = true;
+    }
+
+    document_draw_search_results(zathura, true);
+  }
 
   int diff = argument->n == FORWARD ? 1 : -1;
   if (zathura->global.search_direction == BACKWARD)
@@ -900,7 +916,7 @@ sc_search(girara_session_t* session, girara_argument_t* argument,
   zathura_page_t* target_page = NULL;
   int target_idx = 0;
 
-  for (int page_id = 0; page_id < num_pages; ++page_id) {
+  for (unsigned int page_id = 0; page_id < num_pages; ++page_id) {
     int tmp = cur_page + diff * page_id;
     zathura_page_t* page = zathura_document_get_page(zathura->document, (tmp + num_pages) % num_pages);
     if (page == NULL) {
@@ -916,6 +932,12 @@ sc_search(girara_session_t* session, girara_argument_t* argument,
       continue;
     }
 
+    if (first_time_after_abort == true && num_search_results > 0) {
+      target_page = page;
+      target_idx = diff == 1 ? 0 : num_search_results - 1;
+      break;
+    }
+
     if (diff == 1 && current < num_search_results - 1) {
       /* the next result is on the same page */
       target_page = page;
@@ -932,7 +954,6 @@ sc_search(girara_session_t* session, girara_argument_t* argument,
       for (int npage_id = 1; page_id < num_pages; ++npage_id) {
         int ntmp = cur_page + diff * (page_id + npage_id);
         zathura_page_t* npage = zathura_document_get_page(zathura->document, (ntmp + 2*num_pages) % num_pages);
-        zathura_document_set_current_page_number(zathura->document, zathura_page_get_index(npage));
         GtkWidget* npage_page_widget = zathura_page_get_widget(zathura, npage);
         g_object_get(npage_page_widget, "search-length", &num_search_results, NULL);
         if (num_search_results != 0) {
@@ -959,6 +980,10 @@ sc_search(girara_session_t* session, girara_argument_t* argument,
     page_offset_t offset;
     page_calculate_offset(zathura, target_page, &offset);
 
+    if (zathura_page_get_index(target_page) != cur_page) {
+      page_set(zathura, zathura_page_get_index(target_page));
+    }
+
     GtkAdjustment* view_vadjustment = gtk_scrolled_window_get_vadjustment(GTK_SCROLLED_WINDOW(zathura->ui.session->gtk.view));
     int y = offset.y - gtk_adjustment_get_page_size(view_vadjustment) / 2 + rectangle.y1;
     zathura_adjustment_set_value(view_vadjustment, y);