diff --git a/res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_search_down.png b/res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_search_down.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..23e4d7c4f
Binary files /dev/null and b/res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_search_down.png differ
diff --git a/res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_search_up.png b/res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_search_up.png
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b2286ea5a
Binary files /dev/null and b/res/drawable-xhdpi/ic_search_up.png differ
diff --git a/res/menu/local_help.xml b/res/menu/local_help.xml
index af044845a..b3fd9ecad 100644
--- a/res/menu/local_help.xml
+++ b/res/menu/local_help.xml
@@ -7,6 +7,18 @@
         app:actionViewClass="androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView"
         app:showAsAction="collapseActionView|never" />
 
+    <item android:title="@string/back"
+        android:id="@+id/menu_search_up"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_search_up"
+        android:visible="false"
+        app:showAsAction="always"/>
+
+    <item android:title="@string/next"
+        android:id="@+id/menu_search_down"
+        android:icon="@drawable/ic_search_down"
+        android:visible="false"
+        app:showAsAction="always"/>
+
     <item android:title="@string/menu_scroll_to_top"
         android:id="@+id/log_scroll_up" />
 
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/BaseActionBarActivity.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/BaseActionBarActivity.java
index f82915532..f7595809b 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/BaseActionBarActivity.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/BaseActionBarActivity.java
@@ -9,6 +9,8 @@ import androidx.core.app.ActivityOptionsCompat;
 import androidx.appcompat.app.AppCompatActivity;
 import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.KeyEvent;
+import android.view.Menu;
+import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewConfiguration;
 import android.view.WindowManager;
@@ -156,4 +158,16 @@ public abstract class BaseActionBarActivity extends AppCompatActivity {
       isWaitingForResult = true;
     }
   }
+
+  public void makeSearchMenuVisible(final Menu menu, final MenuItem exception, boolean visible) {
+    for (int i = 0; i < menu.size(); ++i) {
+      MenuItem item = menu.getItem(i);
+      int id = item.getItemId();
+      if (id==R.id.menu_search_up || id==R.id.menu_search_down) {
+        item.setVisible(!visible);
+      } else if (item != exception) {
+        item.setVisible(visible);
+      }
+    }
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/LocalHelpActivity.java b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/LocalHelpActivity.java
index 6ec18f869..cbf6b399a 100644
--- a/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/LocalHelpActivity.java
+++ b/src/org/thoughtcrime/securesms/LocalHelpActivity.java
@@ -5,11 +5,13 @@ import android.content.Intent;
 import android.content.res.AssetManager;
 import android.net.Uri;
 import android.os.Bundle;
+import android.util.Log;
 import android.view.Menu;
 import android.view.MenuInflater;
 import android.view.MenuItem;
 import android.webkit.WebView;
 import android.webkit.WebViewClient;
+import android.widget.ImageView;
 import android.widget.Toast;
 
 import androidx.appcompat.widget.SearchView;
@@ -24,6 +26,8 @@ public class LocalHelpActivity extends PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity
                                implements SearchView.OnQueryTextListener,
                                           WebView.FindListener
 {
+    private static final String TAG = LocalHelpActivity.class.getSimpleName();
+
     private WebView webView;
     private final DynamicTheme    dynamicTheme    = new DynamicTheme();
     private final DynamicLanguage dynamicLanguage = new DynamicLanguage();
@@ -106,10 +110,36 @@ public class LocalHelpActivity extends PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity
 
         inflater.inflate(R.menu.local_help, menu);
 
-        MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_search_localhelp);
-        SearchView searchView = (SearchView) searchItem.getActionView();
-        searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(this);
-        searchView.setQueryHint(getString(R.string.search));
+        try {
+            MenuItem searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.menu_search_localhelp);
+            searchItem.setOnActionExpandListener(new MenuItem.OnActionExpandListener() {
+                @Override
+                public boolean onMenuItemActionExpand(final MenuItem item) {
+                    LocalHelpActivity.this.lastQuery = "";
+                    LocalHelpActivity.this.makeSearchMenuVisible(menu, searchItem, false);
+                    return true;
+                }
+
+                @Override
+                public boolean onMenuItemActionCollapse(final MenuItem item) {
+                    LocalHelpActivity.this.makeSearchMenuVisible(menu, searchItem, true);
+                    return true;
+                }
+            });
+            SearchView searchView = (SearchView) searchItem.getActionView();
+            searchView.setOnQueryTextListener(this);
+            searchView.setQueryHint(getString(R.string.search));
+            searchView.setIconifiedByDefault(true);
+
+            // hide the [X] beside the search field - this is too much noise, search can be aborted eg. by "back"
+            ImageView closeBtn = searchView.findViewById(R.id.search_close_btn);
+            if (closeBtn!=null) {
+                closeBtn.setEnabled(false);
+                closeBtn.setImageDrawable(null);
+            }
+        } catch (Exception e) {
+            Log.e(TAG, "cannot set up help-search: ", e);
+        }
 
         super.onPrepareOptionsMenu(menu);
         return true;
@@ -120,7 +150,6 @@ public class LocalHelpActivity extends PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity
 
     @Override
     public boolean onQueryTextSubmit(String query) {
-        webView.findNext(true);
         return true; // action handled by listener
     }
 
@@ -156,6 +185,20 @@ public class LocalHelpActivity extends PassphraseRequiredActionBarActivity
             case android.R.id.home:
                 finish();
                 return true;
+            case R.id.menu_search_up:
+                if (lastQuery.isEmpty()) {
+                    webView.scrollTo(0, 0);
+                } else {
+                    webView.findNext(false);
+                }
+                return true;
+            case R.id.menu_search_down:
+                if (lastQuery.isEmpty()) {
+                    webView.scrollTo(0, 1000000000);
+                } else {
+                    webView.findNext(true);
+                }
+                return true;
             case R.id.log_scroll_up:
                 webView.scrollTo(0, 0);
                 return true;