diff --git a/views/layout.html b/views/layout.html
index 488f770b..4e9f65c7 100755
--- a/views/layout.html
+++ b/views/layout.html
@@ -100,45 +100,63 @@
   </div>
 <script>
 (function() {
+    const update_search = (search_element, should_delay, debug_label) => {
+      var search_term = search_element.value;
+      var searchbox = $(search_element).closest('.searchbox');
+      var dropdown = $('.search_dropdown', searchbox);
+
+      var searchresult = $('.searchresult', searchbox);
+      if (searchresult && searchresult.attr('data-highlight')) {
+          onezoom.controller.highlight_remove(searchresult.attr('data-highlight'));
+      }
+      
+      if (search_term.length==0) {
+          $('.popular_species', dropdown).show();
+          $('.recents', dropdown).show();
+          {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Hiding no_result section of dropdown");{{pass}}
+          $('.no_results', dropdown).hide();
+          $('.search_hits', dropdown).empty();
+          OZui.search_manager.full_search("");
+          $('.searchinput', searchbox).removeClass('waiting_for_search_result');
+          return;
+      } 
+
+      const trimmed_search_term = search_term.replace(/ /g,'');
+      if (
+          trimmed_search_term.length > 2 ||
+          ((trimmed_search_term.length > 1) && !should_delay)
+      ) {
+          // never search for a single character
+          // and only search for two characters if enter has been pressed.            
+          OZui.search_manager.full_search(
+              search_term,
+              function(original_string, actual_search, results) {
+                  OZui.searchPopulate(searchbox, original_string, results);
+              },
+              should_delay ? 1000 : 0,
+              function() {
+                  {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Search for '" + search_term + "' sent to OneZoom API from " + debug_label + " search");{{pass}}
+
+                      if(!($(".searchinput").hasClass('waiting_for_search_result')))
+                      {
+                          $(".searchinput", searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result'); // switch flag for search to on
+                      }
+                  }
+          );
+      }
+    }
+
     var box_selector = $('#header_searchnav');
 
     $('.searchinput input', box_selector)
-        .on('keyup', function(event) {
-
-            var search_term = this.value;
-            var searchbox = $(this).closest('.searchbox');
-            var searchresult = $('.searchresult', searchbox);
-            var dropdown = $('.search_dropdown', searchbox);
-            if (search_term.length==0) {
-                $('.popular_species', dropdown).show();
-                $('.recents', dropdown).show();
-                {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Hiding no_result section of dropdown");{{pass}}
-                $('.no_results', dropdown).hide();
-                $('.search_hits', dropdown).empty();
-                OZui.search_manager.full_search(""); // this clears the search
-                $('.searchinput', searchbox).removeClass('waiting_for_search_result');
-            } else {
-                //$('.searchinput', searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result');
-                var delay_ms = 1000;
-                if (event.which == 13) {
-                    delay_ms = 1;   //enter was pressed - don't delay
-                }
-            if ((search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 2)||((search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 1)&&(delay_ms == 1))) { // we're never going to search for a single character
-
-            OZui.search_manager.full_search(
-                search_term,
-                function(original_string, actual_search, results) {
-                    OZui.searchPopulate(searchbox, original_string, results);
-                },
-                delay_ms,
-                function() {
-                    {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Search for '" + search_term + "' sent to OneZoom API from advanced search");{{pass}}
-                    if(!($(".searchinput").hasClass('waiting_for_search_result'))) {
-                        $(".searchinput", searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result'); // switch flag for search to on
-                    }});
-            }
-            }
-        });
+      .on('input', function(event) {
+          update_search(this, true, 'home page');
+      })
+      .on('keyup', function(event) {
+        if (event.which == 13) {
+          update_search(this, false, 'home page');
+        }
+      });
 }())
 </script>
 
diff --git a/views/treeviewer/layout.html b/views/treeviewer/layout.html
index 8f856e8b..e10fc8c1 100755
--- a/views/treeviewer/layout.html
+++ b/views/treeviewer/layout.html
@@ -307,6 +307,52 @@
   }
 }
 
+function update_search(search_element, should_delay, debug_label) {
+    var search_term = search_element.value;
+    var searchbox = $(search_element).closest('.searchbox');
+    var dropdown = $('.search_dropdown', searchbox);
+
+    var searchresult = $('.searchresult', searchbox);
+    if (searchresult && searchresult.attr('data-highlight')) {
+        onezoom.controller.highlight_remove(searchresult.attr('data-highlight'));
+    }
+    
+    if (search_term.length==0) {
+        $('.popular_species', dropdown).show();
+        $('.recents', dropdown).show();
+        {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Hiding no_result section of dropdown");{{pass}}
+        $('.no_results', dropdown).hide();
+        $('.search_hits', dropdown).empty();
+        OZui.search_manager.full_search("");
+        $('.searchinput', searchbox).removeClass('waiting_for_search_result');
+        return;
+    } 
+
+    const trimmed_search_term = search_term.replace(/ /g,'');
+    if (
+        trimmed_search_term.length > 2 ||
+        ((trimmed_search_term.length > 1) && !should_delay)
+    ) {
+        // never search for a single character
+        // and only search for two characters if enter has been pressed.            
+        OZui.search_manager.full_search(
+            search_term,
+            function(original_string, actual_search, results) {
+                OZui.searchPopulate(searchbox, original_string, results);
+            },
+            should_delay ? 1000 : 0,
+            function() {
+                {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Search for '" + search_term + "' sent to OneZoom API from " + debug_label + " search");{{pass}}
+
+                    if(!($(".searchinput").hasClass('waiting_for_search_result')))
+                    {
+                        $(".searchinput", searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result'); // switch flag for search to on
+                    }
+                }
+        );
+    }
+}
+
 function load_into_searchbox(searchbox, result, highlight) {
     // Reconstitute compile_searchbox_data() format
     var given_name = result[0],
@@ -474,45 +520,12 @@
             // https://github.com/uikit/uikit/blob/8313ce565be686952ab6edf8a7caee5fdfcca08c/src/js/core/toggle.js#L138-L151
             event.stopPropagation();
         })
-        .on('keyup', function(event) {
-            
-            var search_term = this.value;
-            var searchbox = $(this).closest('.searchbox');
-            var searchresult = $('.searchresult', searchbox);
-            var dropdown = $('.search_dropdown', searchbox);
-            if (searchresult.attr('data-highlight')) {
-                onezoom.controller.highlight_remove(searchresult.attr('data-highlight'));
-            }
-            if (search_term.length==0) {
-                $('.popular_species', dropdown).show();
-                $('.recents', dropdown).show();
-                {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Hiding no_result section of dropdown");{{pass}}
-                $('.no_results', dropdown).hide();
-                $('.search_hits', dropdown).empty();
-                OZui.search_manager.full_search(""); // this clears the search
-                $('.searchinput', searchbox).removeClass('waiting_for_search_result');
-            } else {
-                //$('.searchinput', searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result');
-                var delay_ms = 1000;
-                if (event.which == 13) {
-                    delay_ms = 1;   //enter was pressed - don't delay
-                }
-            if ((search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 2)||((search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 1)&&(delay_ms == 1))) { // we're never going to search for a single character and we only search for two characters if enter has been pressed.
-            
-            //if (search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 1) { // we're never going to search for a single character
-            
-            OZui.search_manager.full_search(
-                search_term,
-                function(original_string, actual_search, results) {
-                    OZui.searchPopulate(searchbox, original_string, results);
-                },
-                delay_ms,
-                function() {
-                    {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Search for '" + search_term + "' sent to OneZoom API from advanced search");{{pass}}
-                    if(!($(".searchinput").hasClass('waiting_for_search_result'))) {
-                        $(".searchinput", searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result'); // switch flag for search to on
-                    }});
-            }
+        .on('input', function(event) {
+            update_search(this, true, "advanced");
+        })
+        .on('keydown', function(event) {
+            if (event.which == 13) {
+                update_search(this, false, "advanced");
             }
         });
     
@@ -715,50 +728,13 @@
         // https://github.com/uikit/uikit/blob/8313ce565be686952ab6edf8a7caee5fdfcca08c/src/js/core/toggle.js#L138-L151
         event.stopPropagation();
       })
-      .keyup(function(event) {
-        var search_term = this.value;
-        var searchbox = $(this).closest('.searchbox');
-        var dropdown = $('.search_dropdown', searchbox);
-        if (search_term.length==0) {
-            $('.popular_species', dropdown).show();
-            $('.recents', dropdown).show();
-            {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Hiding no_result section of dropdown");{{pass}}
-            $('.no_results', dropdown).hide();
-            $('.search_hits', dropdown).empty();
-            OZui.search_manager.full_search("");
-            $('.searchinput', searchbox).removeClass('waiting_for_search_result');
-        } else {
-            var delay_ms = 1000;
-            if (event.which == 13) {
-                delay_ms = 1;   //enter was pressed - don't delay
-                // we should probably catch the case of short string here and give the user a warning - todo.
-            }
-            if ((search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 2)||((search_term.replace(/ /g,'').length > 1)&&(delay_ms == 1))) { // we're never going to search for a single character and we only search for two characters if enter has been pressed.
-             
-             // we want to test for whether the search is working already or not....
-             
-             OZui.search_manager.full_search(
-                                                search_term,
-                                                function(original_string, actual_search, results) {
-                                                    OZui.searchPopulate(searchbox, original_string, results);
-                                                },
-                                                delay_ms,
-                                                function() {
-                                                    {{if is_testing:}}console.log("Search for '" + search_term + "' sent to OneZoom API from basic search");{{pass}}
-
-                                                        if(!($(".searchinput").hasClass('waiting_for_search_result')))
-                                                        {
-                                                            $(".searchinput", searchbox).addClass('waiting_for_search_result'); // switch flag for search to on
-                                                        }
-                                                    }
-                                                );
-             
-             }
-             else
-             {
-                // the user should get some comment back here ideally because they tried to search for a single character
-             }
+      .on('keydown', function(event) {
+        if (event.which == 13) {
+            update_search(this, false, "basic");
         }
+      })
+      .on('input', function(event) {
+        update_search(this, true, "basic");
       });
     
     /* Advanced search stuff */