diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/ext/search.less b/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/ext/search.less
index d74b626d..772db7a3 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/ext/search.less
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/css/inc/ext/search.less
@@ -20,4 +20,10 @@
             display: inline-block;
         }
     }
+
+    &.pending {
+        input {
+            color: @col-text-disabled-black;
+        }
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/search.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/search.js
index 7475aa56..694c2d4e 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/search.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/search.js
@@ -1,7 +1,8 @@
 modulejs.define('ext/search', ['_', '$', 'core/event', 'core/location', 'core/resource', 'core/server', 'core/settings', 'model/item', 'view/view'], function (_, $, event, location, resource, server, allsettings, Item, view) {
 
     var settings = _.extend({
-            enabled: false
+            enabled: false,
+            debounceTime: 300
         }, allsettings.search);
     var template =
             '<div id="search" class="tool">' +
@@ -27,6 +28,8 @@ modulejs.define('ext/search', ['_', '$', 'core/event', 'core/location', 'core/re
             return;
         }
 
+        $search.addClass('pending');
+
         server.request({
             action: 'get',
             search: {
@@ -35,11 +38,11 @@ modulejs.define('ext/search', ['_', '$', 'core/event', 'core/location', 'core/re
             }
         }, function (response) {
 
-            var items = _.map(response.search, function (e) {
+            $search.removeClass('pending');
+            view.setItems('search', _.map(response.search, function (item) {
 
-                return Item.get(e);
-            });
-            view.setItems('search', items);
+                return Item.get(item);
+            }));
         });
     }
 
@@ -102,7 +105,7 @@ modulejs.define('ext/search', ['_', '$', 'core/event', 'core/location', 'core/re
         $input = $search.find('input');
 
         $search.on('click', 'img', toggle);
-        $input.on('keyup', _.debounce(update, 500, {trailing: true}));
+        $input.on('keyup', _.debounce(update, settings.debounceTime, {trailing: true}));
         event.sub('location.changed', reset);
     }
 
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/select.js b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/select.js
index 10aaa2b4..9762e5d1 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/select.js
+++ b/src/_h5ai/client/js/inc/ext/select.js
@@ -144,40 +144,38 @@ modulejs.define('ext/select', ['_', '$', 'core/event', 'core/resource', 'core/se
             .one('mouseup', selectionEnd);
     }
 
-    function initItem(item) {
+    function onSelectorClick(ev) {
 
-        if (item.$view) {
+        ev.stopImmediatePropagation();
+        ev.preventDefault();
+
+        $(ev.target).closest('.item').toggleClass('selected');
+        publish();
+    }
+
+    function addCheckbox(item) {
+
+        if (item.$view && !item.isCurrentParentFolder()) {
             $(template)
-                .appendTo(item.$view.find('a'))
-                .on('click', function (ev) {
-
-                    ev.stopImmediatePropagation();
-                    ev.preventDefault();
-
-                    item.$view.toggleClass('selected');
-                    publish();
-                });
+                .on('click', onSelectorClick)
+                .appendTo(item.$view.find('a'));
         }
     }
 
     function onViewChanged(added, removed) {
 
-        var selectionChanged = false;
-
         if (settings.checkboxes) {
-            _.each(added, initItem);
+            _.each(added, addCheckbox);
         }
+
         _.each(removed, function (item) {
 
-            if (item.$view && item.$view.hasClass('selected')) {
+            if (item.$view) {
                 item.$view.removeClass('selected');
-                selectionChanged = true;
             }
         });
 
-        if (selectionChanged) {
-            publish();
-        }
+        publish();
     }
 
     function init() {
diff --git a/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json b/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
index f694778a..0fd43631 100644
--- a/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
+++ b/src/_h5ai/conf/options.json
@@ -269,9 +269,12 @@ Options
 
     Searches will be treated as JavaScript regular expressions
     if you prefix them with "re:".
+
+    - debounceTime: number, debounce wait time in milliseconds
     */
     "search": {
-        "enabled": true
+        "enabled": true,
+        "debounceTime": 300
     },
 
     /*