diff --git a/js/ui/viewSelector.js b/js/ui/viewSelector.js
index 868fab78c..3bc4bbe55 100644
--- a/js/ui/viewSelector.js
+++ b/js/ui/viewSelector.js
@@ -52,8 +52,7 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
 
         this._activePage = null;
 
-        this.active = false;
-        this._searchPending = false;
+        this._searchActive = false;
         this._searchTimeoutId = 0;
 
         this._searchSystem = new Search.SearchSystem();
@@ -226,7 +225,7 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
     },
 
     _onShowAppsButtonToggled: function() {
-        if (this.active)
+        if (this._searchActive)
             this.reset();
         else
             this._showPage(this._showAppsButton.checked ? this._appsPage
@@ -247,7 +246,7 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
         let symbol = event.get_key_symbol();
 
         if (symbol == Clutter.Escape) {
-            if (this.active)
+            if (this._searchActive)
                 this.reset();
             else if (this._showAppsButton.checked)
                 this._resetShowAppsButton();
@@ -255,9 +254,9 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
                 Main.overview.hide();
             return true;
         } else if (Clutter.keysym_to_unicode(symbol) ||
-                   (symbol == Clutter.BackSpace && this.active)) {
+                   (symbol == Clutter.BackSpace && this._searchActive)) {
             this.startSearch(event);
-        } else if (!this.active) {
+        } else if (!this._searchActive) {
             if (symbol == Clutter.Tab || symbol == Clutter.Down) {
                 this._activePage.navigate_focus(null, Gtk.DirectionType.TAB_FORWARD, false);
                 return true;
@@ -331,13 +330,15 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
     },
 
     _onTextChanged: function (se, prop) {
-        let searchPreviouslyActive = this.active;
-        this.active = this._entry.get_text() != '';
-        this._searchPending = this.active && !searchPreviouslyActive;
-        if (this._searchPending) {
+        let searchPreviouslyActive = this._searchActive;
+        this._searchActive = this._entry.get_text() != '';
+
+        let startSearch = this._searchActive && !searchPreviouslyActive;
+        if (startSearch) {
             this._searchResults.startingSearch();
         }
-        if (this.active) {
+
+        if (this._searchActive) {
             this._entry.set_secondary_icon(this._activeIcon);
 
             if (this._iconClickedId == 0) {
@@ -353,14 +354,14 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
 
             this._entry.set_secondary_icon(this._inactiveIcon);
             this._searchCancelled();
-        }
-        if (!this.active) {
+
             if (this._searchTimeoutId > 0) {
                 Mainloop.source_remove(this._searchTimeoutId);
                 this._searchTimeoutId = 0;
             }
             return;
         }
+
         if (this._searchTimeoutId > 0)
             return;
         this._searchTimeoutId = Mainloop.timeout_add(150, Lang.bind(this, this._doSearch));
@@ -382,7 +383,7 @@ const ViewSelector = new Lang.Class({
             }
             this._searchResults.activateDefault();
             return true;
-        } else if (this.active) {
+        } else if (this._searchActive) {
             let arrowNext, nextDirection;
             if (entry.get_text_direction() == Clutter.TextDirection.RTL) {
                 arrowNext = Clutter.Left;