diff --git a/lib/ace/incremental_search.js b/lib/ace/incremental_search.js
index 87630f2e..ddcde695 100644
--- a/lib/ace/incremental_search.js
+++ b/lib/ace/incremental_search.js
@@ -83,13 +83,12 @@ oop.inherits(IncrementalSearch, Search);
         var e = this.$editor;
         this.$prevNeedle = this.$options.needle;
         this.$options.needle = '';
-        e.session.highlight(null);
         if (reset) {
             e.moveCursorToPosition(this.$startPos);
             this.$currentPos = this.$startPos;
-        } else {
-            e.renderer.updateFull(true); // for highlight
         }
+        e.session.highlight(null);
+        this.$editor.renderer.updateBackMarkers(); // force highlight layer redraw
         return Range.fromPoints(this.$currentPos, this.$currentPos);
     }
 
@@ -105,11 +104,11 @@ oop.inherits(IncrementalSearch, Search);
         options.start = this.$currentPos;
         var session = this.$editor.session,
             found = this.find(session);
-        session.highlight(options.re);
-        this.$editor.renderer.updateFull(true); // force highlight layer redraw
         if (found) {
             if (options.backwards) found = Range.fromPoints(found.end, found.start);
+            session.highlight(options.re);
             this.$editor.moveCursorToPosition(found.end);
+            this.$editor.renderer.updateBackMarkers(); // force highlight layer redraw
             if (moveToNext) this.$currentPos = found.end;
         }
         console.log("searching %s from [%s/%s]: %s",
@@ -163,6 +162,7 @@ oop.inherits(IncrementalSearch, Search);
             if (key === 'backspace') { this.removeChar(); result = stop; }
             if (key === 'return') { this.deactivate(); this.message(''); return stop; }
             if (key === 'esc') { this.deactivate(true); this.message(''); return stop; }
+            if (key === 'space') { this.addChar(" "); result = stop; }
             if (key.length === 1) { this.addChar(key); result = stop; }
         }