diff --git a/lib/motions/search-motion.coffee b/lib/motions/search-motion.coffee
index 0c05cd83..9e44681d 100644
--- a/lib/motions/search-motion.coffee
+++ b/lib/motions/search-motion.coffee
@@ -8,10 +8,10 @@ class SearchBase extends MotionWithInput
   operatesInclusively: false
   @currentSearch: null
 
-  constructor: (@editor, @vimState) ->
+  constructor: (@editor, @vimState, @reverse=false) ->
     super(@editor, @vimState)
     Search.currentSearch = @
-    @reverse = @initiallyReversed = false
+    @initiallyReversed = @reverse
 
   repeat: (opts = {}) =>
     reverse = opts.backwards
@@ -21,10 +21,6 @@ class SearchBase extends MotionWithInput
       @reverse = reverse or @initiallyReversed
     @
 
-  reversed: =>
-    @initiallyReversed = @reverse = true
-    @
-
   moveCursor: (cursor, count=1) ->
     ranges = @scan(cursor)
     if ranges.length > 0
@@ -71,11 +67,10 @@ class SearchBase extends MotionWithInput
       new RegExp(_.escapeRegExp(term), modFlags)
 
 class Search extends SearchBase
-  constructor: (@editor, @vimState) ->
-    super(@editor, @vimState)
+  constructor: (@editor, @vimState, @reverse=false) ->
+    super(@editor, @vimState, @reverse)
     @viewModel = new SearchViewModel(@)
     Search.currentSearch = @
-    @reverse = @initiallyReversed = false
 
   compose: (input) ->
     super(input)
@@ -84,10 +79,9 @@ class Search extends SearchBase
 class SearchCurrentWord extends SearchBase
   @keywordRegex: null
 
-  constructor: (@editor, @vimState) ->
-    super(@editor, @vimState)
+  constructor: (@editor, @vimState, @reverse=false) ->
+    super(@editor, @vimState, @reverse)
     Search.currentSearch = @
-    @reverse = @initiallyReversed = false
 
     # FIXME: This must depend on the current language
     defaultIsKeyword = "[@a-zA-Z0-9_\-]+"
diff --git a/lib/view-models/search-view-model.coffee b/lib/view-models/search-view-model.coffee
index 9f30066e..36364fee 100644
--- a/lib/view-models/search-view-model.coffee
+++ b/lib/view-models/search-view-model.coffee
@@ -3,14 +3,15 @@
 module.exports =
 class SearchViewModel extends ViewModel
   constructor: (@searchMotion) ->
-    super(@searchMotion, class: 'search')
+    @prefixChar = if @searchMotion.initiallyReversed then '?' else '/'
+    super(@searchMotion, class: 'search', prefixChar: @prefixChar)
     @historyIndex = -1
 
     @view.editor.on('core:move-up', @increaseHistorySearch)
     @view.editor.on('core:move-down', @decreaseHistorySearch)
 
   restoreHistory: (index) ->
-    @view.editor.setText(@history(index).value)
+    @view.editor.setText(@prefixChar + @history(index).value)
 
   history: (index) ->
     @vimState.getSearchHistoryItem(index)
@@ -24,7 +25,7 @@ class SearchViewModel extends ViewModel
     if @historyIndex <= 0
       # get us back to a clean slate
       @historyIndex = -1
-      @view.editor.setText('')
+      @view.editor.setText(@prefixChar)
     else
       @historyIndex -= 1
       @restoreHistory(@historyIndex)
diff --git a/lib/view-models/view-model.coffee b/lib/view-models/view-model.coffee
index c0a2e4da..25c75104 100644
--- a/lib/view-models/view-model.coffee
+++ b/lib/view-models/view-model.coffee
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class ViewModel
   #
   #            - singleChar {Boolean} - tells the view whether it should only listen for a single
   #                                      character or an entire string
+  #            - prefixChar {Char} - to be shown in the beginning
   constructor: (@operation, opts={}) ->
     {@editor, @vimState} = @operation
 
diff --git a/lib/view-models/vim-command-mode-input-view.coffee b/lib/view-models/vim-command-mode-input-view.coffee
index f4e966e5..c30c9287 100644
--- a/lib/view-models/vim-command-mode-input-view.coffee
+++ b/lib/view-models/vim-command-mode-input-view.coffee
@@ -16,15 +16,19 @@ class VimCommandModeInputView extends View
 
     @singleChar = opts.singleChar
     @defaultText = opts.defaultText ? ''
+    @prefixChar = opts.prefixChar ? ''
 
     @panel = atom.workspace.addBottomPanel(item: this, priority: 100)
 
     @focus()
     @handleEvents()
+    @editor.setText @prefixChar
 
   handleEvents: ->
     if @singleChar?
       @editor.find('input').on 'textInput', @autosubmit
+    if @prefixChar != ''
+      @editor.find('input').on 'keyup', @checkPrefix
     @editor.on 'core:confirm', @confirm
     @editor.on 'core:cancel', @cancel
     @editor.find('input').on 'blur', @cancel
@@ -32,6 +36,8 @@ class VimCommandModeInputView extends View
   stopHandlingEvents: ->
     if @singleChar?
       @editor.find('input').off 'textInput', @autosubmit
+    if @prefixChar != ''
+      @editor.find('input').off 'keyup', @checkPrefix
     @editor.off 'core:confirm', @confirm
     @editor.off 'core:cancel', @cancel
     @editor.find('input').off 'blur', @cancel
@@ -40,10 +46,19 @@ class VimCommandModeInputView extends View
     @editor.setText(event.originalEvent.data)
     @confirm()
 
+  checkPrefix: =>
+    text = @editor.getText()
+    if text.length < 1 || text[0] != @prefixChar
+      @cancel()
+
   confirm: =>
-    @value = @editor.getText() or @defaultText
-    @viewModel.confirm(@)
-    @remove()
+    text = @editor.getText()
+    if @prefixChar != '' && !(text && text.length > 0 && text[0] == @prefixChar)
+      @cancel()
+    else
+      @value = if text == @prefixChar then @defaultText else if @prefixChar == '' then text else text.substr(1)
+      @viewModel.confirm(@)
+      @remove()
 
   focus: =>
     @editorContainer.find('.editor').focus()
diff --git a/lib/vim-state.coffee b/lib/vim-state.coffee
index 66462daf..827192b0 100644
--- a/lib/vim-state.coffee
+++ b/lib/vim-state.coffee
@@ -152,11 +152,11 @@ class VimState
       'repeat-find': (e) => @currentFind.repeat() if @currentFind?
       'repeat-find-reverse': (e) => @currentFind.repeat(reverse: true) if @currentFind?
       'replace': (e) => new Operators.Replace(@editor, @)
-      'search': (e) => new Motions.Search(@editor, @)
-      'reverse-search': (e) => (new Motions.Search(@editor, @)).reversed()
-      'search-current-word': (e) => new Motions.SearchCurrentWord(@editor, @)
+      'search': (e) => new Motions.Search(@editor, @, false)
+      'reverse-search': (e) => new Motions.Search(@editor, @, true)
+      'search-current-word': (e) => new Motions.SearchCurrentWord(@editor, @, false)
+      'reverse-search-current-word': (e) => new Motions.SearchCurrentWord(@editor, @, true)
       'bracket-matching-motion': (e) => new Motions.BracketMatchingMotion(@editor,@)
-      'reverse-search-current-word': (e) => (new Motions.SearchCurrentWord(@editor, @)).reversed()
 
   # Private: Register multiple command handlers via an {Object} that maps
   # command names to command handler functions.
diff --git a/spec/motions-spec.coffee b/spec/motions-spec.coffee
index e765dead..0c23c266 100644
--- a/spec/motions-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/motions-spec.coffee
@@ -956,7 +956,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
       it "moves the cursor to the specified search pattern", ->
         keydown('/')
 
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'def'
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/def'
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
 
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
@@ -965,7 +965,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
       it "loops back around", ->
         editor.setCursorBufferPosition([3, 0])
         keydown('/')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'def'
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/def'
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
 
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
@@ -973,7 +973,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
       it "uses a valid regex as a regex", ->
         keydown('/')
         # Cycle through the 'abc' on the first line with a character pattern
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '[abc]'
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/[abc]'
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [0, 1]
         keydown('n')
@@ -983,7 +983,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
         # Go straight to the literal [abc
         editor.setText("abc\n[abc]\n")
         keydown('/')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '[abc'
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/[abc'
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
         keydown('n')
@@ -993,7 +993,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
         editor.setText('one two three')
         keydown('v')
         keydown('/')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'th'
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/th'
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [0, 9]
         keydown('d')
@@ -1003,7 +1003,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
         editor.setText('line1\nline2\nline3')
         keydown('v')
         keydown('/')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'line'
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/line'
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
         {start, end} = editor.getSelectedBufferRange()
         expect(start.row).toEqual 0
@@ -1020,21 +1020,21 @@ describe "Motions", ->
           keydown('/')
 
         it "works in case sensitive mode", ->
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'ABC'
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/ABC'
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [2, 0]
           keydown('n')
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [2, 0]
 
         it "works in case insensitive mode", ->
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '\\cAbC'
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/\\cAbC'
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
           keydown('n')
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [2, 0]
 
         it "works in case insensitive mode wherever \\c is", ->
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'AbC\\c'
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/AbC\\c'
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
           keydown('n')
@@ -1042,7 +1042,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
 
         it "uses case insensitive search if useSmartcaseForSearch is true and searching lowercase", ->
           atom.config.set 'vim-mode.useSmartcaseForSearch', true
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'abc'
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/abc'
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
           keydown('n')
@@ -1050,7 +1050,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
 
         it "uses case sensitive search if useSmartcaseForSearch is true and searching uppercase", ->
           atom.config.set 'vim-mode.useSmartcaseForSearch', true
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'ABC'
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/ABC'
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
           expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [2, 0]
           keydown('n')
@@ -1063,7 +1063,7 @@ describe "Motions", ->
 
         beforeEach ->
           keydown('/')
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText 'def'
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText '/def'
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger 'core:confirm'
 
         describe "the n keybinding", ->
@@ -1083,14 +1083,14 @@ describe "Motions", ->
         it "composes with operators", ->
           keydown('d')
           keydown('/')
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('def')
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('/def')
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:confirm')
           expect(editor.getText()).toEqual "def\nabc\ndef\n"
 
         it "repeats correctly with operators", ->
           keydown('d')
           keydown('/')
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('def')
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('/def')
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:confirm')
 
           keydown('.')
@@ -1099,14 +1099,14 @@ describe "Motions", ->
     describe "when reversed as ?", ->
       it "moves the cursor backwards to the specified search pattern", ->
         keydown('?')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('def')
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('?def')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:confirm')
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [3, 0]
 
       describe "repeating", ->
         beforeEach ->
           keydown('?')
-          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('def')
+          editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('?def')
           editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:confirm')
 
         describe 'the n keybinding', ->
@@ -1124,34 +1124,34 @@ describe "Motions", ->
     describe "using search history", ->
       beforeEach ->
         keydown('/')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('def')
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('/def')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:confirm')
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [1, 0]
 
         keydown('/')
-        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('abc')
+        editor.commandModeInputView.editor.setText('/abc')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:confirm')
         expect(editor.getCursorBufferPosition()).toEqual [2, 0]
 
       it "allows searching history in the search field", ->
         keydown('/')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-up')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('abc')
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('/abc')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-up')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('def')
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('/def')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-up')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('def')
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('/def')
 
       it "resets the search field to empty when scrolling back", ->
         keydown('/')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-up')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('abc')
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('/abc')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-up')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('def')
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('/def')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-down')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('abc')
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual('/abc')
         editor.commandModeInputView.editor.trigger('core:move-down')
-        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual ''
+        expect(editor.commandModeInputView.editor.getText()).toEqual '/'
 
   describe "the * keybinding", ->
     beforeEach ->