diff --git a/static/js/click_handlers.js b/static/js/click_handlers.js
index 657d224ace..0bd984c3ac 100644
--- a/static/js/click_handlers.js
+++ b/static/js/click_handlers.js
@@ -367,6 +367,11 @@ exports.initialize = function () {
 
     // RECENT TOPICS
 
+    $('body').on('click', '#recent_topics_search', function (e) {
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        recent_topics.change_focused_element(e, 'click');
+    });
+
     $('body').on('click', '.on_hover_topic_read', function (e) {
         e.stopPropagation();
         const stream_id = parseInt($(e.currentTarget).attr('data-stream-id'), 10);
diff --git a/static/js/recent_topics.js b/static/js/recent_topics.js
index 6eeae076fa..819942ca98 100644
--- a/static/js/recent_topics.js
+++ b/static/js/recent_topics.js
@@ -476,6 +476,15 @@ exports.change_focused_element = function (e, input_key) {
         case 'down_arrow':
             set_table_focus(row_focus, col_focus);
             return true;
+        case 'click':
+            // Note: current_focus_elem can be different here, so we just
+            // set current_focus_elem to the input box, we don't want .focus() on
+            // it since it is already focused.
+            // We only do this for search beacuse we don't want the focus to
+            // go away from the input box when `revive_current_focus` is called
+            // on rerender when user is typing.
+            current_focus_elem = $("#recent_topics_search");
+            return true;
         }
     } else if ($elem.hasClass('btn-recent-filters')) {
         switch (input_key) {