diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py
index ed0ca6c3f4..69f7b7fe4e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/oeb/iterator.py
@@ -92,10 +92,10 @@ class EbookIterator(object):
         ext = re.sub(r'(x{0,1})htm(l{0,1})', 'html', ext)
         self.ebook_ext = ext
 
-    def search(self, text, index):
+    def search(self, text, index, backwards=False):
         text = text.lower()
         for i, path in enumerate(self.spine):
-            if i > index:
+            if (backwards and i < index) or (not backwards and i > index):
                 if text in open(path, 'rb').read().decode(path.encoding).lower():
                     return i
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py b/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py
index 033b43954a..ac86007c7f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/search_box.py
@@ -137,6 +137,13 @@ class SearchBox2(QComboBox):
         if event.timerId() == self.timer:
             self.do_search()
 
+    @property
+    def smart_text(self):
+        text = unicode(self.currentText()).strip()
+        if not text or text == self.help_text:
+            return ''
+        return text
+
     def do_search(self):
         text = unicode(self.currentText()).strip()
         if not text or text == self.help_text:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
index 2267efb893..bd4bd0a01a 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/documentview.py
@@ -585,7 +585,9 @@ class DocumentView(QWebView):
         def fset(self, val): self.document.current_language = val
         return property(fget=fget, fset=fset)
 
-    def search(self, text):
+    def search(self, text, backwards=False):
+        if backwards:
+            return self.findText(text, self.document.FindBackwards)
         return self.findText(text)
 
     def path(self):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
index 689613111e..77d7269e17 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.py
@@ -229,7 +229,11 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
         self.connect(self.action_previous_page, SIGNAL('triggered(bool)'),
                      lambda x:self.view.previous_page())
         self.connect(self.action_find_next, SIGNAL('triggered(bool)'),
-                     lambda x:self.find(unicode(self.search.text()), True, repeat=True))
+                     lambda x:self.find(self.search.smart_text, True, repeat=True))
+        self.connect(self.action_find_previous, SIGNAL('triggered(bool)'),
+                     lambda x:self.find(self.search.smart_text, True,
+                         repeat=True, backwards=True))
+
         self.connect(self.action_full_screen, SIGNAL('triggered(bool)'),
                      self.toggle_fullscreen)
         self.action_full_screen.setShortcuts([Qt.Key_F11, Qt.CTRL+Qt.SHIFT+Qt.Key_F])
@@ -420,13 +424,15 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
             self.set_bookmarks(self.iterator.bookmarks)
 
 
-    def find(self, text, refinement, repeat=False):
+    def find(self, text, refinement, repeat=False, backwards=False):
         if not text:
+            self.view.search('')
             return self.search.search_done(False)
         if self.view.search(text):
             self.scrolled(self.view.scroll_fraction)
             return self.search.search_done(True)
-        index = self.iterator.search(text, self.current_index)
+        index = self.iterator.search(text, self.current_index,
+                backwards=backwards)
         if index is None:
             if self.current_index > 0:
                 index = self.iterator.search(text, 0)
@@ -444,10 +450,7 @@ class EbookViewer(MainWindow, Ui_EbookViewer):
             self.scrolled(self.view.scroll_fraction)
 
     def keyPressEvent(self, event):
-        if event.key() == Qt.Key_F3:
-            text = unicode(self.search.text())
-            self.find(text, True, repeat=True)
-        elif event.key() == Qt.Key_Slash:
+        if event.key() == Qt.Key_Slash:
             self.search.setFocus(Qt.OtherFocusReason)
         else:
             return MainWindow.keyPressEvent(self, event)
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.ui
index be18a3036b..9177f2713f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/viewer/main.ui
@@ -142,6 +142,7 @@
     <bool>false</bool>
    </attribute>
    <addaction name="action_find_next"/>
+   <addaction name="action_find_previous"/>
   </widget>
   <action name="action_back">
    <property name="icon">
@@ -232,6 +233,12 @@
    <property name="text">
     <string>Find next</string>
    </property>
+   <property name="toolTip">
+    <string>Find next occurrence</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="shortcut">
+    <string>F3</string>
+   </property>
   </action>
   <action name="action_copy">
    <property name="icon">
@@ -287,6 +294,21 @@
     <string>Print</string>
    </property>
   </action>
+  <action name="action_find_previous">
+   <property name="icon">
+    <iconset resource="../../../../resources/images.qrc">
+     <normaloff>:/images/arrow-up.svg</normaloff>:/images/arrow-up.svg</iconset>
+   </property>
+   <property name="text">
+    <string>Find previous</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="toolTip">
+    <string>Find previous occurrence</string>
+   </property>
+   <property name="shortcut">
+    <string>Shift+F3</string>
+   </property>
+  </action>
  </widget>
  <customwidgets>
   <customwidget>