diff --git a/src/calibre/customize/builtins.py b/src/calibre/customize/builtins.py
index 5e5d4fff35..ea83688621 100644
--- a/src/calibre/customize/builtins.py
+++ b/src/calibre/customize/builtins.py
@@ -855,6 +855,12 @@ class ActionBrowseAnnotations(InterfaceActionBase):
     description = _('Browse highlights and bookmarks from all books in the library')
 
 
+class ActionFullTextSearch(InterfaceActionBase):
+    name = 'Full Text Search'
+    actual_plugin = 'calibre.gui2.actions.fts:FullTextSearchAction'
+    description = _('Search the full text of all books in the calibre library')
+
+
 class ActionEditToC(InterfaceActionBase):
     name = 'Edit ToC'
     actual_plugin = 'calibre.gui2.actions.toc_edit:ToCEditAction'
@@ -1097,7 +1103,8 @@ plugins += [ActionAdd, ActionFetchAnnotations, ActionGenerateCatalog,
         ActionCopyToLibrary, ActionTweakEpub, ActionUnpackBook, ActionNextMatch, ActionStore,
         ActionPluginUpdater, ActionPickRandom, ActionEditToC, ActionSortBy,
         ActionMarkBooks, ActionEmbed, ActionTemplateTester, ActionTagMapper, ActionAuthorMapper,
-        ActionVirtualLibrary, ActionBrowseAnnotations, ActionTemplateFunctions, ActionAutoscrollBooks]
+        ActionVirtualLibrary, ActionBrowseAnnotations, ActionTemplateFunctions, ActionAutoscrollBooks,
+        ActionFullTextSearch,]
 
 # }}}
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/actions/fts.py b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/fts.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..bdfd2f0ed0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/actions/fts.py
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2020, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+
+from calibre.gui2.actions import InterfaceAction
+
+
+class FullTextSearchAction(InterfaceAction):
+
+    name = 'Full Text Search'
+    action_spec = (_('Search full text of books'), 'search.png',
+                   _('Search the full text of all books in the calibre library'), _('Z'))
+    dont_add_to = frozenset(('context-menu-device',))
+    action_type = 'current'
+
+    def genesis(self):
+        self.qaction.triggered.connect(self.show_fts)
+        self._dialog = None
+
+    @property
+    def dialog(self):
+        if self._dialog is None:
+            from calibre.gui2.fts.dialog import FTSDialog
+            self._dialog = FTSDialog(self.gui)
+        return self._dialog
+
+    def show_fts(self):
+        self.dialog.show()
+        self.dialog.raise_()
+
+    def library_about_to_change(self, olddb, db):
+        if self._dialog is not None:
+            self._dialog.library_changed()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..a39c63d097
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+#!/usr/bin/env python
+# vim:fileencoding=utf-8
+# License: GPL v3 Copyright: 2022, Kovid Goyal <kovid at kovidgoyal.net>
+
+
+import os
+from qt.core import QDialogButtonBox, QHBoxLayout, QSize, QStackedWidget, QVBoxLayout
+
+from calibre.gui2.fts.utils import get_db
+from calibre.gui2.widgets2 import Dialog
+
+from calibre.gui2.fts.scan import ScanStatus
+from calibre.gui2.fts.search import ResultsPanel
+
+
+class FTSDialog(Dialog):
+
+    def __init__(self, parent=None):
+        super().__init__(_('Search the text of all books in the library'), 'library-fts-dialog-2',
+                         default_buttons=QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Close)
+
+    def setup_ui(self):
+        l = QVBoxLayout(self)
+        self.stack = s = QStackedWidget(self)
+        l.addWidget(s)
+        h = QHBoxLayout()
+        h.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
+        l.addLayout(h)
+        h.addWidget(self.bb)
+        self.scan_status = ss = ScanStatus(self)
+        self.results_panel = rp = ResultsPanel(self)
+        s.addWidget(ss), s.addWidget(rp)
+        self.show_scan_status()
+
+    def show_scan_status(self):
+        self.stack.setCurrentWidget(self.scan_status)
+        self.scan_status.specialize_button_box(self.bb)
+
+    def show_results_panel(self):
+        self.stack.setCurrentWidget(self.results_panel)
+        self.results_panel.specialize_button_box(self.bb)
+
+    def library_changed(self):
+        self.results_panel.clear_results()
+
+    def sizeHint(self):
+        return QSize(1000, 680)
+
+
+if __name__ == '__main__':
+    from calibre.gui2 import Application
+    from calibre.library import db
+    get_db.db = db(os.path.expanduser('~/test library'))
+    app = Application([])
+    d = FTSDialog()
+    d.exec()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py
index 028a68cb39..bf60e15744 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py
@@ -600,6 +600,8 @@ class ResultsPanel(QWidget):
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
+        if isinstance(parent, QDialog):
+            parent.finished.connect(self.shutdown)
         self.l = l = QVBoxLayout(self)
         l.setContentsMargins(0, 0, 0, 0)
         self.splitter = s = QSplitter(self)
@@ -618,13 +620,23 @@ class ResultsPanel(QWidget):
         rv.matches_found.connect(self.sip.matches_found)
         rv.search_complete.connect(self.sip.stop)
         sip.search_signal.connect(self.search)
-        sip.clear_search.connect(rv.model().clear_results)
+        sip.clear_search.connect(self.clear_results)
 
         self.details = d = DetailsPanel(self)
         rv.current_changed.connect(d.show_result)
         rv.search_started.connect(d.clear)
         s.addWidget(d)
 
+    def specialize_button_box(self, bb):
+        bb.clear()
+        bb.addButton(QDialogButtonBox.StandardButton.Close)
+
+    def clear_results(self):
+        self.results_view.m.clear_results()
+
+    def shutdown(self):
+        self.clear_results()
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     from calibre.gui2 import Application