diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py
index a39c63d097..4f410a3c69 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/dialog.py
@@ -28,9 +28,13 @@ class FTSDialog(Dialog):
         l.addLayout(h)
         h.addWidget(self.bb)
         self.scan_status = ss = ScanStatus(self)
+        ss.switch_to_search_panel.connect(self.show_results_panel)
         self.results_panel = rp = ResultsPanel(self)
         s.addWidget(ss), s.addWidget(rp)
-        self.show_scan_status()
+        if ss.indexing_progress.almost_complete:
+            self.show_results_panel()
+        else:
+            self.show_scan_status()
 
     def show_scan_status(self):
         self.stack.setCurrentWidget(self.scan_status)
@@ -39,6 +43,7 @@ class FTSDialog(Dialog):
     def show_results_panel(self):
         self.stack.setCurrentWidget(self.results_panel)
         self.results_panel.specialize_button_box(self.bb)
+        self.results_panel.on_show()
 
     def library_changed(self):
         self.results_panel.clear_results()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/scan.py b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/scan.py
index a33c7466bf..ebc29dfe6d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/scan.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/scan.py
@@ -4,8 +4,8 @@
 
 import os
 from qt.core import (
-    QCheckBox, QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QHBoxLayout, QIcon, QLabel, QRadioButton,
-    QTimer, QVBoxLayout, QWidget, pyqtSignal
+    QCheckBox, QDialog, QDialogButtonBox, QHBoxLayout, QIcon, QLabel, QPushButton,
+    QRadioButton, QTimer, QVBoxLayout, QWidget, pyqtSignal
 )
 
 from calibre import detect_ncpus
@@ -28,9 +28,15 @@ class IndexingProgress:
     def complete(self):
         return not self.left or not self.total
 
+    @property
+    def almost_complete(self):
+        return self.complete or (self.left / self.total) > 0.9
+
 
 class ScanProgress(QWidget):
 
+    switch_to_search_panel = pyqtSignal()
+
     def __init__(self, parent):
         super().__init__(parent)
         self.l = l = QVBoxLayout(self)
@@ -68,6 +74,9 @@ class ScanProgress(QWidget):
                 ' Searching will yield incomplete results.')))
         la.setWordWrap(True)
         l.addWidget(la)
+        self.switch_anyway = sa = QPushButton(self)
+        sa.clicked.connect(self.switch_to_search_panel)
+        l.addWidget(sa)
 
     def change_speed(self):
         db = get_db()
@@ -82,17 +91,22 @@ class ScanProgress(QWidget):
         if complete:
             t = _('All book files indexed')
             self.warn_label.setVisible(False)
+            self.switch_anyway.setIcon(QIcon.ic('search.png'))
+            self.switch_anyway.setText(_('Start &searching'))
         else:
             done = total - left
             t = _('{0} of {1} book files ({2:.0%}) have been indexed').format(
                 done, total, done / (total or 1))
             self.warn_label.setVisible(True)
+            self.switch_anyway.setIcon(QIcon.ic('dialog_warning.png'))
+            self.switch_anyway.setText(_('Start &searching even with incomplete indexing'))
         self.status_label.setText(t)
 
 
 class ScanStatus(QWidget):
 
     indexing_progress_changed = pyqtSignal(bool, int, int)
+    switch_to_search_panel = pyqtSignal()
 
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         super().__init__(parent)
@@ -112,6 +126,7 @@ class ScanStatus(QWidget):
         la.setWordWrap(True)
         l.addWidget(la)
         self.scan_progress = sc = ScanProgress(self)
+        sc.switch_to_search_panel.connect(self.switch_to_search_panel)
         self.indexing_progress_changed.connect(self.scan_progress.update)
         l.addWidget(sc)
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py
index bf60e15744..a196fb4a45 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/fts/search.py
@@ -637,6 +637,9 @@ class ResultsPanel(QWidget):
     def shutdown(self):
         self.clear_results()
 
+    def on_show(self):
+        self.sip.search_box.setFocus(Qt.FocusReason.OtherFocusReason)
+
 
 if __name__ == '__main__':
     from calibre.gui2 import Application