diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/snippets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/snippets.py
index d451f8d061..ff939d4395 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/snippets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/snippets.py
@@ -326,9 +326,9 @@ def expand_template(editor, trigger, template):
     c.endEditBlock()
     return tl
 
-def find_matching_snip(text, syntax):
+def find_matching_snip(text, syntax=None):
     for key, snip in snippets().iteritems():
-        if text.endswith(key.trigger) and syntax in key.syntaxes:
+        if text.endswith(key.trigger) and (syntax in key.syntaxes or syntax is None):
             return snip, key.trigger
     return None, None
 
@@ -393,7 +393,6 @@ class SnippetManager(QObject):
         return False
 # }}}
 
-
 # Config {{{
 
 class EditSnippet(QWidget):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
index 69e773c507..be0d9f63e0 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/editor/text.py
@@ -84,6 +84,7 @@ class PlainTextEdit(QPlainTextEdit):
     def __init__(self, parent=None):
         QPlainTextEdit.__init__(self, parent)
         self.selectionChanged.connect(self.selection_changed)
+        self.syntax = None
 
     def toPlainText(self):
         # QPlainTextEdit's toPlainText implementation replaces nbsp with normal
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/search.py b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/search.py
index f366b7a45a..fe8b4f15f1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/search.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/tweak_book/search.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from PyQt5.Qt import (
     QWidget, QToolBar, Qt, QHBoxLayout, QSize, QIcon, QGridLayout, QLabel, QTimer,
     QPushButton, pyqtSignal, QComboBox, QCheckBox, QSizePolicy, QVBoxLayout, QFont,
     QLineEdit, QToolButton, QListView, QFrame, QApplication, QStyledItemDelegate,
-    QAbstractListModel, QPlainTextEdit, QModelIndex, QMenu, QItemSelection, QStackedLayout)
+    QAbstractListModel, QModelIndex, QMenu, QItemSelection, QStackedLayout)
 
 import regex
 
@@ -26,6 +26,8 @@ from calibre.gui2.tweak_book import tprefs, editors, current_container
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.function_replace import (
     FunctionBox, functions as replace_functions, FunctionEditor, remove_function, Function)
 from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.widgets import BusyCursor
+from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.text import PlainTextEdit
+from calibre.gui2.tweak_book.editor.snippets import find_matching_snip, parse_template, string_length, SnippetManager
 
 from calibre.utils.icu import primary_contains
 
@@ -51,12 +53,42 @@ class AnimatablePushButton(QPushButton):
         self.setDown(False)
         self.update()
 
+class TextEdit(PlainTextEdit):
+
+    def __init__(self, text, parent=None):
+        PlainTextEdit.__init__(self, parent)
+        if text:
+            self.setPlainText(text)
+        self.snippet_manager = SnippetManager(self)
+
+    def keyPressEvent(self, ev):
+        if self.snippet_manager.handle_key_press(ev):
+            return
+        PlainTextEdit.keyPressEvent(self, ev)
+
 class PushButton(AnimatablePushButton):
 
     def __init__(self, text, action, parent):
         AnimatablePushButton.__init__(self, text, parent)
         self.clicked.connect(lambda : parent.search_triggered.emit(action))
 
+def expand_template(line_edit):
+    pos = line_edit.cursorPosition()
+    text = line_edit.text()[:pos]
+    if text:
+        snip, trigger = find_matching_snip(text)
+        if snip is None:
+            error_dialog(line_edit, _('No snippet found'), _(
+                'No matching snippet was found'), show=True)
+            return False
+        text, tab_stops = parse_template(snip['template'])
+        ft = line_edit.text()
+        l = string_length(trigger)
+        line_edit.setText(ft[:pos - l] + text + ft[pos:])
+        line_edit.setCursorPosition(pos - l + string_length(text))
+        return True
+    return False
+
 class HistoryBox(HistoryComboBox):
 
     max_history_items = 100
@@ -67,6 +99,17 @@ class HistoryBox(HistoryComboBox):
         HistoryComboBox.__init__(self, parent)
         self.disable_popup = tprefs['disable_completion_popup_for_search']
         self.clear_msg = clear_msg
+        self.ignore_snip_expansion = False
+
+    def event(self, ev):
+        if ev.type() in (ev.ShortcutOverride, ev.KeyPress) and ev.key() == Qt.Key_Tab and ev.modifiers() & Qt.CTRL:
+            if not self.ignore_snip_expansion:
+                self.ignore_snip_expansion = True
+                expand_template(self.lineEdit())
+                QTimer.singleShot(100, lambda : setattr(self, 'ignore_snip_expansion', False))
+            ev.accept()
+            return True
+        return HistoryComboBox.event(self, ev)
 
     def contextMenuEvent(self, event):
         menu = self.lineEdit().createStandardContextMenu()
@@ -551,12 +594,12 @@ class EditSearch(QFrame):  # {{{
         h.addWidget(la), h.addWidget(n)
         l.addLayout(h)
 
-        self.find = f = QPlainTextEdit('', self)
+        self.find = f = TextEdit('', self)
         self.la2 = la = QLabel(_('&Find:'))
         la.setBuddy(f)
         l.addWidget(la), l.addWidget(f)
 
-        self.replace = r = QPlainTextEdit('', self)
+        self.replace = r = TextEdit('', self)
         self.la3 = la = QLabel(_('&Replace:'))
         la.setBuddy(r)
         l.addWidget(la), l.addWidget(r)