diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.py
index af3caeafdb..6436626713 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.py
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ from calibre.gui2.dialogs.tag_categories_ui import Ui_TagCategories
 from calibre.gui2.dialogs.confirm_delete import confirm
 from calibre.gui2 import error_dialog
 from calibre.constants import islinux
-from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key, strcmp
+from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key, strcmp, primary_contains
 from polyglot.builtins import iteritems, unicode_type
 
 
@@ -72,9 +72,11 @@ class TagCategories(QDialog, Ui_TagCategories):
                            lambda: [t.original_name.replace('|', ',') for t in self.db_categories['authors']],
                            lambda: [t.original_name for t in self.db_categories['series']],
                            lambda: [t.original_name for t in self.db_categories['publisher']],
-                           lambda: [t.original_name for t in self.db_categories['tags']]
+                           lambda: [t.original_name for t in self.db_categories['tags']],
+                           lambda: [t.original_name for t in self.db_categories['languages']]
                           ]
-        category_names  = ['', _('Authors'), ngettext('Series', 'Series', 2), _('Publishers'), _('Tags')]
+        category_names  = ['', _('Authors'), ngettext('Series', 'Series', 2),
+                            _('Publishers'), _('Tags'), _('Languages')]
 
         for key,cc in iteritems(self.db.custom_field_metadata()):
             if cc['datatype'] in ['text', 'series', 'enumeration']:
@@ -106,6 +108,7 @@ class TagCategories(QDialog, Ui_TagCategories):
         self.category_box.currentIndexChanged[int].connect(self.select_category)
         self.category_filter_box.currentIndexChanged[int].connect(
                                                 self.display_filtered_categories)
+        self.item_filter_box.textEdited.connect(self.display_filtered_items)
         self.delete_category_button.clicked.connect(self.del_category)
         if islinux:
             self.available_items_box.itemDoubleClicked.connect(self.apply_tags)
@@ -168,14 +171,19 @@ class TagCategories(QDialog, Ui_TagCategories):
         w.setToolTip(_('Category lookup name: ') + item.label)
         return w
 
+    def display_filtered_items(self, text):
+        self.display_filtered_categories(None)
+
     def display_filtered_categories(self, idx):
         idx = idx if idx is not None else self.category_filter_box.currentIndex()
         self.available_items_box.clear()
         self.applied_items_box.clear()
+        item_filter = self.item_filter_box.text()
         for item in self.all_items_sorted:
             if idx == 0 or item.label == self.category_labels[idx]:
                 if item.index not in self.applied_items and item.exists:
-                    self.available_items_box.addItem(self.make_list_widget(item))
+                    if primary_contains(item_filter, item.name):
+                        self.available_items_box.addItem(self.make_list_widget(item))
         for index in self.applied_items:
             self.applied_items_box.addItem(self.make_list_widget(self.all_items[index]))
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.ui
index 198a99d4b2..7274a9bf88 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/tag_categories.ui
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
           <cstring>category_box</cstring>
          </property>
         </widget>
-     </item>
+       </item>
        <item row="0" column="1">
         <widget class="QComboBox" name="category_box">
          <property name="toolTip">
@@ -64,6 +64,26 @@
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
+       <item row="2" column="0">
+        <widget class="QLabel" name="label_filt">
+         <property name="text">
+          <string>Item &amp;filter: </string>
+         </property>
+         <property name="alignment">
+          <set>Qt::AlignLeading|Qt::AlignLeft|Qt::AlignVCenter</set>
+         </property>
+         <property name="buddy">
+          <cstring>item_filter_box</cstring>
+         </property>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
+       <item row="2" column="1">
+        <widget class="QLineEdit" name="item_filter_box">
+         <property name="toolTip">
+          <string>Enter text to filter the available items. Case and accents are ignored.</string>
+         </property>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
       </layout>
      </item>
      <item row="0" column="1" colspan="3">
@@ -136,6 +156,13 @@
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
+       <item row="2" column="0">
+        <widget class="QLabel" name="blank">
+         <property name="text">
+          <string> </string>
+         </property>
+        </widget>
+       </item>
       </layout>
      </item>
     </layout>
@@ -152,7 +179,7 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
-     <item row="2" column="0">
+     <item row="3" column="0">
       <widget class="QListWidget" name="available_items_box">
        <property name="alternatingRowColors">
         <bool>true</bool>
@@ -165,7 +192,7 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
-     <item row="2" column="1">
+     <item row="3" column="1">
       <widget class="QToolButton" name="apply_button">
        <property name="toolTip">
         <string>Apply tags to current tag category</string>
@@ -189,7 +216,7 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
-     <item row="2" column="2">
+     <item row="3" column="2">
       <widget class="QListWidget" name="applied_items_box">
        <property name="alternatingRowColors">
         <bool>true</bool>
@@ -199,7 +226,7 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
-     <item row="2" column="3">
+     <item row="3" column="3">
       <widget class="QToolButton" name="unapply_button">
        <property name="toolTip">
         <string>Unapply (remove) tag from current tag category</string>
@@ -213,7 +240,7 @@
        </property>
       </widget>
      </item>
-     <item row="3" column="0" colspan="4">
+     <item row="4" column="0" colspan="4">
       <widget class="QDialogButtonBox" name="buttonBox">
        <property name="orientation">
         <enum>Qt::Horizontal</enum>