diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui
index 69426a3728..360059ce56 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui
@@ -44,14 +44,14 @@
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
-      <item row="2" column="0" colspan="2">
+      <item row="1" column="0" colspan="2">
        <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_limit_search_columns">
         <property name="text">
          <string>&amp;Limit the searched metadata</string>
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
-      <item row="3" column="0">
+      <item row="2" column="0">
        <widget class="QLabel" name="label_2">
         <property name="text">
          <string>&amp;Columns that non-prefixed searches are limited to:</string>
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
-      <item row="3" column="1">
+      <item row="2" column="1">
        <widget class="MultiCompleteLineEdit" name="opt_limit_search_columns_to"/>
       </item>
       <item row="5" column="0" colspan="2">
@@ -74,32 +74,6 @@
         </property>
        </widget>
       </item>
-      <item row="1" column="0" colspan="2">
-       <spacer name="verticalSpacer_2">
-        <property name="orientation">
-         <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
-        </property>
-        <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
-         <size>
-          <width>20</width>
-          <height>40</height>
-         </size>
-        </property>
-       </spacer>
-      </item>
-      <item row="4" column="0" colspan="2">
-       <spacer name="verticalSpacer_3">
-        <property name="orientation">
-         <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
-        </property>
-        <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
-         <size>
-          <width>20</width>
-          <height>40</height>
-         </size>
-        </property>
-       </spacer>
-      </item>
      </layout>
     </widget>
    </item>
@@ -110,8 +84,8 @@
      </property>
      <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
       <size>
-       <width>20</width>
-       <height>40</height>
+       <width>0</width>
+       <height>0</height>
       </size>
      </property>
     </spacer>