diff --git a/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.tsx b/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.tsx
index 86136233d8..bc17bbe23f 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/LeftPanel.tsx
@@ -44,7 +44,6 @@ interface IProps {
 }
 
 interface IState {
-    searchFilter: string;
     showBreadcrumbs: boolean;
     showTagPanel: boolean;
 }
@@ -69,7 +68,6 @@ export default class LeftPanel extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         super(props);
 
         this.state = {
-            searchFilter: "",
             showBreadcrumbs: BreadcrumbsStore.instance.visible,
             showTagPanel: SettingsStore.getValue('TagPanel.enableTagPanel'),
         };
@@ -97,10 +95,6 @@ export default class LeftPanel extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         this.props.resizeNotifier.off("middlePanelResizedNoisy", this.onResize);
     }
 
-    private onSearch = (term: string): void => {
-        this.setState({searchFilter: term});
-    };
-
     private onExplore = () => {
         dis.fire(Action.ViewRoomDirectory);
     };
@@ -366,7 +360,6 @@ export default class LeftPanel extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                 onKeyDown={this.onKeyDown}
             >
                 <RoomSearch
-                    onQueryUpdate={this.onSearch}
                     isMinimized={this.props.isMinimized}
                     onVerticalArrow={this.onKeyDown}
                     onEnter={this.onEnter}
@@ -392,7 +385,6 @@ export default class LeftPanel extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
             onKeyDown={this.onKeyDown}
             resizeNotifier={null}
             collapsed={false}
-            searchFilter={this.state.searchFilter}
             onFocus={this.onFocus}
             onBlur={this.onBlur}
             isMinimized={this.props.isMinimized}
diff --git a/src/components/structures/RoomSearch.tsx b/src/components/structures/RoomSearch.tsx
index 1451630c97..69504e9ab8 100644
--- a/src/components/structures/RoomSearch.tsx
+++ b/src/components/structures/RoomSearch.tsx
@@ -24,9 +24,10 @@ import { throttle } from 'lodash';
 import { Key } from "../../Keyboard";
 import AccessibleButton from "../views/elements/AccessibleButton";
 import { Action } from "../../dispatcher/actions";
+import RoomListStore from "../../stores/room-list/RoomListStore";
+import { NameFilterCondition } from "../../stores/room-list/filters/NameFilterCondition";
 
 interface IProps {
-    onQueryUpdate: (newQuery: string) => void;
     isMinimized: boolean;
     onVerticalArrow(ev: React.KeyboardEvent): void;
     onEnter(ev: React.KeyboardEvent): boolean;
@@ -40,6 +41,7 @@ interface IState {
 export default class RoomSearch extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
     private dispatcherRef: string;
     private inputRef: React.RefObject<HTMLInputElement> = createRef();
+    private searchFilter: NameFilterCondition = new NameFilterCondition();
 
     constructor(props: IProps) {
         super(props);
@@ -52,6 +54,21 @@ export default class RoomSearch extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
         this.dispatcherRef = defaultDispatcher.register(this.onAction);
     }
 
+    public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Readonly<IProps>, prevState: Readonly<IState>): void {
+        if (prevState.query !== this.state.query) {
+            const hadSearch = !!this.searchFilter.search.trim();
+            const haveSearch = !!this.state.query.trim();
+            this.searchFilter.search = this.state.query;
+            if (!hadSearch && haveSearch) {
+                // started a new filter - add the condition
+                RoomListStore.instance.addFilter(this.searchFilter);
+            } else if (hadSearch && !haveSearch) {
+                // cleared a filter - remove the condition
+                RoomListStore.instance.removeFilter(this.searchFilter);
+            } // else the filter hasn't changed enough for us to care here
+        }
+    }
+
     public componentWillUnmount() {
         defaultDispatcher.unregister(this.dispatcherRef);
     }
@@ -78,19 +95,8 @@ export default class RoomSearch extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
     private onChange = () => {
         if (!this.inputRef.current) return;
         this.setState({query: this.inputRef.current.value});
-        this.onSearchUpdated();
     };
 
-    // it wants this at the top of the file, but we know better
-    // tslint:disable-next-line
-    private onSearchUpdated = throttle(
-        () => {
-            // We can't use the state variable because it can lag behind the input.
-            // The lag is most obvious when deleting/clearing text with the keyboard.
-            this.props.onQueryUpdate(this.inputRef.current.value);
-        }, 200, {trailing: true, leading: true},
-    );
-
     private onFocus = (ev: React.FocusEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
         this.setState({focused: true});
         ev.target.select();
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.tsx b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.tsx
index 0ff6d8d222..762fe0a256 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/RoomList.tsx
@@ -31,7 +31,6 @@ import dis from "../../../dispatcher/dispatcher";
 import defaultDispatcher from "../../../dispatcher/dispatcher";
 import RoomSublist from "./RoomSublist";
 import { ActionPayload } from "../../../dispatcher/payloads";
-import { NameFilterCondition } from "../../../stores/room-list/filters/NameFilterCondition";
 import { MatrixClientPeg } from "../../../MatrixClientPeg";
 import GroupAvatar from "../avatars/GroupAvatar";
 import TemporaryTile from "./TemporaryTile";
@@ -52,7 +51,6 @@ interface IProps {
     onResize: () => void;
     resizeNotifier: ResizeNotifier;
     collapsed: boolean;
-    searchFilter: string;
     isMinimized: boolean;
 }
 
@@ -150,8 +148,7 @@ function customTagAesthetics(tagId: TagID): ITagAesthetics {
     };
 }
 
-export default class RoomList extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
-    private searchFilter: NameFilterCondition = new NameFilterCondition();
+export default class RoomList extends React.PureComponent<IProps, IState> {
     private dispatcherRef;
     private customTagStoreRef;
 
@@ -165,21 +162,6 @@ export default class RoomList extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
         this.dispatcherRef = defaultDispatcher.register(this.onAction);
     }
 
-    public componentDidUpdate(prevProps: Readonly<IProps>): void {
-        if (prevProps.searchFilter !== this.props.searchFilter) {
-            const hadSearch = !!this.searchFilter.search.trim();
-            const haveSearch = !!this.props.searchFilter.trim();
-            this.searchFilter.search = this.props.searchFilter;
-            if (!hadSearch && haveSearch) {
-                // started a new filter - add the condition
-                RoomListStore.instance.addFilter(this.searchFilter);
-            } else if (hadSearch && !haveSearch) {
-                // cleared a filter - remove the condition
-                RoomListStore.instance.removeFilter(this.searchFilter);
-            } // else the filter hasn't changed enough for us to care here
-        }
-    }
-
     public componentDidMount(): void {
         RoomListStore.instance.on(LISTS_UPDATE_EVENT, this.updateLists);
         this.customTagStoreRef = CustomRoomTagStore.addListener(this.updateLists);
@@ -339,7 +321,7 @@ export default class RoomList extends React.Component<IProps, IState> {
                     isMinimized={this.props.isMinimized}
                     onResize={this.props.onResize}
                     extraBadTilesThatShouldntExist={extraTiles}
-                    isFiltered={!!this.searchFilter.search}
+                    isFiltered={!!RoomListStore.instance.getFirstNameFilterCondition()}
                 />
             );
         }