diff --git a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx
index 7407f0c05..fa89bf442 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx
+++ b/src/renderer/src/components/settings/Settings.tsx
@@ -211,6 +211,7 @@ function Settings(): React.JSX.Element {
   const removeRepo = useAppStore((s) => s.removeRepo)
   const settingsNavigationTarget = useAppStore((s) => s.settingsNavigationTarget)
   const clearSettingsTarget = useAppStore((s) => s.clearSettingsTarget)
+  const settingsSearchInputQuery = useAppStore((s) => s.settingsSearchInputQuery)
   const settingsSearchQuery = useAppStore((s) => s.settingsSearchQuery)
   const setSettingsSearchQuery = useAppStore((s) => s.setSettingsSearchQuery)
 
@@ -941,7 +942,7 @@ function Settings(): React.JSX.Element {
         generalSections={generalNavSections}
         repoSections={repoNavSections}
         hasRepos={repos.length > 0}
-        searchQuery={settingsSearchQuery}
+        searchQuery={settingsSearchInputQuery}
         searchInputRef={searchInputRef}
         onBack={closeSettingsPageWithPromptGuard}
         onSearchChange={setSettingsSearchQuery}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings-search-state.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings-search-state.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..bb981b0a2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings-search-state.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,56 @@
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
+import {
+  createSettingsSearchState,
+  SETTINGS_SEARCH_DEBOUNCE_MS,
+  type SettingsSearchState
+} from './settings-search-state'
+
+function createTestSearchState(): {
+  getState: () => SettingsSearchState
+  setState: (state: Partial<SettingsSearchState>) => void
+} {
+  let state = {} as SettingsSearchState
+  const setState = (updates: Partial<SettingsSearchState>): void => {
+    state = { ...state, ...updates }
+  }
+  state = createSettingsSearchState(setState)
+  return { getState: () => state, setState }
+}
+
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.useRealTimers()
+})
+
+describe('settings search state', () => {
+  it('updates the search input immediately and debounces the applied filter', () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    const store = createTestSearchState()
+
+    store.getState().setSettingsSearchQuery('terminal')
+
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchInputQuery).toBe('terminal')
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchQuery).toBe('')
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(SETTINGS_SEARCH_DEBOUNCE_MS - 1)
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchQuery).toBe('')
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(1)
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchQuery).toBe('terminal')
+  })
+
+  it('clears settings search immediately and cancels pending debounce work', () => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers()
+    const store = createTestSearchState()
+    store.setState({ settingsSearchInputQuery: 'terminal', settingsSearchQuery: 'terminal' })
+
+    store.getState().setSettingsSearchQuery('agents')
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(SETTINGS_SEARCH_DEBOUNCE_MS - 1)
+    store.getState().setSettingsSearchQuery('')
+
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchInputQuery).toBe('')
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchQuery).toBe('')
+
+    vi.advanceTimersByTime(SETTINGS_SEARCH_DEBOUNCE_MS)
+    expect(store.getState().settingsSearchQuery).toBe('')
+  })
+})
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings-search-state.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings-search-state.ts
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..c691e1199
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings-search-state.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,39 @@
+export const SETTINGS_SEARCH_DEBOUNCE_MS = 150
+
+export type SettingsSearchState = {
+  settingsSearchInputQuery: string
+  settingsSearchQuery: string
+  setSettingsSearchQuery: (q: string) => void
+}
+
+export function createSettingsSearchState(
+  set: (state: Partial<SettingsSearchState>) => void
+): SettingsSearchState {
+  let settingsSearchDebounceTimer: ReturnType<typeof setTimeout> | null = null
+
+  const clearSettingsSearchDebounce = (): void => {
+    if (settingsSearchDebounceTimer) {
+      clearTimeout(settingsSearchDebounceTimer)
+      settingsSearchDebounceTimer = null
+    }
+  }
+
+  return {
+    settingsSearchInputQuery: '',
+    settingsSearchQuery: '',
+    setSettingsSearchQuery: (q) => {
+      clearSettingsSearchDebounce()
+      if (q.trim() === '') {
+        set({ settingsSearchInputQuery: q, settingsSearchQuery: q })
+        return
+      }
+      set({ settingsSearchInputQuery: q })
+      // Why: applying settings search mounts and filters many heavy sections,
+      // so keep typing responsive while waiting for the query to settle.
+      settingsSearchDebounceTimer = setTimeout(() => {
+        settingsSearchDebounceTimer = null
+        set({ settingsSearchQuery: q })
+      }, SETTINGS_SEARCH_DEBOUNCE_MS)
+    }
+  }
+}
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.test.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.test.ts
index c4ba3a1cc..eda21c407 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.test.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.test.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { describe, expect, it, vi, beforeEach } from 'vitest'
+import { beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest'
 import { createTestStore, makeWorktree } from './store-test-helpers'
 import type { AppState } from '../types'
 import type { WorktreeLineage } from '../../../../shared/types'
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.ts b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.ts
index c7dbf37a4..f869a6695 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.ts
+++ b/src/renderer/src/store/slices/settings.ts
@@ -10,11 +10,10 @@ import {
 import { normalizeTerminalQuickCommands } from '../../../../shared/terminal-quick-commands'
 import { normalizeVisibleTaskProviders } from '../../../../shared/task-providers'
 import { normalizeOpenInApplications } from '../../../../shared/open-in-applications'
+import { createSettingsSearchState, type SettingsSearchState } from './settings-search-state'
 
-export type SettingsSlice = {
+export type SettingsSlice = SettingsSearchState & {
   settings: GlobalSettings | null
-  settingsSearchQuery: string
-  setSettingsSearchQuery: (q: string) => void
   fetchSettings: () => Promise<void>
   updateSettings: (updates: Partial<GlobalSettings>) => Promise<void>
   switchRuntimeEnvironment: (environmentId: string | null) => Promise<boolean>
@@ -221,8 +220,7 @@ async function verifyRuntimeEnvironmentReachable(environmentId: string | null):
 
 export const createSettingsSlice: StateCreator<AppState, [], [], SettingsSlice> = (set, get) => ({
   settings: null,
-  settingsSearchQuery: '',
-  setSettingsSearchQuery: (q) => set({ settingsSearchQuery: q }),
+  ...createSettingsSearchState((state) => set(state)),
 
   fetchSettings: async () => {
     try {