diff --git a/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak b/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak
index 7b0a27c7..926d1f72 100644
--- a/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak
+++ b/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak
@@ -10,23 +10,33 @@ provide-module search-highlight %—
     def -hidden -override search-highlight-on nop
     def -hidden -override search-highlight-off fail
 
+    # enable the plugin
     define-command -hidden search-highlight-enable-impl %{
+        # register hook to show highlighting during search
         hook -group search-highlight window RegisterModified '/' %{
+            # check whether already enabled
             try %{
                 %opt{search_highlight_status}
             } catch %{
+                # if not, add the highlighter
                 add-highlighter window/search-highlight dynregex '%reg{/}' %exp{0:%opt{search_highlight_face}}
+                # update status tracker
                 set-option window search_highlight_status 'search-highlight-on'
-            }
-        }
-        hook -group search-highlight window NormalKey '<esc>' %{
-            try %{
-                %opt{search_highlight_status}
-                remove-highlighter window/search-highlight 
-                set-option window search_highlight_status 'search-highlight-off'
+                # register hook to clear highlighter after leaving search
+                hook -once -group search-highlight window NormalIdle .* %{
+                    try %{
+                        # for safety; only run if highlighting is on
+                        %opt{search_highlight_status}
+                        # remove highlighter
+                        remove-highlighter window/search-highlight
+                        # update status
+                        set-option window search_highlight_status 'search-highlight-off'
+                    }
+                }
             }
         }
     }
+    # remove the plugin's hooks
     define-command -hidden search-highlight-disable-impl %{
         remove-hooks window search-highlight
     }
diff --git a/.config/kak/kakrc b/.config/kak/kakrc
index 9f0a61a9..f49ee0da 100644
--- a/.config/kak/kakrc
+++ b/.config/kak/kakrc
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ set-option -add global ui_options terminal_assistant=none
 set-option global tabstop 4
 set-option global indentwidth 4
 
-hook global WinSetOption filetype=kak %{
+hook -once global WinSetOption filetype=kak %{
     declare-option str-list extra_kak_keywords addhl decl def compl eval exec rmhl rmhooks face set unset
     
     eval %sh{
@@ -133,6 +133,9 @@ hook global WinSetOption filetype=kak %{
             printf '%s' "add-highlighter shared/kakrc/code/extra_keywords regex (?:\s|\A)\K($(join "${kak_opt_extra_kak_keywords}" '|'))(?:(?=\s)|\z) 0:keyword"
         fi
     }
+}
+
+hook global WinSetOption filetype=kak %{
     # make brackets gray a-la Ashen
 
     add-highlighter window/bracket regex [\[\]\(\)\{\}]{1} 0:rgb:737373