diff --git a/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak b/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak
index a4b6c9e2..e6b684cb 100644
--- a/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak
+++ b/.config/kak/autoload/search-highlight.kak
@@ -35,21 +35,32 @@ provide-module search-highlight %—
             try %{
                 %opt{search_highlight_status}
             } catch %{
-                map window prompt <esc> '<a-;>: set-option window  search_highlight_quit true<ret>'
-                # if not, add the highlighter
+                # if the user escapes search, we should immediately clear the highlight
+                # in normal mode so we set the flag before escaping
+                # map window prompt <esc> '<a-;>: set-option window search_highlight_quit true<ret><esc>'
+                # if not already enabled, 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'
 
                 # register hook to clear highlighter after leaving search
                 hook -once -group search-highlight window NormalIdle .* %{
+                    # check if user escaped search
                     try %{
                         %opt{search_highlight_quit}
+                        # if so, clear immediately
                         search-highlight-clear
                     } catch %{
-                        map window normal <esc> ': search-highlight-clear<ret>'
+                        # otherwise, we clear on escape
+                        hook -once -group search-highlight window NormalKey <esc> %{
+                            search-highlight-clear
+                        }
                     }
+                    # clear the prompt mapping so it doesn't conflict with
+                    # other prompt types
                     unmap window prompt <esc>
+                    # reset the quit-early flag
+                    set-option window search_highlight_quit false
                 }
             }
         }