diff --git a/lib/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuComponent.js b/lib/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuComponent.js
index e91d66d3b..03ca10c60 100644
--- a/lib/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuComponent.js
+++ b/lib/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuComponent.js
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export default function PopupMenuComponent(props) {
       return originalEntries;
     }
 
-    if (!value) {
+    if (!value.trim()) {
       return originalEntries.filter(({ rank = 0 }) => rank >= 0);
     }
 
diff --git a/lib/features/search-pad/SearchPad.js b/lib/features/search-pad/SearchPad.js
index 94d235c71..4979d03bf 100644
--- a/lib/features/search-pad/SearchPad.js
+++ b/lib/features/search-pad/SearchPad.js
@@ -181,7 +181,7 @@ SearchPad.prototype._search = function(pattern) {
   this._clearResults();
 
   // do not search on empty query
-  if (!pattern || pattern === '') {
+  if (!pattern.trim()) {
     return;
   }
 
diff --git a/lib/features/search/search.js b/lib/features/search/search.js
index 3b9964eb2..9d78959a7 100644
--- a/lib/features/search/search.js
+++ b/lib/features/search/search.js
@@ -36,6 +36,12 @@ export default function search(items, pattern, options) {
     keys
   } = options;
 
+  pattern = pattern.trim().toLowerCase();
+
+  if (!pattern) {
+    throw new Error('<pattern> must not be empty');
+  }
+
   const words = pattern.trim().toLowerCase().split(/\s+/);
 
   return items.flatMap((item) => {
diff --git a/test/spec/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuSpec.js b/test/spec/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuSpec.js
index 45b0c585d..dd26f57cc 100755
--- a/test/spec/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/popup-menu/PopupMenuSpec.js
@@ -1531,6 +1531,25 @@ describe('features/popup-menu', function() {
     }));
 
 
+    it('should handle whitespace only search', inject(async function(popupMenu) {
+
+      // given
+      popupMenu.registerProvider('test-menu', testMenuProvider);
+      popupMenu.open({}, 'test-menu', { x: 100, y: 100 }, { search: true });
+
+      // when
+      await triggerSearch('   ');
+
+      // then
+      await waitFor(() => {
+        const shownEntries = queryPopupAll('.entry');
+
+        // just ignores it
+        expect(shownEntries).to.have.length(5);
+      });
+    }));
+
+
     describe('ranking', function() {
 
       it('should hide rank < 0 items', inject(async function(popupMenu) {
diff --git a/test/spec/features/search-pad/SearchPadSpec.js b/test/spec/features/search-pad/SearchPadSpec.js
index 9abc5e0f8..015bad3fb 100644
--- a/test/spec/features/search-pad/SearchPadSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/search-pad/SearchPadSpec.js
@@ -450,6 +450,19 @@ describe('features/search-pad', function() {
     }));
 
 
+    it('should ignore whitespace only', inject(function(canvas) {
+
+      // given
+      var find = sinon.spy(searchProvider, 'find');
+
+      // when
+      typeText(input_node, '  ');
+
+      // then
+      expect(find).callCount(0);
+    }));
+
+
     it('should search per key stroke', inject(function(canvas) {
 
       // given
diff --git a/test/spec/features/search/searchSpec.js b/test/spec/features/search/searchSpec.js
index 166581455..f09f046b4 100644
--- a/test/spec/features/search/searchSpec.js
+++ b/test/spec/features/search/searchSpec.js
@@ -475,6 +475,22 @@ describe('features/search', function() {
     expect(results).to.have.length(1);
   }));
 
+
+  it('should error on whitespace pattern', inject(function(search) {
+
+    // given
+    const fn = () => {
+      search([], ' ', {
+        keys: [
+          'title'
+        ]
+      });
+    };
+
+    // then
+    expect(fn).to.throw(/<pattern> must not be empty/);
+  }));
+
 });