diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchAction.java b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchAction.java
index e05edb48d1..68b730b550 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchAction.java
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchAction.java
@@ -31,6 +31,6 @@ public final class KeywordSearchAction extends AbstractAction implements Present
 
     @Override
     public Component getToolbarPresenter() {
-        return new KeywordSearchPanel();
+        return KeywordSearchPanel.getDefault();
     }
 }
diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.form b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.form
index c8e7f94462..fbed43e7a1 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.form
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.form
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-<?xml version="1.1" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
+<?xml version="1.0" encoding="UTF-8" ?>
 
 <Form version="1.5" maxVersion="1.7" type="org.netbeans.modules.form.forminfo.JPanelFormInfo">
   <NonVisualComponents>
@@ -88,10 +88,7 @@
     </DimensionLayout>
     <DimensionLayout dim="1">
       <Group type="103" groupAlignment="0" attributes="0">
-          <Group type="102" alignment="1" attributes="0">
-              <EmptySpace min="-2" pref="0" max="-2" attributes="0"/>
-              <Component id="listsButton" max="32767" attributes="1"/>
-          </Group>
+          <Component id="listsButton" alignment="1" max="32767" attributes="1"/>
           <Component id="searchBoxPanel" alignment="0" pref="27" max="32767" attributes="2"/>
       </Group>
     </DimensionLayout>
@@ -125,9 +122,9 @@
         </DimensionLayout>
         <DimensionLayout dim="1">
           <Group type="103" groupAlignment="0" attributes="0">
-              <Component id="searchBox" alignment="0" pref="25" max="32767" attributes="3"/>
-              <Component id="settingsLabel" alignment="0" pref="25" max="32767" attributes="1"/>
-              <Component id="searchButton" alignment="0" pref="25" max="32767" attributes="1"/>
+              <Component id="searchBox" alignment="0" max="32767" attributes="3"/>
+              <Component id="settingsLabel" alignment="0" max="32767" attributes="1"/>
+              <Component id="searchButton" alignment="0" max="32767" attributes="1"/>
           </Group>
         </DimensionLayout>
       </Layout>
diff --git a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.java b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.java
index 157dbc6fa9..7708d499cb 100644
--- a/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.java
+++ b/KeywordSearch/src/org/sleuthkit/autopsy/keywordsearch/KeywordSearchPanel.java
@@ -52,13 +52,24 @@ public class KeywordSearchPanel extends AbstractKeywordSearchPerformer {
     private KeywordPropertyChangeListener listener;
     private boolean active = false;
     private boolean entered = false;
+    private static KeywordSearchPanel instance;
 
     /** Creates new form KeywordSearchPanel */
-    public KeywordSearchPanel() {
+    private KeywordSearchPanel() {
         initComponents();
         customizeComponents();
     }
 
+    /**
+     * @return the default instance KeywordSearchPanel
+     */
+    public static KeywordSearchPanel getDefault() {
+        if (instance == null) {
+            instance = new KeywordSearchPanel();
+        }
+        return instance;
+    }
+
     private void customizeComponents() {
 
         listener = new KeywordPropertyChangeListener();