diff --git a/canvas/src/components/SearchDialog.tsx b/canvas/src/components/SearchDialog.tsx
index 110c031f..4fa2e700 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/SearchDialog.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/SearchDialog.tsx
@@ -36,11 +36,6 @@ export function SearchDialog() {
     }
   }, [open]);
 
-  // Reset focused index when query changes
-  useEffect(() => {
-    setFocusedIndex(-1);
-  }, [query]);
-
   const filtered = nodes.filter((n) => {
     if (!query) return true;
     const q = query.toLowerCase();
@@ -51,6 +46,18 @@ export function SearchDialog() {
     );
   });
 
+  // Auto-highlight the first match while the user is typing, so Enter
+  // selects something instead of being a no-op. With an empty query we
+  // keep -1 so opening the dialog (which shows ALL workspaces) doesn't
+  // visually pin one row arbitrarily — only commit a highlight once the
+  // user has narrowed the list.
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setFocusedIndex(query && filtered.length > 0 ? 0 : -1);
+    // Re-running on filtered.length keeps the highlight pinned to the
+    // first row while the result set shrinks/grows; the effect handler
+    // above already short-circuits to -1 when results disappear.
+  }, [query, filtered.length]);
+
   const handleSelect = useCallback(
     (nodeId: string) => {
       selectNode(nodeId);
@@ -113,7 +120,7 @@ export function SearchDialog() {
             onChange={(e) => setQuery(e.target.value)}
             onKeyDown={handleInputKeyDown}
             placeholder="Search workspaces..."
-            className="flex-1 bg-transparent text-sm text-ink placeholder-zinc-400 focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent focus:outline-none rounded"
+            className="flex-1 bg-transparent text-sm text-ink placeholder-ink-soft focus:outline-none focus-visible:outline-none focus-visible:ring-2 focus-visible:ring-accent rounded"
           />
           <kbd className="text-[9px] text-ink-mid bg-surface-card/60 px-1.5 py-0.5 rounded border border-line/40">ESC</kbd>
         </div>
diff --git a/canvas/src/components/__tests__/SearchDialog.keyboard.test.tsx b/canvas/src/components/__tests__/SearchDialog.keyboard.test.tsx
index 45e1bcfc..2eefec48 100644
--- a/canvas/src/components/__tests__/SearchDialog.keyboard.test.tsx
+++ b/canvas/src/components/__tests__/SearchDialog.keyboard.test.tsx
@@ -155,18 +155,31 @@ describe("SearchDialog — keyboard accessibility", () => {
     expect(selectNode).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
-  it("typing a new query resets focusedIndex to -1", () => {
+  it("typing a query that matches auto-highlights the first result", () => {
+    // Replaces the older "resets to -1" assertion. New behavior: a query
+    // with at least one match pins the highlight to row 0 so Enter picks
+    // a result instead of being a no-op. Empty-query case is covered by
+    // "Enter at focusedIndex=-1 does not select anything" above.
+    render(<SearchDialog />);
+    const input = screen.getByRole("combobox");
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: "Alpha" } });
+    const options = screen.getAllByRole("option");
+    expect(options[0].getAttribute("aria-selected")).toBe("true");
+    // Enter on the auto-highlighted match should select it without
+    // needing a manual ArrowDown first.
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: "Enter" });
+    expect(selectNode).toHaveBeenCalledWith("ws-1");
+  });
+
+  it("typing a query that matches NOTHING resets focusedIndex to -1", () => {
     render(<SearchDialog />);
     const input = screen.getByRole("combobox");
     fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: "ArrowDown" }); // focusedIndex → 0
-    // Verify selection before reset
-    expect(screen.getAllByRole("option")[0].getAttribute("aria-selected")).toBe("true");
-    // Change query — triggers the useEffect that resets focusedIndex
-    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: "Alpha" } });
-    // After reset all options must have aria-selected="false"
-    screen.getAllByRole("option").forEach((opt) => {
-      expect(opt.getAttribute("aria-selected")).toBe("false");
-    });
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: "zzz-no-match" } });
+    // No options remain, so nothing to assert on aria-selected directly —
+    // the empty-state message takes over. But Enter should be a no-op.
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: "Enter" });
+    expect(selectNode).not.toHaveBeenCalled();
   });
 
   it("aria-activedescendant matches the focused option's id", () => {