diff --git a/src/widget/wsearchlineedit.cpp b/src/widget/wsearchlineedit.cpp
index 2b53f2c71919..eedfa7664c02 100644
--- a/src/widget/wsearchlineedit.cpp
+++ b/src/widget/wsearchlineedit.cpp
@@ -393,8 +393,8 @@ void WSearchLineEdit::slotDisableSearch() {
         return;
     }
     setTextBlockSignals(kDisabledText);
-    updateClearAndDropdownButton(QString());
     setEnabled(false);
+    updateClearAndDropdownButton(QString());
 }
 
 void WSearchLineEdit::enableSearch(const QString& text) {
@@ -576,39 +576,31 @@ void WSearchLineEdit::updateClearAndDropdownButton(const QString& text) {
             << "updateClearAndDropdownButton"
             << text;
 #endif // ENABLE_TRACE_LOG
-    int paddingPx;
-    if (text.isEmpty()) {
-        // Disable while placeholder is shown
-        m_clearButton->setVisible(false);
-        // No padding
-        paddingPx = 0;
-    } else {
-        // Enable otherwise
-        m_clearButton->setVisible(true);
-        // Ensure the text is not obscured by the clear button
-        paddingPx = m_innerHeight;
-    }
+    // Hide clear button if the text is empty and while placeholder is shown,
+    // see disableSearch()
+    m_clearButton->setVisible(!text.isEmpty());
 
-    QString clearPos;
-    if (layoutDirection() == Qt::RightToLeft) {
-        clearPos = "left";
-    } else {
-        clearPos = "right";
-    }
+    // Ensure the text is not obscured by the clear button. Otherwise no text,
+    // no clear button, so the placeholder should use the entire width.
+    const int paddingPx = text.isEmpty() ? 0 : m_innerHeight;
+    const QString clearPos(layoutDirection() == Qt::RightToLeft ? "left" : "right");
+
+    // Hide the nonfunctional drop-down button if the search is disabled.
+    const int dropDownWidth = isEnabled() ? static_cast<int>(m_innerHeight * 0.7) : 0;
 
-    QString styleSheet = QStringLiteral(
+    const QString styleSheet = QStringLiteral(
             "WSearchLineEdit { padding-%1: %2px; }"
-            // With every paintEvent(?) the width of the drop-down button is reset
-            // to default, so we need to re-adjust it.
+            // With every paintEvent(?) the width of the drop-down button
+            // is reset to default, so we need to re-adjust it.
             "WSearchLineEdit::down-arrow,"
             "WSearchLineEdit::drop-down {"
             "subcontrol-origin: padding;"
             "subcontrol-position: %1 center;"
             "width: %3; height: %4;}")
-                                 .arg(clearPos,
-                                         QString::number(paddingPx),
-                                         QString::number(static_cast<int>(m_innerHeight * 0.7)),
-                                         QString::number(m_innerHeight));
+                                       .arg(clearPos,
+                                               QString::number(paddingPx),
+                                               QString::number(dropDownWidth),
+                                               QString::number(m_innerHeight));
     setStyleSheet(styleSheet);
 }