diff --git a/frontend/src/App.tsx b/frontend/src/App.tsx
index 127844e..0a573e6 100644
--- a/frontend/src/App.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/App.tsx
@@ -260,6 +260,12 @@ export default function App() {
     }
   }, [plexFiltersRaw]);
   const setPlexFilters = (f: PlexFilters) => setPlexFiltersRaw(JSON.stringify(f));
+  // The Plex library search term is its OWN ephemeral state — deliberately NOT the persisted feed
+  // `filters.q`. Sharing that box meant a Plex search leaked into the feed and, being persisted,
+  // greeted you with a stale query (colliding with a persisted collection filter → confusing
+  // "0 matches") after a reload. Kept in App so it survives page switches within a session, but
+  // resets on reload.
+  const [plexQ, setPlexQ] = useState("");
   // Bumped to tell the channel manager to drop a stale column filter when we send the user
   // there to see a specific set (the header's "without full history" link).
   const [channelsFilterReset, setChannelsFilterReset] = useState(0);
@@ -767,6 +773,8 @@ export default function App() {
           me={meQuery.data!}
           filters={filters}
           setFilters={setFilters}
+          plexQ={plexQ}
+          setPlexQ={setPlexQ}
           page={page}
           onYtSearch={enterYtSearch}
         />
@@ -819,8 +827,8 @@ export default function App() {
             />
           ) : page === "plex" && meQuery.data!.plex_enabled ? (
             <PlexBrowse
-              q={filters.q}
-              onClearSearch={() => setFilters({ ...filters, q: "" })}
+              q={plexQ}
+              onClearSearch={() => setPlexQ("")}
               library={plexLib}
               show={plexShowFilter}
               sort={plexSort}
diff --git a/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx b/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
index a5b93a4..2038bbf 100644
--- a/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
+++ b/frontend/src/components/Header.tsx
@@ -12,12 +12,17 @@ export default function Header({
   me,
   filters,
   setFilters,
+  plexQ,
+  setPlexQ,
   page,
   onYtSearch,
 }: {
   me: Me;
   filters: FeedFilters;
   setFilters: (f: FeedFilters) => void;
+  // Plex has its own ephemeral search term (see App) — the box is shared UI, the state is not.
+  plexQ: string;
+  setPlexQ: (q: string) => void;
   page: Page;
   // Trigger a live YouTube search for the current term (hidden for the demo account, which
   // can't spend the shared quota).
@@ -25,11 +30,14 @@ export default function Header({
 }) {
   const { t } = useTranslation();
   const canSearchYt = !me.is_demo;
-  const trimmedQ = filters.q.trim();
   // The search box serves both the YouTube feed and the Plex module (integrated search); the live
-  // YouTube-search escalation (Enter / button) is feed-only.
+  // YouTube-search escalation (Enter / button) is feed-only. On Plex it drives `plexQ`, on the feed
+  // the persisted `filters.q`.
   const isSearchPage = page === "feed" || page === "plex";
+  const isPlex = page === "plex";
   const isYtCapable = page === "feed" && canSearchYt;
+  const searchValue = isPlex ? plexQ : filters.q;
+  const trimmedQ = searchValue.trim();
 
   return (
     <header className="glass h-14 shrink-0 border-b border-border flex items-center gap-3 px-4 z-20">
@@ -38,14 +46,18 @@ export default function Header({
           <div className="flex-1 relative">
             <Search className="w-4 h-4 absolute left-3 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 text-muted" />
             <input
-              value={filters.q}
+              value={searchValue}
               onChange={(e) => {
                 const q = e.target.value;
+                if (isPlex) {
+                  setPlexQ(q);
+                  return;
+                }
                 // When a search first appears, rank the feed by relevance — set atomically with
                 // the query (race-free vs. per-keystroke updates). Only overrides the default
                 // "newest" sort; a custom sort the user chose is left alone. Cleared in Feed.
                 const startSearch =
-                  page === "feed" && !filters.q.trim() && !!q.trim() && filters.sort === "newest";
+                  !filters.q.trim() && !!q.trim() && filters.sort === "newest";
                 setFilters({ ...filters, q, ...(startSearch ? { sort: "relevance" } : {}) });
               }}
               onKeyDown={(e) => {
@@ -56,9 +68,9 @@ export default function Header({
               placeholder={page === "plex" ? t("plex.searchPlaceholder") : t("header.searchPlaceholder")}
               className="w-full bg-card border border-border rounded-full pl-9 pr-9 py-2 text-sm outline-none focus:border-accent"
             />
-            {filters.q && (
+            {searchValue && (
               <button
-                onClick={() => setFilters({ ...filters, q: "" })}
+                onClick={() => (isPlex ? setPlexQ("") : setFilters({ ...filters, q: "" }))}
                 title={t("header.clearSearch")}
                 aria-label={t("header.clearSearch")}
                 className="absolute right-2.5 top-1/2 -translate-y-1/2 p-0.5 rounded-full text-muted hover:text-fg hover:bg-border/60 transition"