Index: trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchAction.java
===================================================================
--- trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchAction.java	(revision 3683)
+++ trunk/src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchAction.java	(revision 3684)
@@ -2,4 +2,5 @@
 package org.openstreetmap.josm.actions.search;
 
+import java.awt.Dimension;
 import static org.openstreetmap.josm.gui.help.HelpUtil.ht;
 import static org.openstreetmap.josm.tools.I18n.tr;
@@ -147,4 +148,5 @@
         Collections.reverse(searchExpressionHistory);
         hcbSearchString.setPossibleItems(searchExpressionHistory);
+        hcbSearchString.setPreferredSize(new Dimension(40, hcbSearchString.getPreferredSize().height));
 
         JRadioButton replace = new JRadioButton(tr("replace selection"), initialValues.mode == SearchMode.replace);