diff --git a/mobile/android/base/AndroidManifest.xml.in b/mobile/android/base/AndroidManifest.xml.in
index 811dc4818dd..6262e27eb7e 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/AndroidManifest.xml.in
+++ b/mobile/android/base/AndroidManifest.xml.in
@@ -228,7 +228,7 @@
         <activity android:name="org.mozilla.gecko.AwesomeBar"
                   android:theme="@style/Gecko.AwesomeBar"
                   android:configChanges="orientation|screenSize"
-                  android:windowSoftInputMode="stateUnspecified|adjustResize"/>
+                  android:windowSoftInputMode="stateAlwaysVisible|adjustResize"/>
 
         <activity android:name="org.mozilla.gecko.GeckoPreferences"
                   android:theme="@style/Gecko.Preferences"
diff --git a/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBar.java b/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBar.java
index f40d0c55d1c..d464a2eb61e 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBar.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBar.java
@@ -121,6 +121,8 @@ public class AwesomeBar extends GeckoActivity
                         mText.setText(text);
                         mText.setSelection(mText.getText().length());
                         mText.requestFocus();
+                        InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
+                        imm.showSoftInput(mText, InputMethodManager.SHOW_IMPLICIT);
                     }
                 });
             }
@@ -144,6 +146,7 @@ public class AwesomeBar extends GeckoActivity
         String currentUrl = intent.getStringExtra(CURRENT_URL_KEY);
         if (currentUrl != null) {
             mText.setText(currentUrl);
+            mText.selectAll();
         }
 
         mTarget = intent.getStringExtra(TARGET_KEY);
@@ -217,8 +220,7 @@ public class AwesomeBar extends GeckoActivity
                     return;
                 }
 
-                InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager)
-                    getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
+                InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
                 try {
                     imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(v.getWindowToken(), 0);
                 } catch (NullPointerException e) {
@@ -469,6 +471,8 @@ public class AwesomeBar extends GeckoActivity
         } else if (keyCode == KeyEvent.KEYCODE_SEARCH) {
              mText.setText("");
              mText.requestFocus();
+             InputMethodManager imm = (InputMethodManager) mText.getContext().getSystemService(Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
+             imm.showSoftInput(mText, InputMethodManager.SHOW_IMPLICIT);
              return true;
         } else {
             int prevSelStart = mText.getSelectionStart();
diff --git a/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBarTabs.java b/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBarTabs.java
index 2782c572890..e433aec9045 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBarTabs.java
+++ b/mobile/android/base/AwesomeBarTabs.java
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ import android.view.LayoutInflater;
 import android.view.MotionEvent;
 import android.view.View;
 import android.view.ViewGroup;
+import android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager;
 import android.widget.TabHost;
 import android.widget.TabWidget;
 
diff --git a/mobile/android/base/resources/layout/awesomebar_search.xml b/mobile/android/base/resources/layout/awesomebar_search.xml
index c80208a44b8..98f3ff64071 100644
--- a/mobile/android/base/resources/layout/awesomebar_search.xml
+++ b/mobile/android/base/resources/layout/awesomebar_search.xml
@@ -41,6 +41,7 @@
           android:singleLine="true"
           android:gravity="center_vertical|left"
           gecko:autoUpdateTheme="false">
+              <requestFocus/>
     </view>
 
     <LinearLayout android:layout_width="4dp"