diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/rundown/placements/FinderPlacement.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/rundown/placements/FinderPlacement.tsx
index 65e72547b..e685d08b4 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/rundown/placements/FinderPlacement.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/rundown/placements/FinderPlacement.tsx
@@ -8,10 +8,8 @@ export default memo(FinderPlacement);
 function FinderPlacement() {
   const [isOpen, handler] = useDisclosure();
 
-  useHotkeys([
-    ['mod + f', handler.toggle, { preventDefault: true }],
-    ['Escape', handler.close, { preventDefault: true }],
-  ]);
+  // the finder handles its own dismissal: Escape is handled by the dialog, mod + f by the search input
+  useHotkeys([['mod + f', handler.toggle, { preventDefault: true }]]);
 
   if (isOpen) {
     return <Finder isOpen={isOpen} onClose={handler.close} />;
diff --git a/apps/client/src/features/rundown/rundown-event/RundownEvent.tsx b/apps/client/src/features/rundown/rundown-event/RundownEvent.tsx
index 2c0428e92..0afbe8bdd 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/features/rundown/rundown-event/RundownEvent.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/features/rundown/rundown-event/RundownEvent.tsx
@@ -312,6 +312,7 @@ export default function RundownEvent({
       onClick={handleFocusClick}
       onContextMenu={onContextMenu}
       data-testid='rundown-event'
+      data-selected={isSelected}
       {...(isPlaying ? { 'data-running': true } : {})}
     >
       <RundownIndicators timeStart={timeStart} delay={delay} gap={gap} isNextDay={isNextDay} />
diff --git a/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/Finder.tsx b/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/Finder.tsx
index a3717b097..744d90027 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/Finder.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/Finder.tsx
@@ -1,11 +1,11 @@
 import { useDebouncedCallback } from '@mantine/hooks';
-import { SupportedEntry } from 'ontime-types';
-import { KeyboardEvent, useState } from 'react';
+import { EntryId, MaybeString, SupportedEntry } from 'ontime-types';
+import { KeyboardEvent, PointerEvent, useEffect, useRef, useState } from 'react';
 
 import Input from '../../../common/components/input/input/Input';
 import Kbd from '../../../common/components/kbd/Kbd';
 import Modal from '../../../common/components/modal/Modal';
-import useFinder from './useFinder';
+import useFinder, { FilterableEntry } from './useFinder';
 
 import style from './Finder.module.scss';
 
@@ -16,43 +16,72 @@ interface FinderProps {
 
 export default function Finder({ isOpen, onClose }: FinderProps) {
   const { find, select, results, error } = useFinder();
-  const [selected, setSelected] = useState(0);
+  const [selectedId, setSelectedId] = useState<MaybeString>(null);
+
+  const activeRef = useRef<HTMLLIElement>(null);
+  const lastPointer = useRef({ x: -1, y: -1 });
 
   const debouncedFind = useDebouncedCallback(find, 100);
 
+  /**
+   * We track the selection by ID so that it survives the result list changing under us:
+   * an entry that no longer exists falls back to the first result instead of dangling past the end
+   */
+  const activeIndex = Math.max(
+    0,
+    results.findIndex((entry) => entry.id === selectedId),
+  );
+  const activeEntry = results.at(activeIndex);
+
+  /** keep the highlighted entry in view while navigating with the keyboard */
+  useEffect(() => {
+    activeRef.current?.scrollIntoView({ block: 'nearest' });
+  }, [activeEntry?.id]);
+
   const navigate = (event: KeyboardEvent<HTMLDivElement>) => {
+    /**
+     * Mantine ignores hotkeys while an input is focused, so the global toggle
+     * cannot close the finder once the user is typing
+     */
+    if ((event.metaKey || event.ctrlKey) && event.key === 'f') {
+      event.preventDefault();
+      onClose();
+      return;
+    }
+
     // all operations need results
     if (results.length === 0) {
       return;
     }
     if (event.key === 'ArrowDown') {
-      setSelected((prev) => (prev + 1) % results.length);
+      setSelectedId(results[(activeIndex + 1) % results.length].id);
     }
     if (event.key === 'ArrowUp') {
-      setSelected((prev) => (prev - 1 + results.length) % results.length);
+      setSelectedId(results[(activeIndex - 1 + results.length) % results.length].id);
     }
     if (event.key === 'Enter') {
       event.preventDefault();
       event.stopPropagation();
-      submit();
+      submit(activeEntry);
     }
   };
 
-  const submit = () => {
-    const selectedEvent = results[selected];
-    select(selectedEvent);
+  const submit = (entry: FilterableEntry | undefined) => {
+    if (!entry) {
+      return;
+    }
+    select(entry);
     onClose();
   };
 
-  const handleMouseMoveEvent = (event: React.MouseEvent<HTMLUListElement>) => {
-    const target = event.target as HTMLElement;
-    const li = target.closest('li');
-    if (li) {
-      const index = Number(li.dataset.index);
-      if (!isNaN(index)) {
-        setSelected(index);
-      }
+  const handlePointerMove = (event: PointerEvent<HTMLLIElement>, id: EntryId) => {
+    // scrolling the list under a stationary cursor also fires a move event, which would
+    // pull the selection away from wherever the keyboard navigation left it
+    if (event.clientX === lastPointer.current.x && event.clientY === lastPointer.current.y) {
+      return;
     }
+    lastPointer.current = { x: event.clientX, y: event.clientY };
+    setSelectedId(id);
   };
 
   return (
@@ -64,22 +93,24 @@ export default function Finder({ isOpen, onClose }: FinderProps) {
       bodyElements={
         <div onKeyDown={navigate}>
           <Input height='large' fluid onChange={debouncedFind} placeholder='Search...' />
-          <ul className={style.scrollContainer} onMouseMove={handleMouseMoveEvent}>
+          <ul className={style.scrollContainer}>
             {error && <li className={style.error}>{error}</li>}
             {results.length === 0 && <li className={style.empty}>No results</li>}
             {results.length > 0 &&
-              results.map((entry, index) => {
-                const isSelected = selected === index;
+              results.map((entry) => {
+                const isSelected = activeEntry?.id === entry.id;
                 const displayIndex = entry.type === SupportedEntry.Event ? entry.eventIndex : '-';
                 const displayCue = 'cue' in entry ? entry.cue : '';
 
                 return (
                   <li
                     key={entry.id}
+                    ref={isSelected ? activeRef : undefined}
                     className={style.entry}
+                    data-testid='finder-result'
                     data-selected={isSelected}
-                    data-index={index}
-                    onClick={submit}
+                    onClick={() => submit(entry)}
+                    onPointerMove={(event) => handlePointerMove(event, entry.id)}
                   >
                     <div className={style.data}>
                       <div className={style.index} style={{ '--color': entry.colour }}>
diff --git a/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/useFinder.tsx b/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/useFinder.tsx
index fdfda8a2f..0ee047bff 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/useFinder.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/views/editor/finder/useFinder.tsx
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ type FilterableMilestone = {
   parent: MaybeString;
 };
 
-type FilterableEntry = FilterableGroup | FilterableEvent | FilterableMilestone;
+export type FilterableEntry = FilterableGroup | FilterableEvent | FilterableMilestone;
 
 export default function useFinder() {
   const { data, rundownId } = useFlatRundown();
@@ -90,10 +90,6 @@ export default function useFinder() {
           return { results: [], error: 'Invalid index' };
         }
 
-        if (searchIndex > data.length) {
-          return { results: [], error: null };
-        }
-
         // indexes exposed to the UI are 1-based
         let eventIndex = 1;
         const results: FilterableEvent[] = [];
diff --git a/e2e/tests/features/209-rundown-shortcuts.spec.ts b/e2e/tests/features/209-rundown-shortcuts.spec.ts
index 32c38d794..f701b2a3f 100644
--- a/e2e/tests/features/209-rundown-shortcuts.spec.ts
+++ b/e2e/tests/features/209-rundown-shortcuts.spec.ts
@@ -233,6 +233,92 @@ test('Find in rundown', async ({ page }) => {
   await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search...')).toBeHidden();
 });
 
+test('Close finder with the search shortcut', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto('/rundown');
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('panel-rundown')).toBeVisible();
+
+  await page.keyboard.press('ControlOrMeta+f');
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search...')).toBeVisible();
+
+  // the shortcut has to close the finder while the caret is in the search field
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').press('ControlOrMeta+f');
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search...')).toBeHidden();
+});
+
+test('Finder navigates to the clicked result', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto('/rundown');
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Edit' }).click();
+
+  // clear rundown
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Rundown menu' }).click();
+  await page.getByRole('menuitem', { name: 'Clear all' }).click();
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Delete all' }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(0);
+
+  // create three events which all match the same search
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create Event' }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(1);
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Event' }).nth(4).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(2);
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Event', exact: true }).nth(1).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(3);
+
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-1').getByTestId('entry__title').fill('finder one');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-1').getByTestId('entry__title').press('Enter');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-2').getByTestId('entry__title').fill('finder two');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-2').getByTestId('entry__title').press('Enter');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-3').getByTestId('entry__title').fill('finder three');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-3').getByTestId('entry__title').press('Enter');
+
+  await page.keyboard.press('ControlOrMeta+f');
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').fill('finder');
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('finder-result')).toHaveCount(3);
+
+  /**
+   * Dispatch the click without moving the pointer first, which is what a touch device does.
+   * The finder used to submit whichever row was highlighted rather than the one being clicked.
+   */
+  await page.getByTestId('finder-result').nth(2).dispatchEvent('click');
+
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search...')).toBeHidden();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('entry-3').getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveAttribute('data-selected', 'true');
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('entry-1').getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveAttribute('data-selected', 'false');
+});
+
+test('Finder navigates to the result picked with the keyboard', async ({ page }) => {
+  await page.goto('/rundown');
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Edit' }).click();
+
+  // clear rundown
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Rundown menu' }).click();
+  await page.getByRole('menuitem', { name: 'Clear all' }).click();
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Delete all' }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(0);
+
+  // create two events which both match the same search
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Create Event' }).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(1);
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-1').getByTestId('entry__title').fill('finder one');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-1').getByTestId('entry__title').press('Enter');
+
+  await page.getByRole('button', { name: 'Event' }).nth(4).click();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveCount(2);
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-2').getByTestId('entry__title').fill('finder two');
+  await page.getByTestId('entry-2').getByTestId('entry__title').press('Enter');
+
+  await page.keyboard.press('ControlOrMeta+f');
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').fill('finder');
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('finder-result')).toHaveCount(2);
+
+  // the first result is highlighted on open, so one step down lands on the second
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').press('ArrowDown');
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('finder-result').nth(1)).toHaveAttribute('data-selected', 'true');
+
+  await page.getByPlaceholder('Search...').press('Enter');
+  await expect(page.getByPlaceholder('Search...')).toBeHidden();
+  await expect(page.getByTestId('entry-2').getByTestId('rundown-event')).toHaveAttribute('data-selected', 'true');
+});
+
 test('Open settings', async ({ page }) => {
   await page.goto('/editor');
   await expect(page.getByTestId('editor-container')).toBeVisible();