diff --git a/static/css/components/header.css b/static/css/components/header.css
index 3ae3ae8a..e4e5a8f4 100644
--- a/static/css/components/header.css
+++ b/static/css/components/header.css
@@ -149,7 +149,7 @@
   width: 100%;
   padding: 0.5rem 0.75rem;
   padding-left: 2.25rem !important;
-  padding-right: 5rem !important;
+  padding-right: 6.75rem !important; /* clear room for options + filter + clear/cue toggles */
   border: none;
   background: transparent;
   color: var(--text-color);
@@ -190,6 +190,81 @@
   right: 2.25rem;
 }
 
+/* Clear button: sit immediately left of the search-options toggle */
+.header-search .search-clear {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 4.25rem; /* 2.25rem (options toggle) + 28px toggle width + 4px gap */
+  top: 50%;
+  transform: translateY(-50%);
+  width: 28px;
+  height: 28px;
+  display: none;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  background: transparent;
+  border: none;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  cursor: pointer;
+  border-radius: var(--border-radius-xs, 4px);
+  padding: 0;
+  line-height: 1;
+  transition: background-color var(--transition-base), color var(--transition-base);
+}
+
+.header-search .search-clear.visible {
+  display: flex;
+}
+
+.header-search .search-clear:hover {
+  background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--text-muted) 15%, transparent);
+  color: var(--lora-accent);
+}
+
+/* Keyboard shortcut cue: shown when search is empty, hidden when typing */
+.header-search .search-shortcut-cue {
+  position: absolute;
+  right: 4.25rem; /* same slot as clear button */
+  top: 50%;
+  transform: translateY(-50%);
+  display: flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  gap: 2px;
+  pointer-events: none;
+  font-family: inherit;
+  font-size: 0.7rem;
+  line-height: 1;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  opacity: 0.7;
+  white-space: nowrap;
+  transition: opacity 0.2s ease;
+}
+
+.header-search .search-shortcut-cue kbd {
+  display: inline-flex;
+  align-items: center;
+  justify-content: center;
+  min-width: 18px;
+  height: 18px;
+  padding: 0 4px;
+  font-family: inherit;
+  font-size: 0.68rem;
+  font-weight: 500;
+  color: var(--text-muted);
+  /* Subtle tint derived from text color so it adapts to both light & dark themes */
+  background: color-mix(in oklch, var(--text-muted) 12%, transparent);
+  border: 1px solid color-mix(in oklch, var(--text-muted) 25%, transparent);
+  border-radius: var(--border-radius-xs, 3px);
+  line-height: 1;
+}
+
+.header-search .search-shortcut-cue.hidden {
+  display: none;
+}
+
+.header-search.disabled .search-shortcut-cue {
+  display: none;
+}
+
 .header-search .search-options-toggle:hover,
 .header-search .search-filter-toggle:hover,
 .header-search .search-filter-toggle:focus-visible {
diff --git a/static/js/managers/SearchManager.js b/static/js/managers/SearchManager.js
index b82e1232..21fd7b08 100644
--- a/static/js/managers/SearchManager.js
+++ b/static/js/managers/SearchManager.js
@@ -27,6 +27,9 @@ export class SearchManager {
       // Create clear button for search input
       this.createClearButton();
       
+      // Keyboard shortcut cue element (static, exists in the HTML)
+      this.searchShortcutCue = document.getElementById('searchShortcutCue');
+      
       this.initEventListeners();
       this.loadSearchPreferences();
       this.setupKeyboardShortcuts();
@@ -163,8 +166,13 @@ export class SearchManager {
     }
     
     updateClearButtonVisibility() {
+      const hasText = this.searchInput.value.length > 0;
       if (this.clearButton) {
-        this.clearButton.classList.toggle('visible', this.searchInput.value.length > 0);
+        this.clearButton.classList.toggle('visible', hasText);
+      }
+      // Toggle the keyboard shortcut cue: visible only when search is empty
+      if (this.searchShortcutCue) {
+        this.searchShortcutCue.classList.toggle('hidden', hasText);
       }
     }
     
diff --git a/templates/components/header.html b/templates/components/header.html
index fa106056..a039bb41 100644
--- a/templates/components/header.html
+++ b/templates/components/header.html
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@
         <input type="text" id="searchInput" placeholder="{{ t(search_placeholder_key) }}" {% if search_disabled %}
           disabled{% endif %} />
         <i class="fas fa-search search-icon"></i>
+        <span class="search-shortcut-cue" id="searchShortcutCue"><kbd>Ctrl</kbd><kbd>F</kbd></span>
         <button class="search-options-toggle" id="searchOptionsToggle" title="{{ t('header.search.options') }}" {% if
           search_disabled %} disabled aria-disabled="true" {% endif %}>
           <i class="fas fa-sliders-h"></i>
diff --git a/tests/frontend/components/pageControls.filtering.test.js b/tests/frontend/components/pageControls.filtering.test.js
index 2409eff6..d4d6cfe4 100644
--- a/tests/frontend/components/pageControls.filtering.test.js
+++ b/tests/frontend/components/pageControls.filtering.test.js
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ function renderControlsDom(pageKey) {
       <div class="search-container">
         <input id="searchInput" />
         <i class="fas fa-search search-icon"></i>
+        <span class="search-shortcut-cue" id="searchShortcutCue"><kbd>Ctrl</kbd><kbd>F</kbd></span>
         <button id="searchOptionsToggle" class="search-options-toggle"></button>
         <button id="filterButton" class="search-filter-toggle">
           <span id="activeFiltersCount" class="filter-badge" style="display: none">0</span>
@@ -215,6 +216,40 @@ describe('SearchManager filtering scenarios', () => {
     expect(loadMoreWithVirtualScrollMock).toHaveBeenCalledWith(true, false);
     expect(loadMoreWithVirtualScrollMock).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1);
   });
+
+  it.each([
+    ['loras'],
+    ['checkpoints'],
+  ])('toggles clear button and shortcut cue visibility for %s page', async (pageKey) => {
+    vi.useFakeTimers();
+
+    renderControlsDom(pageKey);
+    const stateModule = await import('../../../static/js/state/index.js');
+    stateModule.initPageState(pageKey);
+    const { SearchManager } = await import('../../../static/js/managers/SearchManager.js');
+
+    new SearchManager({ page: pageKey, searchDelay: 0 });
+
+    const input = document.getElementById('searchInput');
+    const cue = document.getElementById('searchShortcutCue');
+    const clearBtn = document.querySelector('.search-clear');
+
+    // Initially empty: cue visible, clear hidden
+    expect(cue.classList.contains('hidden')).toBe(false);
+    expect(clearBtn.classList.contains('visible')).toBe(false);
+
+    // Type something: cue hidden, clear visible
+    input.value = 'flux';
+    input.dispatchEvent(new Event('input', { bubbles: true }));
+    expect(cue.classList.contains('hidden')).toBe(true);
+    expect(clearBtn.classList.contains('visible')).toBe(true);
+
+    // Clear via click: cue visible, clear hidden
+    clearBtn.click();
+    expect(input.value).toBe('');
+    expect(cue.classList.contains('hidden')).toBe(false);
+    expect(clearBtn.classList.contains('visible')).toBe(false);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('FilterManager tag and base model filters', () => {