diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/FindAndReplace.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/FindAndReplace.cpp
index 96fcd588bd..2b8e2974f6 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/FindAndReplace.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/FindAndReplace.cpp
@@ -69,6 +69,10 @@ FindAndReplaceWidget::FindAndReplaceWidget(GuiView & view)
 	replace_work_area_->stopBlinkingCaret();
 	old_buffer_ = view_.documentBufferView() ? 
 	    &(view_.documentBufferView()->buffer()) : 0;
+
+	// align items on top
+	cbVerticalLayout->setAlignment(Qt::AlignTop);
+	pbVerticalLayout->setAlignment(Qt::AlignTop);
 }
 
 
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiSearch.cpp b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiSearch.cpp
index 02678fae60..4e0c354fc6 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/GuiSearch.cpp
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/GuiSearch.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,9 @@ GuiSearch::GuiSearch(GuiView & lv)
 	// fix height to minimum
 	setFixedHeight(sizeHint().height());
 
+	// align items in grid on top
+	mainGridLayout->setAlignment(Qt::AlignTop);
+
 	connect(buttonBox, SIGNAL(clicked(QAbstractButton *)),
 		this, SLOT(slotButtonBox(QAbstractButton *)));
 	connect(findPB, SIGNAL(clicked()), this, SLOT(findClicked()));
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/FindAndReplaceUi.ui b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/FindAndReplaceUi.ui
index e6d3b32784..22f45e37f5 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/FindAndReplaceUi.ui
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/FindAndReplaceUi.ui
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
     <width>283</width>
-    <height>423</height>
+    <height>359</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@
          </spacer>
         </item>
         <item>
-         <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_3">
+         <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="cbVerticalLayout">
           <item>
            <widget class="QCheckBox" name="searchbackCB">
             <property name="toolTip">
@@ -134,23 +134,10 @@
             </property>
            </widget>
           </item>
-          <item>
-           <spacer name="verticalSpacer_5">
-            <property name="orientation">
-             <enum>Qt::Vertical</enum>
-            </property>
-            <property name="sizeHint" stdset="0">
-             <size>
-              <width>20</width>
-              <height>40</height>
-             </size>
-            </property>
-           </spacer>
-          </item>
          </layout>
         </item>
         <item>
-         <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="verticalLayout_2">
+         <layout class="QVBoxLayout" name="pbVerticalLayout">
           <item>
            <widget class="QPushButton" name="findNextPB">
             <property name="enabled">
diff --git a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/SearchUi.ui b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/SearchUi.ui
index d4bd85ea59..8a94abb0ed 100644
--- a/src/frontends/qt4/ui/SearchUi.ui
+++ b/src/frontends/qt4/ui/SearchUi.ui
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   </property>
   <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_3">
    <item row="0" column="0">
-    <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout_2">
+    <layout class="QGridLayout" name="mainGridLayout">
      <item row="0" column="0" rowspan="2">
       <layout class="QGridLayout" name="gridLayout">
        <item row="0" column="0">