diff --git a/apps/client/src/services/attributes.ts b/apps/client/src/services/attributes.ts
index 91ebbff5c..0b605f5bd 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/services/attributes.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/services/attributes.ts
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ function removeOwnedLabelByName(note: FNote, labelName: string) {
  * @param value the value of the attribute to set.
  */
 export async function setAttribute(note: FNote, type: "label" | "relation", name: string, value: string | null | undefined) {
-    if (value) {
+    if (value !== null && value !== undefined) {
         // Create or update the attribute.
         await server.put(`notes/${note.noteId}/set-attribute`, { type, name, value });
     } else {
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/FormTextArea.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/FormTextArea.tsx
index d15fb879c..354a02b4e 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/FormTextArea.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/FormTextArea.tsx
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import { TextareaHTMLAttributes } from "preact/compat";
+import { RefObject, TextareaHTMLAttributes } from "preact/compat";
 
 interface FormTextAreaProps extends Omit<TextareaHTMLAttributes, "onBlur" | "onChange"> {
     id?: string;
@@ -6,10 +6,12 @@ interface FormTextAreaProps extends Omit<TextareaHTMLAttributes, "onBlur" | "onC
     onChange?(newValue: string): void;
     onBlur?(newValue: string): void;
     rows: number;
+    inputRef?: RefObject<HTMLTextAreaElement>
 }
-export default function FormTextArea({ id, onBlur, onChange, rows, currentValue, className, ...restProps }: FormTextAreaProps) {
+export default function FormTextArea({ inputRef, id, onBlur, onChange, rows, currentValue, className, ...restProps }: FormTextAreaProps) {
     return (
         <textarea
+            ref={inputRef}
             id={id}
             rows={rows}
             className={`form-control ${className ?? ""}`}
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx
index 1ac043f56..2b222fee9 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/react/hooks.tsx
@@ -519,7 +519,8 @@ export function useTooltip(elRef: RefObject<HTMLElement>, config: Partial<Toolti
         if (!elRef?.current) return;
 
         const $el = $(elRef.current);
-        $el.tooltip(config);        
+        $el.tooltip("dispose");
+        $el.tooltip(config);
     }, [ elRef, config ]);
 
     const showTooltip = useCallback(() => {
@@ -527,7 +528,8 @@ export function useTooltip(elRef: RefObject<HTMLElement>, config: Partial<Toolti
 
         const $el = $(elRef.current);
         $el.tooltip("show");
-    }, [ elRef ]);
+        console.log("Show tooltip ", elRef.current);
+    }, [ elRef, config ]);
 
     const hideTooltip = useCallback(() => {
         if (!elRef?.current) return;
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/SearchDefinitionTab.tsx b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/SearchDefinitionTab.tsx
index 73b3cef3b..2f202fe12 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/SearchDefinitionTab.tsx
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/ribbon/SearchDefinitionTab.tsx
@@ -13,9 +13,10 @@ import toast from "../../services/toast";
 import froca from "../../services/froca";
 import { useContext, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "preact/hooks";
 import { ParentComponent } from "../react/react_utils";
-import { useSpacedUpdate, useTriliumEventBeta } from "../react/hooks";
+import { useNoteLabel, useSpacedUpdate, useTooltip, useTriliumEventBeta } from "../react/hooks";
 import appContext from "../../components/app_context";
 import server from "../../services/server";
+import { tooltip } from "leaflet";
 
 interface SearchOption {
   attributeName: string;
@@ -32,6 +33,7 @@ interface SearchOptionProps {
   refreshResults: () => void;
   attributeName: string;
   attributeType: "label" | "relation";
+  error?: { message: string };
 }
 
 const SEARCH_OPTIONS: SearchOption[] = [
@@ -93,6 +95,7 @@ const SEARCH_OPTIONS: SearchOption[] = [
 export default function SearchDefinitionTab({ note, ntxId }: TabContext) {
   const parentComponent = useContext(ParentComponent);
   const [ searchOptions, setSearchOptions ] = useState<{ availableOptions: SearchOption[], activeOptions: SearchOption[] }>();
+  const [ error, setError ] = useState<{ message: string }>();
 
   function refreshOptions() {
     if (!note) return;
@@ -120,9 +123,10 @@ export default function SearchDefinitionTab({ note, ntxId }: TabContext) {
 
     try {
         const result = await froca.loadSearchNote(noteId);
-
-        if (result && result.error) {
-          //this.handleEvent("showSearchError", { error: result.error });
+        if (result?.error) {
+          setError({ message: result?.error})
+        } else {
+          setError(undefined);
         }
     } catch (e: any) {
         toast.showError(e.message);
@@ -147,11 +151,12 @@ export default function SearchDefinitionTab({ note, ntxId }: TabContext) {
             <tr>
               <td className="title-column">{t("search_definition.add_search_option")}</td>
               <td colSpan={2} className="add-search-option">
-                {searchOptions?.availableOptions.map(({ icon, label, tooltip }) => (
+                {searchOptions?.availableOptions.map(({ icon, label, tooltip, attributeName, attributeType }) => (
                   <Button
                     icon={icon}
                     text={label}
                     title={tooltip}
+                    onClick={() => attributes.setAttribute(note, attributeType, attributeName, "")}
                   />
                 ))}
               </td>
@@ -162,7 +167,8 @@ export default function SearchDefinitionTab({ note, ntxId }: TabContext) {
                   attributeName,
                   attributeType,
                   note,
-                  refreshResults
+                  refreshResults,
+                  error
                 });
               })}
             </tbody>
@@ -224,21 +230,39 @@ function SearchOption({ note, title, children, help, attributeName, attributeTyp
   )
 }
 
-function SearchStringOption({ note, refreshResults, ...restProps }: SearchOptionProps) {
-  const currentValue = useRef("");
+function SearchStringOption({ note, refreshResults, error, ...restProps }: SearchOptionProps) {
+  const [ searchString, setSearchString ] = useNoteLabel(note, "searchString");
+  const inputRef = useRef<HTMLTextAreaElement>(null);
+  const currentValue = useRef(searchString ?? "");
   const spacedUpdate = useSpacedUpdate(async () => {
     const searchString = currentValue.current;
     appContext.lastSearchString = searchString;
-
-    await attributes.setAttribute(note, "label", "searchString", searchString);
+    setSearchString(searchString);
 
     if (note.title.startsWith(t("search_string.search_prefix"))) {
       await server.put(`notes/${note.noteId}/title`, {
-          title: `${t("search_string.search_prefix")} ${searchString.length < 30 ? searchString : `${searchString.substr(0, 30)}…`}`
+        title: `${t("search_string.search_prefix")} ${searchString.length < 30 ? searchString : `${searchString.substr(0, 30)}…`}`
       });
     }
   }, 1000);
 
+  // React to errors
+  const { showTooltip, hideTooltip } = useTooltip(inputRef, {
+    trigger: "manual",
+    title: `${t("search_string.error", { error: error?.message })}`,
+    html: true,
+    placement: "bottom"
+  });
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (error) {
+      showTooltip();
+      setTimeout(() => hideTooltip(), 4000);
+    } else {
+      hideTooltip();
+    }
+  }, [ error ]);
+
   return <SearchOption    
     title={t("search_string.title_column")}
     help={<>
@@ -256,8 +280,10 @@ function SearchStringOption({ note, refreshResults, ...restProps }: SearchOption
     note={note} {...restProps}
   >
     <FormTextArea
+      inputRef={inputRef}
       className="search-string"
       placeholder={t("search_string.placeholder")}
+      currentValue={searchString ?? ""}
       onChange={text => {
         currentValue.current = text;
         spacedUpdate.scheduleUpdate();
diff --git a/apps/client/src/widgets/search_options/search_string.ts b/apps/client/src/widgets/search_options/search_string.ts
index fe5dcf57b..a1dec4710 100644
--- a/apps/client/src/widgets/search_options/search_string.ts
+++ b/apps/client/src/widgets/search_options/search_string.ts
@@ -8,38 +8,6 @@ import { Tooltip } from "bootstrap";
 
 export default class SearchString extends AbstractSearchOption {
 
-    private $searchString!: JQuery<HTMLElement>;
-    private spacedUpdate!: SpacedUpdate;
-
-    static async create(noteId: string) {
-        await AbstractSearchOption.setAttribute(noteId, "label", "searchString");
-    }
-
-    doRender() {
-        const $option = $(TPL);
-        this.$searchString = $option.find(".search-string");
-
-        this.spacedUpdate = new SpacedUpdate(async () => {
-
-        }, 1000);
-
-        this.$searchString.val(this.note.getLabelValue("searchString") ?? "");
-
-        return $option;
-    }
-
-    showSearchErrorEvent({ error }: EventData<"showSearchError">) {
-        let tooltip = new Tooltip(this.$searchString[0], {
-            trigger: "manual",
-            title: `${t("search_string.error", { error })}`,
-            placement: "bottom"
-        });
-
-        tooltip.show();
-
-        setTimeout(() => tooltip.dispose(), 4000);
-    }
-
     focusOnSearchDefinitionEvent() {
         this.$searchString
             .val(String(this.$searchString.val()).trim() ?? appContext.lastSearchString)