diff --git a/toxygen/list_items.py b/toxygen/list_items.py
index 90f7ed9..5a62cb6 100644
--- a/toxygen/list_items.py
+++ b/toxygen/list_items.py
@@ -194,9 +194,26 @@ class MessageItem(QtGui.QWidget):
         tmp = self.message.toHtml()
         strings = re.findall(text, tmp, flags=re.IGNORECASE)
         for s in strings:
-            tmp = tmp.replace(s, '<font color="red">{}</font>'.format(s))
+            tmp = self.replace_all(tmp, s)
         self.message.setHtml(tmp)
 
+    @staticmethod
+    def replace_all(text, substring):
+        i, l = 0, len(substring)
+        while i < len(text) - l + 1:
+            index = text[i:].find(substring)
+            if index == -1:
+                break
+            i += index
+            lgt, rgt = text[i:].find('<'), text[i:].find('>')
+            if rgt < lgt:
+                i += rgt + 1
+                continue
+            sub = '<font color="red">{}</font>'.format(substring)
+            text = text[:i] + sub + text[i + l:]
+            i += len(sub)
+        return text
+
 
 class ContactItem(QtGui.QWidget):
     """
diff --git a/toxygen/mainscreen_widgets.py b/toxygen/mainscreen_widgets.py
index 6ad086c..1910cb7 100644
--- a/toxygen/mainscreen_widgets.py
+++ b/toxygen/mainscreen_widgets.py
@@ -465,6 +465,10 @@ class SearchScreen(QtGui.QWidget):
         self.search_text.setPlaceholderText(QtGui.QApplication.translate("MainWindow", "Search", None,
                                                                          QtGui.QApplication.UnicodeUTF8))
 
+    def show(self):
+        super().show()
+        self.search_text.setFocus()
+
     def search(self):
         Profile.get_instance().update()
         text = self.search_text.text()