diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
index f1ce40eb5..a066c29b5 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/js/core.js
@@ -116,9 +116,15 @@ $(function(){
             clearTimeout($.data(this, 'timer'));
             var wait = setTimeout(search, 200);
             $(this).data('timer', wait);
-        });   
+        });  
+
+        // auto focus on search box
+        $(window.headerSearch.termInput).trigger('focus'); 
 
         function search () {
+            var workingClasses = "working icon icon-spinner"
+
+            $(window.headerSearch.termInput).parent().addClass(workingClasses); 
             search_next_index++;
             var index = search_next_index;
             $.ajax({
@@ -130,6 +136,9 @@ $(function(){
                         $(window.headerSearch.targetOutput).html(data);
                     }
                 },
+                complete: function(){
+                    $(window.headerSearch.termInput).parent().removeClass(workingClasses); 
+                }
             });
         };
     }
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/forms.scss b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/forms.scss
index a44241700..b9e63cb98 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/forms.scss
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/forms.scss
@@ -588,15 +588,29 @@ ul.tagit li.tagit-choice-editable{
                 background-color:white;
             }
         }
-        .field:before{
-            position:absolute;
-            left:0.5em;
-            top:1em;
+        .field:before, .field:after{
             font-family:wagtail;
-            content:"f";
+            position:absolute;
+            top:1em;
             font-size:25px;
+            
+        }
+        .field:before{
+            left:0.5em;
+            content:"f";
             color:$color-grey-3;
         }
+        .field:after{
+            color:$color-teal;
+            opacity:0.8;
+            font-size:20px;
+            width:20px;
+            height:20px;
+            line-height:23px;
+            text-align:center;
+            top:0.3em;
+            right:0.5em;
+        }
     }
     .submit{
         display:none;
@@ -644,6 +658,13 @@ ul.tagit li.tagit-choice-editable{
     }
 }
 
+/* mozilla specific hack */
+@-moz-document url-prefix() { 
+    .search-bar .fields .field:after{
+        line-height:20px;
+    }
+}
+
 /* Transitions */
 fieldset, input, textarea, select{
     @include transition(background-color 0.2s ease);
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/icons.scss b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/icons.scss
index 2a5c8be72..314b6e416 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/icons.scss
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/components/icons.scss
@@ -228,6 +228,13 @@
 .icon-bin:before{
     content:"Z";
 }
+.icon-spinner:after{
+    width:1em;
+    animation: spin 1s infinite;
+    -webkit-animation: spin 1s infinite;
+    -moz-animation: spin 1s infinite;
+    content:"1";
+}
 
 .icon.text-replace{
     font-size:0em;
@@ -242,4 +249,30 @@
         text-align:center;
         vertical-align:0;
     }
+}
+
+@keyframes spin {
+    from {
+        transform: rotate(0deg);
+    }
+    to {
+        transform: rotate(360deg);
+    }
+}
+
+@-webkit-keyframes spin {
+    from {
+        -webkit-transform: rotate(0deg);
+    }
+    to {
+        -webkit-transform: rotate(360deg);
+    }
+}
+@-moz-keyframes spin {
+    from {
+        -moz-transform: rotate(0deg);
+    }
+    to {
+        -moz-transform: rotate(360deg);
+    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/core.scss b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/core.scss
index 97a727799..0d1880d16 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/core.scss
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/core.scss
@@ -423,7 +423,6 @@ header{
             float:none;
         }
     }
-
         .search-bar input{
            @include border-radius(3px);
             width:auto;
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.eot b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.eot
index f6d4d3e25..74995d289 100644
Binary files a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.eot and b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.eot differ
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.svg b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.svg
index 8e1ece714..755eeebc9 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.svg
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.svg
@@ -60,4 +60,5 @@
 <glyph unicode="&#90;" d="M201 302l0-165c0-3-1-5-2-6c-2-2-4-3-7-3l-18 0c-3 0-5 1-7 3c-2 1-2 3-2 6l0 165c0 2 0 5 2 6c2 2 4 3 7 3l18 0c3 0 5-1 7-3c1-1 2-4 2-6z m73 0l0-165c0-3-1-5-2-6c-2-2-4-3-7-3l-18 0c-3 0-5 1-7 3c-1 1-2 3-2 6l0 165c0 2 1 5 2 6c2 2 4 3 7 3l18 0c3 0 5-1 7-3c1-1 2-4 2-6z m73 0l0-165c0-3 0-5-2-6c-2-2-4-3-7-3l-18 0c-3 0-5 1-7 3c-1 1-2 3-2 6l0 165c0 2 1 5 2 6c2 2 4 3 7 3l18 0c3 0 5-1 7-3c2-1 2-4 2-6z m37-207l0 271l-256 0l0-271c0-4 1-8 2-12c1-3 3-6 4-7c2-2 3-3 3-3l238 0c0 0 1 1 3 3c1 1 3 4 4 7c1 4 2 8 2 12z m-192 307l128 0l-14 34c-1 1-3 2-5 3l-90 0c-2-1-4-2-5-3z m265-9l0-18c0-3-1-5-2-7c-2-1-4-2-7-2l-27 0l0-271c0-16-5-30-14-41c-9-12-20-17-32-17l-238 0c-12 0-23 5-32 16c-9 11-14 25-14 41l0 272l-27 0c-3 0-5 1-7 2c-1 2-2 4-2 7l0 18c0 3 1 5 2 7c2 1 4 2 7 2l88 0l20 48c3 7 8 13 16 18c7 5 15 7 22 7l92 0c7 0 15-2 22-7c8-5 13-11 16-18l20-48l88 0c3 0 5-1 7-2c1-2 2-4 2-7z"/>
 <glyph unicode="&#86;" d="M370 400c0-4-3-8-8-8c-4 0-8 4-8 8c0 5 4 8 8 8c5 0 8-3 8-8m3-76c0 0-11 50-77 37c-6 23-5 40 9 55c20 21 52 10 52 10l0 17c-11 5-22 6-33 6c-43 0-67-32-77-54l-119-219l34 6l-62-119l43 8l33 93c93 0 213 34 197 160m40 42l-26 26l-21-26z m-222-175c0 0 4 1 9 2c5 2 13 3 22 6c5 1 10 3 15 4c5 2 11 4 16 6c6 3 11 5 16 8c6 3 11 7 16 10c1 1 3 2 4 3l3 3c3 3 5 5 7 7c2 2 4 5 6 7c1 1 2 2 3 4l1 2l1 1c1 2 2 3 2 4c1 1 2 3 2 4c1 1 1 1 1 2c1 0 1 1 1 2c1 1 1 2 2 3c1 3 2 5 3 8c0 2 1 4 2 7c0 2 1 4 1 6c0 2 1 4 1 6c0 2 1 4 1 6c0 1 0 3 0 4c0 5 1 9 1 9l5-1c0 0-1-3-1-8c0-2-1-3-1-5c0-2 0-4-1-5c0-2 0-4-1-7c0-2-1-4-1-6c-1-3-2-5-3-8c-1-2-2-5-3-7c0-1-1-3-2-4c0-1 0-1-1-2c0-1 0-1-1-2c0-1-1-2-2-4c-1-1-1-2-2-3c-1-1-1-2-1-2l-2-2c-1-1-2-3-3-4c-2-2-4-5-6-7c-2-2-4-4-7-7l-3-3c-2-1-3-1-4-2c-6-4-11-8-17-11c-5-2-11-5-16-7c-6-2-11-4-17-6c-5-1-10-3-15-4c-9-2-17-4-22-5c-5-1-9-2-9-2"/>
 <glyph unicode="&#48;" d="M346 321c0-2 0-4 0-6c0-2-1-4-1-7c0-2-1-5-1-7c-1-3-2-6-2-9c-1-3-2-6-3-9c-1-3-2-6-3-10c-1-1-2-3-2-4c-1-1-1-2-1-3c-1-1-1-1-2-2c-1-2-1-3-2-5c-1-2-2-3-3-5l-2-2l-1-3c-1-1-2-3-4-4c-2-3-4-7-7-9c-3-3-6-6-9-9l-4-4c-2-1-3-2-5-4c-6-5-13-9-20-13c-7-4-14-7-21-10c-7-3-14-6-21-8c-6-2-12-4-18-6c-12-3-22-5-29-7c-7-2-11-2-11-2c0 0 4 0 11 2c7 1 17 3 29 6c6 2 12 3 19 5c7 2 14 5 21 8c7 3 14 6 21 10c7 3 14 8 21 13c2 1 3 2 5 3l5 4c3 3 6 6 8 9c3 3 6 6 8 9c2 2 3 3 4 5l2 2c0 1 1 2 1 3c1 1 2 3 4 5c0 1 1 3 2 5c1 0 1 1 2 2c0 1 0 2 1 3c1 1 1 3 2 5c2 3 3 6 4 9c1 4 2 7 3 10c1 3 1 6 2 8c1 3 1 6 2 8c0 3 0 5 1 7c0 3 0 5 0 6c1 8 1 12 1 12l-6 0c0 0 0-4-1-11m112 80l-34 33c-1 33-22 55-32 61c-10 9-33 16-59 13c-25-4-61-17-86-64c-49-92-154-289-155-291c-1 0-1-1 0-1c0-1 1-1 1-1l40 7l-78-151c0-1 0-1 1-2c0 0 0 0 1 0c0 0 0 0 0 0l56 10c0 0 1 0 1 1l41 120c105 1 178 26 218 77c42 54 36 122 29 154l-5 31l60 0c0 0 1 0 1 1c1 0 0 1 0 2m-55 42c0-5-5-10-10-10c-6 0-10 5-10 10c0 6 4 11 10 11c5 0 10-5 10-11m-33-228c-40-50-112-75-216-75c-1 0-1-1-1-2l-42-120l-51-9l78 151c0 1 0 1 0 2c-1 0-1 1-2 1l-40-8c14 26 109 202 154 287c25 46 59 59 83 62c25 3 46-3 56-10l0-22c-2 0-16 5-29 5c-13 0-28-5-37-15c-16-18-20-36-12-66c54 10 78-13 87-27c7-30 15-99-28-154m29 186l23 30l30-30z"/>
+<glyph unicode="&#49;" d="M75 75c-48 48-75 113-75 181c0 141 115 256 256 256l32-32l-32-32c-106 0-192-86-192-192c0-51 20-100 56-136l-39-5z m181-75l-32 32l32 32c106 0 192 86 192 192c0 51-20 100-56 136l39 5l6 40c48-48 75-113 75-181c0-141-115-256-256-256z"/>
 </font></defs></svg>
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.ttf b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.ttf
index d3ba6a525..c48e6bc6b 100644
Binary files a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.ttf and b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.ttf differ
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.woff b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.woff
index b53396b99..20d95763a 100644
Binary files a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.woff and b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/static/wagtailadmin/scss/fonts/wagtail.woff differ
diff --git a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/header.html b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/header.html
index 32e1a06f4..b04017a3c 100644
--- a/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/header.html
+++ b/wagtail/wagtailadmin/templates/wagtailadmin/shared/header.html
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@
                         {% for field in search_form %}
                             {% include "wagtailadmin/shared/field_as_li.html" with field=field %}
                         {% endfor %}
-                        <li class="submit"><input type="submit" value="Search" /></li>
+                        <li class="submit icon icon-search"><input type="submit" value="Search" /></li>
                     </ul>
                 </form>
             {% endif %}