diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/filtering_menu_action.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/filtering_menu_action.go
index 7ae26c4ef..0bd7ca902 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/filtering_menu_action.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/filtering_menu_action.go
@@ -3,7 +3,6 @@ package controllers
 import (
 	"fmt"
 
-	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers"
 	"github.com/jesseduffield/lazygit/pkg/gui/types"
 )
 
@@ -42,7 +41,7 @@ func (self *FilteringMenuAction) Call() error {
 		menuItems = append(menuItems, &types.MenuItem{
 			Label: fmt.Sprintf("%s '%s'", self.c.Tr.FilterBy, fileName),
 			OnPress: func() error {
-				return self.setFilteringPath(fileName)
+				return self.c.Helpers().Mode.SetFilteringPath(fileName)
 			},
 			Tooltip: tooltip,
 		})
@@ -52,7 +51,7 @@ func (self *FilteringMenuAction) Call() error {
 		menuItems = append(menuItems, &types.MenuItem{
 			Label: fmt.Sprintf("%s '%s'", self.c.Tr.FilterBy, author),
 			OnPress: func() error {
-				return self.setFilteringAuthor(author)
+				return self.c.Helpers().Mode.SetFilteringAuthor(author)
 			},
 			Tooltip: tooltip,
 		})
@@ -65,7 +64,7 @@ func (self *FilteringMenuAction) Call() error {
 				FindSuggestionsFunc: self.c.Helpers().Suggestions.GetFilePathSuggestionsFunc(),
 				Title:               self.c.Tr.EnterFileName,
 				HandleConfirm: func(response string) error {
-					return self.setFilteringPath(response)
+					return self.c.Helpers().Mode.SetFilteringPath(response)
 				},
 			})
 
@@ -81,7 +80,7 @@ func (self *FilteringMenuAction) Call() error {
 				FindSuggestionsFunc: self.c.Helpers().Suggestions.GetAuthorsSuggestionsFunc(),
 				Title:               self.c.Tr.EnterAuthor,
 				HandleConfirm: func(response string) error {
-					return self.setFilteringAuthor(response)
+					return self.c.Helpers().Mode.SetFilteringAuthor(response)
 				},
 			})
 
@@ -99,34 +98,3 @@ func (self *FilteringMenuAction) Call() error {
 
 	return self.c.Menu(types.CreateMenuOptions{Title: self.c.Tr.FilteringMenuTitle, Items: menuItems})
 }
-
-func (self *FilteringMenuAction) setFilteringPath(path string) error {
-	self.c.Modes().Filtering.Reset()
-	self.c.Modes().Filtering.SetPath(path)
-	return self.setFiltering()
-}
-
-func (self *FilteringMenuAction) setFilteringAuthor(author string) error {
-	self.c.Modes().Filtering.Reset()
-	self.c.Modes().Filtering.SetAuthor(author)
-	return self.setFiltering()
-}
-
-func (self *FilteringMenuAction) setFiltering() error {
-	self.c.Modes().Filtering.SetSelectedCommitHash(self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.GetSelectedCommitHash())
-
-	repoState := self.c.State().GetRepoState()
-	if repoState.GetScreenMode() == types.SCREEN_NORMAL {
-		repoState.SetScreenMode(types.SCREEN_HALF)
-	}
-
-	self.c.Context().Push(self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits, types.OnFocusOpts{})
-
-	self.c.Refresh(types.RefreshOptions{Scope: helpers.ScopesToRefreshWhenFilteringModeChanges(), Then: func() error {
-		self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.SetSelection(0)
-		self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.HandleFocus(types.OnFocusOpts{})
-		return nil
-	}})
-
-	return nil
-}
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/mode_helper.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/mode_helper.go
index 50f35341b..8b88205e0 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/mode_helper.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/helpers/mode_helper.go
@@ -182,16 +182,40 @@ func (self *ModeHelper) ExitFilterMode() error {
 	return self.ClearFiltering()
 }
 
+func (self *ModeHelper) SetFilteringPath(path string) error {
+	return self.setFiltering(func() {
+		self.c.Modes().Filtering.SetPath(path)
+	})
+}
+
+func (self *ModeHelper) SetFilteringAuthor(author string) error {
+	return self.setFiltering(func() {
+		self.c.Modes().Filtering.SetAuthor(author)
+	})
+}
+
+func (self *ModeHelper) setFiltering(setFilter func()) error {
+	self.changeFiltering(
+		func() {
+			// Whatever we were filtering by before is replaced, not added to
+			self.c.Modes().Filtering.Reset()
+			setFilter()
+			self.c.Modes().Filtering.SetSelectedCommitHash(
+				self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.GetSelectedCommitHash())
+		},
+		func() {
+			self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.SetSelection(0)
+		},
+	)
+	return nil
+}
+
 func (self *ModeHelper) ClearFiltering() error {
 	selectedCommitHash := self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.GetSelectedCommitHash()
-	self.c.Modes().Filtering.Reset()
-	if self.c.State().GetRepoState().GetScreenMode() == types.SCREEN_HALF {
-		self.c.State().GetRepoState().SetScreenMode(types.SCREEN_NORMAL)
-	}
 
-	self.c.Refresh(types.RefreshOptions{
-		Scope: ScopesToRefreshWhenFilteringModeChanges(),
-		Then: func() error {
+	self.changeFiltering(
+		self.c.Modes().Filtering.Reset,
+		func() {
 			// Find the commit that was last selected in filtering mode, and select it again after refreshing
 			if !self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.SelectCommitByHash(selectedCommitHash) {
 				// If we couldn't find it (either because no commit was selected
@@ -200,12 +224,36 @@ func (self *ModeHelper) ClearFiltering() error {
 				// before we entered filtering
 				self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits.SelectCommitByHash(self.c.Modes().Filtering.GetSelectedCommitHash())
 			}
+		},
+	)
+	return nil
+}
 
+// changeFiltering applies a change to the filtering mode: setFilter mutates the
+// mode, then the screen mode and the focused panel are brought in line with it,
+// the views whose contents depend on the filter are reloaded, and selectCommit
+// puts the selection where it belongs in the reloaded commit list.
+func (self *ModeHelper) changeFiltering(setFilter func(), selectCommit func()) {
+	setFilter()
+
+	repoState := self.c.State().GetRepoState()
+	if self.c.Modes().Filtering.Active() {
+		if repoState.GetScreenMode() == types.SCREEN_NORMAL {
+			repoState.SetScreenMode(types.SCREEN_HALF)
+		}
+		self.c.Context().Push(self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits, types.OnFocusOpts{})
+	} else if repoState.GetScreenMode() == types.SCREEN_HALF {
+		repoState.SetScreenMode(types.SCREEN_NORMAL)
+	}
+
+	self.c.Refresh(types.RefreshOptions{
+		Scope: ScopesToRefreshWhenFilteringModeChanges(),
+		Then: func() error {
+			selectCommit()
 			self.c.PostRefreshUpdate(self.c.Contexts().LocalCommits)
 			return nil
 		},
 	})
-	return nil
 }
 
 // Stashes really only need to be refreshed when filtering by path, not by author, but it's too much