diff --git a/pkg/gui/context.go b/pkg/gui/context.go
index 1adfec35c..cd959274c 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context.go
@@ -179,11 +179,12 @@ func (self *ContextMgr) Activate(c types.Context, opts types.OnFocusOpts) {
 	self.gui.helpers.Window.SetWindowContext(c)
 
 	self.gui.helpers.Window.MoveToTopOfWindow(c)
+	inputViewName := c.GetInputViewName()
 	oldView := self.gui.c.GocuiGui().CurrentView()
-	if oldView != nil && oldView.Name() != viewName {
+	if oldView != nil && oldView.Name() != inputViewName {
 		oldView.HighlightInactive = true
 	}
-	if _, err := self.gui.c.GocuiGui().SetCurrentView(viewName); err != nil {
+	if _, err := self.gui.c.GocuiGui().SetCurrentView(inputViewName); err != nil {
 		panic(err)
 	}
 
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/base_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/base_context.go
index 67b4654a6..51d2473c3 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/base_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/base_context.go
@@ -102,6 +102,10 @@ func (self *BaseContext) GetViewName() string {
 	return self.view.Name()
 }
 
+func (self *BaseContext) GetInputViewName() string {
+	return self.GetViewName()
+}
+
 func (self *BaseContext) GetView() *gocui.View {
 	return self.view
 }
diff --git a/pkg/gui/context/menu_context.go b/pkg/gui/context/menu_context.go
index 4b393169d..63439bc67 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/context/menu_context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/context/menu_context.go
@@ -159,6 +159,9 @@ func (self *MenuViewModel) FilterAsYouType() bool {
 // Whether the user has started to filter, which is when the filter row appears.
 func (self *MenuViewModel) SetFilterStarted(value bool) {
 	self.filterStarted = value
+	// As long as there is nothing to type into, printable keys keep driving the
+	// menu, so that the configured navigation keys work like in any other menu.
+	self.c.Views().MenuFilter.KeybindOnEdit = !value
 }
 
 func (self *MenuViewModel) FilterStarted() bool {
@@ -242,6 +245,16 @@ func (self *MenuViewModel) GetNonModelItems() []*NonModelItem {
 
 func (self *MenuContext) GetKeybindings(opts types.KeybindingsOpts) []*types.Binding {
 	basicBindings := self.ListContextTrait.GetKeybindings(opts)
+
+	if self.filterAsYouType {
+		// A menu item's keys are shown as a reminder of what they do outside the
+		// menu, but pressing one types it into the filter rather than executing the
+		// item, so we don't bind them at all. That leaves the bindings that drive
+		// the menu itself, and the printable ones among those give way to the filter
+		// as soon as there is something to type into (see View.KeybindOnEdit).
+		return basicBindings
+	}
+
 	menuItemsWithKeys := lo.Filter(self.menuItems, func(item *types.MenuItem, _ int) bool {
 		return len(item.Keys) > 0
 	})
@@ -300,6 +313,17 @@ func (self *MenuContext) RangeSelectEnabled() bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// A menu that filters as you type points the keyboard at its filter input, so
+// that whatever the user types ends up there. Keys that the input doesn't take
+// still reach the menu, because the input view is embedded in the menu view.
+func (self *MenuContext) GetInputViewName() string {
+	if self.filterAsYouType {
+		return self.c.Views().MenuFilter.Name()
+	}
+
+	return self.GetViewName()
+}
+
 func (self *MenuContext) FilterPrefix(tr *i18n.TranslationSet) string {
 	if self.allowFilteringKeybindings {
 		return tr.FilterPrefixMenu
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/filter_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/filter_controller.go
index b428c178a..830a5bbc6 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/filter_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/filter_controller.go
@@ -33,7 +33,17 @@ func (self *FilterController) Context() types.Context {
 	return self.context
 }
 
+// A context that filters as the user types has an input field of its own, so it
+// has no use for the filter prompt.
+type contextThatFiltersAsYouType interface {
+	FilterAsYouType() bool
+}
+
 func (self *FilterController) GetKeybindings(opts types.KeybindingsOpts) []*types.Binding {
+	if context, ok := self.context.(contextThatFiltersAsYouType); ok && context.FilterAsYouType() {
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	return []*types.Binding{
 		{
 			Keys:        opts.GetKeys(opts.Config.Universal.StartSearch),
diff --git a/pkg/gui/controllers/menu_controller.go b/pkg/gui/controllers/menu_controller.go
index 283c2bbdf..9966d6c68 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/controllers/menu_controller.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/controllers/menu_controller.go
@@ -73,6 +73,11 @@ func (self *MenuController) press(selectedItem *types.MenuItem) error {
 }
 
 func (self *MenuController) close() error {
+	if self.context().FilterStarted() {
+		self.stopFiltering()
+		return nil
+	}
+
 	if self.context().IsFiltering() {
 		self.c.Helpers().Search.Cancel()
 		return nil
@@ -81,6 +86,17 @@ func (self *MenuController) close() error {
 	return self.context().OnMenuPress(nil)
 }
 
+// Hides the filter row again and puts the menu back the way it was, keeping the
+// item that was selected. It takes another escape to close the menu.
+func (self *MenuController) stopFiltering() {
+	self.c.Views().MenuFilter.ClearTextArea()
+	self.c.Views().MenuFilter.RenderTextArea()
+
+	self.context().SetFilterStarted(false)
+	self.context().ClearFilter()
+	self.c.PostRefreshUpdate(self.context())
+}
+
 func (self *MenuController) context() *context.MenuContext {
 	return self.c.Contexts().Menu
 }
diff --git a/pkg/gui/editors.go b/pkg/gui/editors.go
index 37eacf416..7c658265b 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/editors.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/editors.go
@@ -49,6 +49,32 @@ func (gui *Gui) promptEditor(v *gocui.View, key gocui.Key) bool {
 	return matched
 }
 
+func (gui *Gui) menuFilterEditor(v *gocui.View, key gocui.Key) bool {
+	contentBefore := v.TextArea.GetContent()
+
+	matched := gui.handleEditorKeypress(v, key, false)
+	if !matched {
+		// Give the global keybindings a chance at the key, e.g. so that ctrl-c
+		// still quits while a menu is open.
+		return false
+	}
+
+	v.RenderTextArea()
+
+	content := v.TextArea.GetContent()
+	if content == contentBefore {
+		// The key just moved the cursor around within the filter; refiltering would
+		// throw away the menu's selection for nothing.
+		return true
+	}
+
+	menuContext := gui.State.Contexts.Menu
+	menuContext.SetFilterStarted(true)
+	gui.helpers.Search.ApplyFilter(menuContext, content)
+
+	return true
+}
+
 func (gui *Gui) searchEditor(v *gocui.View, key gocui.Key) bool {
 	matched := gui.handleEditorKeypress(v, key, false)
 	v.RenderTextArea()
diff --git a/pkg/gui/gui.go b/pkg/gui/gui.go
index e10705748..4de37fec2 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/gui.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/gui.go
@@ -928,6 +928,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) viewTabMap() map[string][]context.TabView {
 var popupPanelViewGroups = [][]string{
 	{"commitMessage", "commitDescription"},
 	{"prompt", "suggestions"},
+	{"menu", "menuFilterFrame", "menuFilter"},
 }
 
 func viewsBelongToSamePopupPanel(viewName string, otherViewName string) bool {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/layout.go b/pkg/gui/layout.go
index c845d8074..ccc83b1e9 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/layout.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/layout.go
@@ -152,6 +152,17 @@ func (gui *Gui) layout(g *gocui.Gui) error {
 	filterRowVisible := gui.Views.Menu.Visible && gui.State.Contexts.Menu.FilterStarted()
 	gui.Views.MenuFilterFrame.Visible = filterRowVisible
 	gui.Views.MenuFilter.Visible = filterRowVisible
+	if gui.Views.Menu.Visible {
+		// Until the user types something there is no filter row to advertise the
+		// filter, so the menu says that typing is a thing.
+		gui.Views.Menu.Subtitle = lo.Ternary(menuWithFilterRowVisible && !filterRowVisible, gui.c.Tr.MenuFilterHint, "")
+	}
+	if menuWithFilterRowVisible {
+		// The filter input is the current view for as long as such a menu is open,
+		// so without this the cursor would sit on the menu's bottom border, where
+		// the filter row is yet to appear.
+		gui.g.Cursor = filterRowVisible
+	}
 	gui.Views.Tooltip.Visible = gui.Views.Menu.Visible && gui.Views.Tooltip.Buffer() != ""
 
 	for _, context := range gui.transientContexts() {
diff --git a/pkg/gui/types/context.go b/pkg/gui/types/context.go
index 128c4f08f..e8b33a7d8 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/types/context.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/types/context.go
@@ -57,6 +57,10 @@ type IBaseContext interface {
 
 	GetKind() ContextKind
 	GetViewName() string
+	// The view that keyboard input goes to while this context is focused. That is
+	// the context's own view, unless the context has an editable view embedded in
+	// it which takes the keyboard instead, like the menu's filter input.
+	GetInputViewName() string
 	GetView() *gocui.View
 	GetViewTrait() IViewTrait
 	GetWindowName() string
diff --git a/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go b/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
index 4e14e6c48..2151a5692 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/view_helpers.go
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ func (gui *Gui) postRefreshUpdate(c types.Context, opts types.OnFocusOpts) {
 
 	c.HandleRender()
 
-	if gui.currentViewName() == c.GetViewName() {
+	if gui.currentViewName() == c.GetInputViewName() {
 		c.HandleFocus(opts)
 	} else {
 		// The FocusLine call is included in the HandleFocus method which we
diff --git a/pkg/gui/views.go b/pkg/gui/views.go
index 895260fd9..7b6fa93eb 100644
--- a/pkg/gui/views.go
+++ b/pkg/gui/views.go
@@ -148,6 +148,8 @@ func (gui *Gui) createAllViews() error {
 	gui.Views.MenuFilterFrame.Visible = false
 	gui.Views.MenuFilter.Visible = false
 	gui.Views.MenuFilter.Frame = false
+	gui.Views.MenuFilter.Editable = true
+	gui.Views.MenuFilter.Editor = gocui.EditorFunc(gui.menuFilterEditor)
 	// The filter row belongs to the menu: it shares the menu's focus, and keys
 	// that the input field doesn't take are the menu's to handle.
 	gui.Views.MenuFilterFrame.ParentView = gui.Views.Menu
diff --git a/pkg/i18n/english.go b/pkg/i18n/english.go
index 6d41d31d6..896c40670 100644
--- a/pkg/i18n/english.go
+++ b/pkg/i18n/english.go
@@ -879,6 +879,7 @@ type TranslationSet struct {
 	SearchPrefix                             string
 	FilterPrefix                             string
 	FilterPrefixMenu                         string
+	MenuFilterHint                           string
 	ExitSearchMode                           string
 	ExitTextFilterMode                       string
 	Switch                                   string
@@ -2040,6 +2041,7 @@ func EnglishTranslationSet() *TranslationSet {
 		SearchPrefix:                             "Search: ",
 		FilterPrefix:                             "Filter: ",
 		FilterPrefixMenu:                         "Filter (prepend '@' to filter keybindings): ",
+		MenuFilterHint:                           "(Type to filter)",
 		WorktreesTitle:                           "Worktrees",
 		WorktreeTitle:                            "Worktree",
 		Switch:                                   "Switch",