diff --git a/hub.go b/hub.go
index d26e24b..0c091dc 100644
--- a/hub.go
+++ b/hub.go
@@ -141,18 +141,11 @@ func (h *Hub) StatusMsgCh() chan HubReq {
 
 // SendStatusMsg sends a string to be displayed in the status message
 func (h *Hub) SendStatusMsg(q string) {
-	send(h.StatusMsgCh(), HubReq{q, nil}, h.isSync)
+	h.SendStatusMsgAndClear(q, 0)
 }
 
-func (h *Hub) ClearStatusCh() chan HubReq {
-	return h.clearStatusCh
-}
-
-// SendClearStatus sends a request to clear the status message in
-// `d` duration. If a new status message is sent before the clear
-// request is executed, the clear instruction will be canceled
-func (h *Hub) SendClearStatus(d time.Duration) {
-	send(h.ClearStatusCh(), HubReq{d, nil}, h.isSync)
+func (h *Hub) SendStatusMsgAndClear(q string, clearDelay time.Duration) {
+	send(h.StatusMsgCh(), HubReq{StatusMsgRequest{q, clearDelay}, nil}, h.isSync)
 }
 
 // PagingCh returns the channel to page through the results
diff --git a/hub_test.go b/hub_test.go
index 2d1a6d1..7cf6593 100644
--- a/hub_test.go
+++ b/hub_test.go
@@ -27,19 +27,14 @@ func TestHub(t *testing.T) {
 	}()
 	go func() {
 		hr := <-h.StatusMsgCh()
-		if hr.DataString() != "Hello, World!" {
-			t.Errorf("Expected data to be 'Hello World!', got '%s'", hr.DataString())
+		r := hr.DataInterface().(StatusMsgRequest)
+		if r.message != "Hello, World!" {
+			t.Errorf("Expected data to be 'Hello World!', got '%s'", r.message)
 		}
 		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
 		done["status"] = time.Now()
 		hr.Done()
 	}()
-	go func() {
-		hr := <-h.ClearStatusCh()
-		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
-		done["clearStatus"] = time.Now()
-		hr.Done()
-	}()
 	go func() {
 		hr := <-h.PagingCh()
 		time.Sleep(100 * time.Millisecond)
@@ -51,7 +46,6 @@ func TestHub(t *testing.T) {
 		h.SendQuery("Hello World!")
 		h.SendDraw(nil)
 		h.SendStatusMsg("Hello, World!")
-		h.SendClearStatus(time.Second)
 		h.SendPaging(ToLineAbove)
 	})
 
@@ -59,7 +53,6 @@ func TestHub(t *testing.T) {
 		"query",
 		"draw",
 		"status",
-		"clearStatus",
 		"paging",
 	}
 
diff --git a/keymap.go b/keymap.go
index 6f69ea0..0681df0 100644
--- a/keymap.go
+++ b/keymap.go
@@ -63,11 +63,10 @@ func wrapClearSequence(a Action) Action {
 		}
 
 		if len(i.currentKeySeq) > 0 {
-			i.SendStatusMsg(strings.Join(i.currentKeySeq, " "))
+			i.SendStatusMsgAndClear(strings.Join(i.currentKeySeq, " "), 500 * time.Millisecond)
 			i.currentKeySeq = []string{}
 		}
 
-		i.SendClearStatus(500 * time.Millisecond)
 		a.Execute(i, ev)
 	})
 }
diff --git a/layout.go b/layout.go
index d3060f6..b2cc102 100644
--- a/layout.go
+++ b/layout.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package peco
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"sync"
 	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
@@ -42,8 +43,7 @@ func IsValidVerticalAnchor(anchor VerticalAnchor) bool {
 
 // Layout represents the component that controls where elements are placed on screen
 type Layout interface {
-	ClearStatus(time.Duration)
-	PrintStatus(string)
+	PrintStatus(string, time.Duration)
 	DrawPrompt()
 	DrawScreen([]Match)
 	MovePage(PagingRequest)
@@ -188,6 +188,7 @@ type StatusBar struct {
 	*Ctx
 	*AnchorSettings
 	clearTimer *time.Timer
+	timerMutex *sync.Mutex
 }
 
 // NewStatusBar creates a new StatusBar struct
@@ -196,29 +197,26 @@ func NewStatusBar(ctx *Ctx, anchor VerticalAnchor, anchorOffset int) *StatusBar
 		ctx,
 		NewAnchorSettings(anchor, anchorOffset),
 		nil,
+		&sync.Mutex{},
 	}
 }
 
 func (s *StatusBar) stopTimer() {
+	s.timerMutex.Lock()
+	defer s.timerMutex.Unlock()
 	if t := s.clearTimer; t != nil {
 		t.Stop()
+		s.clearTimer = nil
 	}
 }
 
-// ClearStatus clears the string displayed in the status bar area
-// after `d time.Duration`.
-func (s *StatusBar) ClearStatus(d time.Duration) {
-	s.stopTimer()
-	s.clearTimer = time.AfterFunc(d, func() {
-		s.PrintStatus("")
-	})
-}
-
 // PrintStatus prints a new status message. This also resets the
 // timer created by ClearStatus()
-func (s *StatusBar) PrintStatus(msg string) {
+func (s *StatusBar) PrintStatus(msg string, clearDelay time.Duration) {
 	s.stopTimer()
 
+	s.timerMutex.Lock()
+
 	location := s.AnchorPosition()
 
 	w, _ := screen.Size()
@@ -248,6 +246,16 @@ func (s *StatusBar) PrintStatus(msg string) {
 		printScreen(w-width, location, fgAttr|termbox.AttrReverse|termbox.AttrBold, bgAttr|termbox.AttrReverse, msg, false)
 	}
 	screen.Flush()
+
+	s.timerMutex.Unlock()
+
+	// if everything is successful AND the clearDelay timer is specified,
+	// then set a timer to clear the status
+	if clearDelay != 0 {
+		s.clearTimer = time.AfterFunc(clearDelay, func() {
+			s.PrintStatus("", 0)
+		})
+	}
 }
 
 // ListArea represents the area where the actual line buffer is
diff --git a/layout_test.go b/layout_test.go
index 2f22ceb..e400813 100644
--- a/layout_test.go
+++ b/layout_test.go
@@ -2,7 +2,6 @@ package peco
 
 import (
 	"testing"
-	"time"
 	"unicode/utf8"
 
 	"github.com/mattn/go-runewidth"
@@ -111,16 +110,11 @@ func TestStatusBar(t *testing.T) {
 	defer guard()
 
 	st := NewStatusBar(NewCtx(nil), AnchorBottom, 0)
-	st.PrintStatus("Hello, World!")
+	st.PrintStatus("Hello, World!", 0)
 
 	events := i.events
 	if l := len(events["Flush"]); l != 1 {
 		t.Errorf("Expected 1 Flush event, got %d", l)
 		return
 	}
-
-	// XXX This is not a test... :/
-	// need to think of a way to verify that we're actually doing something
-	st.ClearStatus(500 * time.Millisecond)
-	<-time.After(time.Second)
 }
diff --git a/view.go b/view.go
index e133812..28afaf6 100644
--- a/view.go
+++ b/view.go
@@ -22,6 +22,14 @@ const (
 	ToScrollPageUp
 )
 
+// StatusMsgRequest specifies the string to be drawn
+// on the status message bar and an optional delay that tells
+// the view to clear that message
+type StatusMsgRequest struct {
+	message string
+	clearDelay time.Duration
+}
+
 // Loop receives requests to update the screen
 func (v *View) Loop() {
 	defer v.ReleaseWaitGroup()
@@ -30,10 +38,7 @@ func (v *View) Loop() {
 		case <-v.LoopCh():
 			return
 		case m := <-v.StatusMsgCh():
-			v.printStatus(m.DataString())
-			m.Done()
-		case m := <-v.ClearStatusCh():
-			v.clearStatus(m.DataInterface().(time.Duration))
+			v.printStatus(m.DataInterface().(StatusMsgRequest))
 			m.Done()
 		case r := <-v.PagingCh():
 			v.movePage(r.DataInterface().(PagingRequest))
@@ -54,12 +59,8 @@ func (v *View) Loop() {
 	}
 }
 
-func (v *View) printStatus(m string) {
-	v.layout.PrintStatus(m)
-}
-
-func (v *View) clearStatus(d time.Duration) {
-	v.layout.ClearStatus(d)
+func (v *View) printStatus(r StatusMsgRequest) {
+	v.layout.PrintStatus(r.message, r.clearDelay)
 }
 
 func (v *View) drawScreenNoLock(targets []Match) {