diff --git a/src/components/quicklaunch.jsx b/src/components/quicklaunch.jsx
index 220c6dbb2..96df9fb24 100644
--- a/src/components/quicklaunch.jsx
+++ b/src/components/quicklaunch.jsx
@@ -15,6 +15,16 @@ const MOBILE_BUTTON_POSITIONS = {
   "bottom-right": "bottom-4 right-4",
 };
 
+function parseUrl(searchString) {
+  if (!/.+[.:].+/.test(searchString)) return null; // basic test for probably a url
+
+  try {
+    return new URL(searchString.toLowerCase().startsWith("http") ? searchString : `https://${searchString}`);
+  } catch {
+    return null;
+  }
+}
+
 function getSearchResults({
   hideVisitURL,
   searchDescriptions,
@@ -77,7 +87,7 @@ export default function QuickLaunch({ servicesAndBookmarks, searchString, setSea
   const searchField = useRef();
 
   const [currentItemIndex, setCurrentItemIndex] = useState(null);
-  const [url, setUrl] = useState(null);
+  const url = parseUrl(searchString);
   const [searchSuggestions, setSearchSuggestions] = useState([]);
 
   const { data: widgets } = useSWR("/api/widgets");
@@ -134,17 +144,8 @@ export default function QuickLaunch({ servicesAndBookmarks, searchString, setSea
   function handleSearchChange(event) {
     const rawSearchString = event.target.value;
     setCurrentItemIndex(null);
-    try {
-      if (!/.+[.:].+/g.test(rawSearchString)) throw new Error(); // basic test for probably a url
-      let urlString = rawSearchString;
-      if (urlString.toLowerCase().indexOf("http") !== 0) urlString = `https://${rawSearchString}`;
-      setUrl(new URL(urlString)); // basic validation
-      setSearchString(rawSearchString);
-      return;
-    } catch (e) {
-      setUrl(null);
-    }
-    setSearchString(rawSearchString.toLowerCase());
+    // urls keep their casing, everything else is lowercased for matching
+    setSearchString(parseUrl(rawSearchString) ? rawSearchString : rawSearchString.toLowerCase());
   }
 
   function handleSearchKeyDown(event) {
diff --git a/src/components/quicklaunch.test.jsx b/src/components/quicklaunch.test.jsx
index 65cf7a508..031471916 100644
--- a/src/components/quicklaunch.test.jsx
+++ b/src/components/quicklaunch.test.jsx
@@ -46,13 +46,25 @@ function Wrapper({ servicesAndBookmarks = [], initialOpen = true } = {}) {
   const [isOpen, setSearching] = useState(initialOpen);
 
   return (
-    <QuickLaunch
-      servicesAndBookmarks={servicesAndBookmarks}
-      searchString={searchString}
-      setSearchString={setSearchString}
-      isOpen={isOpen}
-      setSearching={setSearching}
-    />
+    <>
+      <button
+        type="button"
+        data-testid="seed-key"
+        onClick={() => {
+          setSearchString((current) => `${current}g`);
+          setSearching(true);
+        }}
+      >
+        seed
+      </button>
+      <QuickLaunch
+        servicesAndBookmarks={servicesAndBookmarks}
+        searchString={searchString}
+        setSearchString={setSearchString}
+        isOpen={isOpen}
+        setSearching={setSearching}
+      />
+    </>
   );
 }
 
@@ -151,6 +163,35 @@ describe("components/quicklaunch", () => {
     openSpy.mockRestore();
   });
 
+  it("does not carry a previous url result into a search seeded by a keypress", async () => {
+    renderWithProviders(<Wrapper />, {
+      settings: {
+        target: "_self",
+        quicklaunch: {
+          provider: "duckduckgo",
+          showSearchSuggestions: false,
+        },
+      },
+    });
+
+    const input = screen.getByPlaceholderText("Search");
+    await waitFor(() => expect(input).toHaveFocus());
+
+    fireEvent.change(input, { target: { value: "example.com" } });
+    expect(await screen.findByText("quicklaunch.visit URL")).toBeInTheDocument();
+
+    fireEvent.keyDown(input, { key: "Escape" });
+    await act(async () => {
+      await new Promise((r) => setTimeout(r, 350));
+    });
+
+    // reopen by "typing" a character, the way pages/index does
+    fireEvent.click(screen.getByTestId("seed-key"));
+
+    expect(input).toHaveValue("g");
+    expect(screen.queryByText("quicklaunch.visit URL")).not.toBeInTheDocument();
+  });
+
   it("closes on Escape and clears the search string after the timeout", async () => {
     renderWithProviders(<Wrapper />, {
       settings: {