diff --git a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ui/SpeedSearchBase.java b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ui/SpeedSearchBase.java
index 38da1a72971f..94846177b096 100644
--- a/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ui/SpeedSearchBase.java
+++ b/platform/platform-impl/src/com/intellij/ui/SpeedSearchBase.java
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ import com.intellij.openapi.application.ApplicationManager;
 import com.intellij.openapi.diagnostic.Logger;
 import com.intellij.openapi.project.Project;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.*;
+import com.intellij.openapi.util.registry.Registry;
 import com.intellij.openapi.util.text.StringUtil;
 import com.intellij.openapi.wm.ToolWindow;
 import com.intellij.openapi.wm.ToolWindowManager;
@@ -559,7 +560,7 @@ public abstract class SpeedSearchBase<Comp extends JComponent> extends SpeedSear
   }
 
   protected void onSearchFieldUpdated(String pattern) {
-    if (StringUtil.isEmpty(pattern)) hidePopup();
+    if (Registry.is("ide.speed.search.close.when.empty") && StringUtil.isEmpty(pattern)) hidePopup();
   }
 
   protected class SearchField extends ExtendableTextField {
diff --git a/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties b/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
index c626c6d40239..d31cf0b1bdf6 100644
--- a/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
+++ b/platform/util/resources/misc/registry.properties
@@ -92,6 +92,9 @@ ide.popup.horizontal.scroll.bar.opaque.description=Disables translucent horizont
 ide.list.popup.separate.next.step.button=false
 ide.list.popup.separate.next.step.button.description=Show "Nest step" as separate button in list popups
 
+ide.speed.search.close.when.empty=false
+ide.speed.search.close.when.empty.description=Allows to close speed search popup if search pattern is empty
+
 ide.recent.files.speed.search=true
 ide.recent.files.speed.search.description=Allows to use speed search functionality in the Recent Files popup