diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/model/CommunityListViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/model/CommunityListViewModel.kt
index e6876804e..b96f6953f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/model/CommunityListViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/model/CommunityListViewModel.kt
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModel
 import androidx.lifecycle.ViewModelProvider
 import androidx.lifecycle.viewModelScope
 import androidx.lifecycle.viewmodel.CreationExtras
+import com.jerboa.DEBOUNCE_DELAY
 import com.jerboa.api.API
 import com.jerboa.api.ApiState
 import com.jerboa.api.toApiState
@@ -17,6 +18,8 @@ import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.datatypes.Search
 import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.datatypes.SearchResponse
 import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.dto.SearchType
 import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.dto.SubscribedType
+import kotlinx.coroutines.Job
+import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 
 class CommunityListViewModel(
@@ -24,9 +27,12 @@ class CommunityListViewModel(
 ) : ViewModel() {
     var searchRes: ApiState<SearchResponse> by mutableStateOf(ApiState.Empty)
         private set
+    private var fetchCommunitiesJob: Job? = null
 
     fun searchCommunities(form: Search) {
-        viewModelScope.launch {
+        fetchCommunitiesJob?.cancel()
+        fetchCommunitiesJob = viewModelScope.launch {
+            delay(DEBOUNCE_DELAY)
             searchRes = ApiState.Loading
             searchRes = API.getInstance().search(form).toApiState()
         }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/ui/components/community/list/CommunityListScreen.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/ui/components/community/list/CommunityListScreen.kt
index 1796819f5..166534064 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/ui/components/community/list/CommunityListScreen.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/jerboa/ui/components/community/list/CommunityListScreen.kt
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import androidx.compose.material3.MaterialTheme
 import androidx.compose.material3.Scaffold
 import androidx.compose.material3.Surface
 import androidx.compose.runtime.Composable
+import androidx.compose.runtime.LaunchedEffect
 import androidx.compose.runtime.getValue
 import androidx.compose.runtime.mutableStateOf
 import androidx.compose.runtime.rememberCoroutineScope
@@ -19,7 +20,6 @@ import androidx.compose.runtime.saveable.rememberSaveable
 import androidx.compose.runtime.setValue
 import androidx.compose.ui.Modifier
 import androidx.lifecycle.viewmodel.compose.viewModel
-import com.jerboa.DEBOUNCE_DELAY
 import com.jerboa.JerboaAppState
 import com.jerboa.api.ApiState
 import com.jerboa.feat.BlurNSFW
@@ -31,12 +31,8 @@ import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.datatypes.CommunityFollowerView
 import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.datatypes.Search
 import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.dto.SearchType
 import it.vercruysse.lemmyapi.dto.SortType
-import kotlinx.coroutines.Job
-import kotlinx.coroutines.delay
 import kotlinx.coroutines.launch
 
-private var fetchCommunitiesJob: Job? = null
-
 object CommunityListReturn {
     const val COMMUNITY = "community-list::return(community)"
 }
@@ -58,6 +54,20 @@ fun CommunityListScreen(
 
     var search by rememberSaveable { mutableStateOf("") }
 
+    // Upon launch from process death
+    LaunchedEffect(Unit) {
+        if (search.isNotEmpty()) {
+            communityListViewModel.searchCommunities(
+                form =
+                    Search(
+                        q = search,
+                        type_ = SearchType.Communities,
+                        sort = SortType.TopAll,
+                    ),
+            )
+        }
+    }
+
     val scope = rememberCoroutineScope()
 
     val baseModifier = if (padding == null) {
@@ -85,19 +95,14 @@ fun CommunityListScreen(
                     search = search,
                     onSearchChange = {
                         search = it
-                        fetchCommunitiesJob?.cancel()
-                        fetchCommunitiesJob =
-                            scope.launch {
-                                delay(DEBOUNCE_DELAY)
-                                communityListViewModel.searchCommunities(
-                                    form =
-                                        Search(
-                                            q = search,
-                                            type_ = SearchType.Communities,
-                                            sort = SortType.TopAll,
-                                        ),
-                                )
-                            }
+                        communityListViewModel.searchCommunities(
+                            form =
+                                Search(
+                                    q = search,
+                                    type_ = SearchType.Communities,
+                                    sort = SortType.TopAll,
+                                ),
+                        )
                     },
                 )
             },