diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameController.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameController.groovy
index 7a12eec9..2d2209f9 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameController.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/controllers/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameController.groovy
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ import griffon.core.mvc.MVCGroup
 import griffon.core.mvc.MVCGroupConfiguration
 import griffon.inject.MVCMember
 import griffon.metadata.ArtifactProviderFor
+import net.i2p.data.Base64
+
 import javax.annotation.Nonnull
 import javax.inject.Inject
 
@@ -42,10 +44,15 @@ class MainFrameController {
         params["uuid"] = uuid.toString()
         def group = mvcGroup.createMVCGroup("SearchTab", uuid.toString(), params)
         model.results[uuid.toString()] = group
-        
-        // this can be improved a lot
-        def terms = search.toLowerCase().trim().split(Constants.SPLIT_PATTERN)
-        def searchEvent = new SearchEvent(searchTerms : terms, uuid : uuid)
+
+        def searchEvent
+        if (model.hashSearch) {
+            searchEvent = new SearchEvent(searchHash : Base64.decode(search), uuid : uuid)
+        } else {
+            // this can be improved a lot
+            def terms = search.toLowerCase().trim().split(Constants.SPLIT_PATTERN)
+            searchEvent = new SearchEvent(searchTerms : terms, uuid : uuid)
+        }
         core.eventBus.publish(new QueryEvent(searchEvent : searchEvent, firstHop : true, 
             replyTo: core.me.destination, receivedOn: core.me.destination,
             originator : core.me))
@@ -137,6 +144,16 @@ class MainFrameController {
         markTrust("trusted-table", TrustLevel.NEUTRAL, model.trusted)
     }
     
+    @ControllerAction
+    void keywordSearch() {
+        model.hashSearch = false
+    }
+    
+    @ControllerAction
+    void hashSearch() {
+        model.hashSearch = true
+    }
+    
     void mvcGroupInit(Map<String, String> args) {
         application.addPropertyChangeListener("core", {e-> 
             core = e.getNewValue()
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy
index b0093a18..9214db43 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/models/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameModel.groovy
@@ -52,6 +52,8 @@ class MainFrameModel {
     def trusted = []
     def distrusted = []
     
+    boolean hashSearch
+    
     @Observable int connections
     @Observable String me
     @Observable boolean searchButtonsEnabled
diff --git a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
index 4381f13f..9db16431 100644
--- a/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
+++ b/gui/griffon-app/views/com/muwire/gui/MainFrameView.groovy
@@ -76,6 +76,12 @@ class MainFrameView {
 
                             }
                             panel( constraints: BorderLayout.EAST) {
+                                panel {
+                                    buttonGroup(id : "searchButtonGroup") 
+                                    radioButton(text : "Keywords", selected : true, buttonGroup : searchButtonGroup, keywordSearchAction)
+                                    radioButton(text : "Hash", selected : false, buttonGroup : searchButtonGroup, hashSearchAction)
+                                    
+                                }
                                 button(text: "Search", searchAction)
                             }
                         }