diff --git a/collects/scribble/html-render.ss b/collects/scribble/html-render.ss
index 9aa67e7a..ae1870ac 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/html-render.ss
+++ b/collects/scribble/html-render.ss
@@ -189,22 +189,24 @@
 
 )
 
-(define (search-box) ; appears on every page
-  (let ([sa string-append])
+(define search-box ; appears on every page
+  (let ([sa         string-append]
+        [emptylabel "...search manuals..."]
+        [dimcolor   "#888"])
     `(input
       ([style ,(sa "font-size: 60%; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;"
-                   " background-color: #eee; color: #888;"
+                   " background-color: #eee; color: "dimcolor";"
                    " border: 1px solid #ddd; text-align: center;")]
        [type "text"]
-       [value "...search manuals..."]
+       [value ,emptylabel]
        [title "Enter a search string to search the manuals"]
        [onkeypress ,(format "return DoSearchKey(event, this, ~s);" (version))]
        [onfocus ,(sa "this.style.color=\"black\";"
-                     " if (this.value.indexOf(\"...search...\")>=0)"
+                     " if (this.value.indexOf(\""emptylabel"\")>=0)"
                      " this.value=\"\";")]
        [onblur ,(sa "if (this.value.match(/^ *$/)) {"
-                    " this.style.color=\"#888\";"
-                    " this.value=\"...search...\"; }")]))))
+                    " this.style.color=\""dimcolor"\";"
+                    " this.value=\""emptylabel"\"; }")]))))
 
 ;; ----------------------------------------
 ;;  main mixin
@@ -625,7 +627,7 @@
          `[onclick . ,(format "return GotoPLTRoot(\"~a\");" (version))]))
       (define navleft
         `(span ([class "navleft"])
-           ,(search-box)
+           ,search-box
            nbsp
            ,@(render (make-element (if up-path top-link "nonavigation")
                                    top-content))
diff --git a/collects/scribble/scribble-common.js b/collects/scribble/scribble-common.js
index d829dd8b..cb27899e 100644
--- a/collects/scribble/scribble-common.js
+++ b/collects/scribble/scribble-common.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ function NormalizePath(path) {
 
 function DoSearchKey(event, field, ver) {
   var val = field.value;
-  if (event && event.keyCode == 13 && val.indexOf("...search manuals...") < 0) {
+  if (event && event.keyCode == 13) {
     var u = GetCookie("PLT_Root."+ver, null);
     if (u == null) u = "../"; // default: go up
     location = u + "search/index.html" + "?q=" + escape(val);