diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/components/log-viewer-date-range-selector.element.ts b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/components/log-viewer-date-range-selector.element.ts
index 71d6c6c8440e..7318a80b188b 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/components/log-viewer-date-range-selector.element.ts
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/components/log-viewer-date-range-selector.element.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import type { UmbLogViewerDateRange } from '../workspace/logviewer-workspace.context.js';
 import { UMB_APP_LOG_VIEWER_CONTEXT } from '../workspace/logviewer-workspace.context-token.js';
 import { UmbTextStyles } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/style';
 import { css, html, customElement, property, state } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/lit';
@@ -32,9 +31,9 @@ export class UmbLogViewerDateRangeSelectorElement extends UmbLitElement {
 	#observeStuff() {
 		this.observe(
 			this._logViewerContext?.dateRange,
-			(dateRange: UmbLogViewerDateRange) => {
-				this._startDate = dateRange.startDate;
-				this._endDate = dateRange.endDate;
+			(dateRange) => {
+				this._startDate = dateRange?.startDate ?? '';
+				this._endDate = dateRange?.endDate ?? '';
 			},
 			'_observeDateRange',
 		);
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-messages-list.element.ts b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-messages-list.element.ts
index 3e1bed642ee1..322c89fb8036 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-messages-list.element.ts
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-messages-list.element.ts
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { UmbLitElement } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/lit-element';
 import type { LogMessageResponseModel } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/backend-api';
 import { DirectionModel } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/backend-api';
 import { consumeContext } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/context-api';
+import { skip } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/rxjs';
 
 @customElement('umb-log-viewer-messages-list')
 export class UmbLogViewerMessagesListElement extends UmbLitElement {
@@ -50,6 +51,17 @@ export class UmbLogViewerMessagesListElement extends UmbLitElement {
 		this.observe(this._logViewerContext?.sortingDirection, (direction) => {
 			this._sortingDirection = direction ?? this._sortingDirection;
 		});
+
+		// Observe filter expression changes to trigger search
+		// Only observes when this component is mounted (when logs are visible)
+		this.observe(
+			this._logViewerContext?.filterExpression.pipe(
+				skip(1), // Skip initial value to avoid duplicate search on page load
+			),
+			() => {
+				this._logViewerContext?.getLogs();
+			},
+		);
 	}
 
 	#sortLogs() {
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-search-input.element.ts b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-search-input.element.ts
index e4563d976123..ed1533ab6df9 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-search-input.element.ts
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/components/log-viewer-search-input.element.ts
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@ import { UMB_LOG_VIEWER_SAVE_SEARCH_MODAL } from './log-viewer-search-input-moda
 import { css, html, customElement, query, state } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/lit';
 import { escapeHTML } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/utils';
 import { query as getQuery, path, toQueryString } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/router';
-import { Subject, debounceTime, tap } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/rxjs';
 import { umbConfirmModal, umbOpenModal } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/modal';
 import { UmbLitElement } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/lit-element';
 import type { SavedLogSearchResponseModel } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/backend-api';
 import type { UmbDropdownElement } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/components';
 import type { UUIInputElement } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/uui';
+import { consumeContext } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/context-api';
+import { UmbStringState } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/observable-api';
+import { debounceTime, skip } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/external/rxjs';
 
 import './log-viewer-search-input-modal.element.js';
-import { consumeContext } from '@umbraco-cms/backoffice/context-api';
 
 @customElement('umb-log-viewer-search-input')
 export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
@@ -24,14 +25,11 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
 	@state()
 	private _inputQuery = '';
 
-	@state()
-	private _showLoader = false;
-
 	@state()
 	private _isQuerySaved = false;
 
-	// TODO: Revisit this code, to not use RxJS directly:
-	#inputQuery$ = new Subject<string>();
+	// Local state for debouncing user input before updating context
+	#localQueryState = new UmbStringState('');
 
 	#logViewerContext?: typeof UMB_APP_LOG_VIEWER_CONTEXT.TYPE;
 
@@ -48,17 +46,17 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
 	constructor() {
 		super();
 
-		this.#inputQuery$
-			.pipe(
-				tap(() => (this._showLoader = true)),
+		// Debounce local input and update context
+		this.observe(
+			this.#localQueryState.asObservable().pipe(
+				skip(1), // Skip initial value
 				debounceTime(250),
-			)
-			.subscribe((query) => {
+			),
+			(query) => {
 				this._logViewerContext?.setFilterExpression(query);
 				this.#persist(query);
-				this._isQuerySaved = this._savedSearches.some((search) => search.query === query);
-				this._showLoader = false;
-			});
+			},
+		);
 	}
 
 	#observeStuff() {
@@ -75,11 +73,14 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
 
 	#setQuery(event: Event) {
 		const target = event.target as UUIInputElement;
-		this.#inputQuery$.next(target.value as string);
+		const query = target.value as string;
+		// Update local state which will debounce before updating context
+		this.#localQueryState.setValue(query);
 	}
 
 	#setQueryFromSavedSearch(query: string) {
-		this.#inputQuery$.next(query);
+		this._logViewerContext?.setFilterExpression(query);
+		this.#persist(query);
 		this._searchDropdownElement.open = false;
 	}
 
@@ -95,8 +96,14 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
 	}
 
 	#clearQuery() {
-		this.#inputQuery$.next('');
 		this._logViewerContext?.setFilterExpression('');
+		this.#persist('');
+		this.#localQueryState.setValue('');
+	}
+
+	#refreshSearch() {
+		// Force immediate search, bypassing debounce
+		this._logViewerContext?.getLogs();
 	}
 
 	#saveSearch(savedSearch: SavedLogSearchResponseModel) {
@@ -137,17 +144,14 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
 				slot="trigger"
 				@input=${this.#setQuery}
 				.value=${this._inputQuery}>
-				${this._showLoader
-					? html`<div id="loader-container" slot="append">
-							<uui-loader-circle></uui-loader-circle>
-						</div>`
-					: ''}
 				${this._inputQuery
 					? html`${!this._isQuerySaved
 								? html`<uui-button compact slot="append" label="Save search" @click=${this.#openSaveSearchDialog}
 										><uui-icon name="icon-favorite"></uui-icon
 									></uui-button>`
-								: ''}<uui-button compact slot="append" label="Clear" @click=${this.#clearQuery}
+								: ''}<uui-button compact slot="append" label="Refresh search" @click=${this.#refreshSearch}
+								><uui-icon name="icon-refresh"></uui-icon></uui-button
+							><uui-button compact slot="append" label="Clear" @click=${this.#clearQuery}
 								><uui-icon name="icon-delete"></uui-icon
 							></uui-button>`
 					: html``}
@@ -198,13 +202,6 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchInputElement extends UmbLitElement {
 				flex: 1;
 			}
 
-			#loader-container {
-				display: flex;
-				justify-content: center;
-				align-items: center;
-				margin: 0 var(--uui-size-space-4);
-			}
-
 			.saved-search-item {
 				display: flex;
 				justify-content: space-between;
diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/log-search-view.element.ts b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/log-search-view.element.ts
index 317711c2e51a..513dd7ee50b6 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/log-search-view.element.ts
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Web.UI.Client/src/packages/log-viewer/workspace/views/search/log-search-view.element.ts
@@ -34,7 +34,7 @@ export class UmbLogViewerSearchViewElement extends UmbLitElement {
 	override render() {
 		return html`
 			<umb-body-layout header-transparent header-fit-height>
-				<div id="header" slot="header">
+				<div id="header" slot="header" role="search" aria-label="Filter logs">
 					<div id="levels-container">
 						<umb-log-viewer-log-level-filter-menu></umb-log-viewer-log-level-filter-menu>
 						<div id="dates-polling-container">