diff --git a/src/component-index.js b/src/component-index.js
index bb2d887e40..4122d0a631 100644
--- a/src/component-index.js
+++ b/src/component-index.js
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ module.exports.components['views.dialogs.TextInputDialog'] = require('./componen
 module.exports.components['views.elements.AddressSelector'] = require('./components/views/elements/AddressSelector');
 module.exports.components['views.elements.AddressTile'] = require('./components/views/elements/AddressTile');
 module.exports.components['views.elements.DeviceVerifyButtons'] = require('./components/views/elements/DeviceVerifyButtons');
+module.exports.components['views.elements.DirectorySearchBox'] = require('./components/views/elements/DirectorySearchBox');
 module.exports.components['views.elements.EditableText'] = require('./components/views/elements/EditableText');
 module.exports.components['views.elements.EditableTextContainer'] = require('./components/views/elements/EditableTextContainer');
 module.exports.components['views.elements.EmojiText'] = require('./components/views/elements/EmojiText');
diff --git a/src/components/views/elements/DirectorySearchBox.js b/src/components/views/elements/DirectorySearchBox.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1cd9748714
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/views/elements/DirectorySearchBox.js
@@ -0,0 +1,119 @@
+/*
+Copyright 2016 OpenMarket Ltd
+
+Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+You may obtain a copy of the License at
+
+    http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+
+Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+limitations under the License.
+*/
+
+import React from 'react';
+import classnames from 'classnames';
+
+export default class DirectorySearchBox extends React.Component {
+    constructor() {
+        super();
+        this._collectInput = this._collectInput.bind(this);
+        this._onClearClick = this._onClearClick.bind(this);
+        this._onChange = this._onChange.bind(this);
+        this._onKeyUp = this._onKeyUp.bind(this);
+        this._onJoinButtonClick = this._onJoinButtonClick.bind(this);
+
+        this.input = null;
+
+        this.state = {
+            value: '',
+        };
+    }
+
+    _collectInput(e) {
+        this.input = e;
+    }
+
+    _onClearClick() {
+        this.setState({value: ''});
+
+        if (this.input) {
+            this.input.focus();
+
+            if (this.props.onClear) {
+                this.props.onClear();
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    _onChange(ev) {
+        if (!this.input) return;
+        this.setState({value: ev.target.value});
+
+        if (this.props.onChange) {
+            this.props.onChange(this.state.value);
+        }
+    }
+
+    _onKeyUp(ev) {
+        if (ev.key == 'Enter') {
+            if (this.props.onJoinClick) {
+                this.props.onJoinClick(this.state.value);
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    _onJoinButtonClick() {
+        if (this.props.onJoinClick) {
+            this.props.onJoinClick(this.state.value);
+        }
+    }
+
+    _contentLooksLikeAlias() {
+        if (!this.input) return false;
+
+        // liberal test for things that look like room aliases
+        return /^#.+:/.test(this.state.value);
+    }
+
+    render() {
+        const searchbox_classes = {
+            mx_DirectorySearchBox: true,
+        };
+        searchbox_classes[this.props.className] = true;
+
+        let join_button;
+        if (this._contentLooksLikeAlias()) {
+            join_button = <span className="mx_DirectorySearchBox_joinButton"
+                onClick={this._onJoinButtonClick}
+            >
+                Join
+            </span>;
+        }
+
+        return <span className={classnames(searchbox_classes)}>
+            <div className="mx_DirectorySearchBox_container">
+                <input type="text" value={this.state.value}
+                    className="mx_DirectorySearchBox_input"
+                    ref={this._collectInput}
+                    onChange={this._onChange} onKeyUp={this._onKeyUp}
+                    placeholder="Find a room by keyword or room ID (#matrix:matrix.org)"
+                />
+                {join_button}
+                <span className="mx_DirectorySearchBox_clear_wrapper">
+                    <span className="mx_DirectorySearchBox_clear" onClick={this._onClearClick} />
+                </span>
+            </div>
+        </span>;
+    }
+}
+
+DirectorySearchBox.propTypes = {
+    className: React.PropTypes.string,
+    onChange: React.PropTypes.func,
+    onClear: React.PropTypes.func,
+    onJoinClick: React.PropTypes.func,
+};