diff --git a/fcore/app-type.sml b/fcore/app-type.sml
index 186c314..5e7cefc 100644
--- a/fcore/app-type.sml
+++ b/fcore/app-type.sml
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ struct
     NORMAL_MODE of string
   | NORMAL_SEARCH_MODE of
       { searchString: string
-      , tempSearchList: int vector
+      , tempSearchList: PersistentVector.t
       , searchCursorIdx: int
       , searchScrollColumn: int
       }
@@ -13,7 +13,7 @@ struct
     { mode: mode
     , buffer: LineGap.t
     , bufferModifyTime: Time.time
-    , searchList: SearchList.t
+    , searchList: PersistentVector.t
     , searchString: string
     , windowWidth: int
     , windowHeight: int
diff --git a/fcore/persistent-vector.sml b/fcore/persistent-vector.sml
index e5b57f4..1a1d29f 100644
--- a/fcore/persistent-vector.sml
+++ b/fcore/persistent-vector.sml
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ struct
 
   val maxSize = 32
 
+  fun isEmpty t =
+    case t of
+      LEAF (_, sizes) = Vector.length sizes = 0
+    | _ => false
+
   val empty = LEAF (#[], #[])
 
   datatype append_result = APPEND of t | UPDATE of t
diff --git a/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml b/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml
index 0c69a50..6948158 100644
--- a/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml
+++ b/fcore/text-builder/normal-mode-text-builder.sml
@@ -14,7 +14,6 @@ struct
     , floatWindowWidth
     , floatWindowHeight
     , searchList
-    , searchString
     , visualScrollColumn
     , acc
     ) =
@@ -36,7 +35,6 @@ struct
         , floatWindowWidth
         , floatWindowHeight
         , searchList
-        , String.size searchString
         , visualScrollColumn
         , startLine
         )
@@ -92,7 +90,6 @@ struct
     , windowWidth
     , windowHeight
     , searchList: SearchList.t
-    , searchString
     , visualScrollColumn
     , acc
     ) =
@@ -105,7 +102,6 @@ struct
       , Real32.fromInt windowWidth
       , Real32.fromInt windowHeight
       , searchList
-      , searchString
       , visualScrollColumn
       , []
       )
@@ -117,7 +113,6 @@ struct
     , windowWidth
     , windowHeight
     , searchList: SearchList.t
-    , searchString
     , visualScrollColumn
     ) =
     startBuild
@@ -129,7 +124,6 @@ struct
       , Real32.fromInt windowWidth
       , Real32.fromInt windowHeight
       , searchList
-      , searchString
       , visualScrollColumn
       , []
       )
diff --git a/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml b/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
index c11f81f..57ceeab 100644
--- a/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
+++ b/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-utils.sml
@@ -39,8 +39,7 @@ struct
     , fw: Real32.real
     , fh: Real32.real
 
-    , searchList: int vector
-    , searchLen: int
+    , searchList: PersistentVector.t
     }
 
   fun initEnv
@@ -51,7 +50,6 @@ struct
     , floatWindowWidth
     , floatWindowHeight
     , searchList
-    , searchLen
     , visualScrollColumn
     , startLine
     ) : env_data =
@@ -101,7 +99,6 @@ struct
         , fh = floatWindowHeight
 
         , searchList = searchList
-        , searchLen = searchLen
         }
       else
         let
@@ -142,7 +139,6 @@ struct
           , fh = floatWindowHeight
 
           , searchList = searchList
-          , searchLen = searchLen
           }
         end
     end
@@ -216,22 +212,6 @@ struct
       , #highlightOnCharB env
       )
 
-  fun isInSearchRange
-    (absIdx, searchPos, {searchList, searchLen, ...}: env_data) =
-    let val searchIdx = Vector.sub (searchList, searchPos)
-    in absIdx >= searchIdx andalso absIdx < searchIdx + searchLen
-    end
-
-  fun isAfterSearchRange
-    (absIdx, searchPos, {searchList, searchLen, ...}: env_data) =
-    let val searchIdx = Vector.sub (searchList, searchPos)
-    in absIdx >= searchIdx + searchLen
-    end
-
-  fun advanceSearchPos (absIdx, searchPos, env) =
-    if isAfterSearchRange (absIdx, searchPos, env) then searchPos + 1
-    else searchPos
-
   (* gets line start idx, relative to right hd *)
   fun getRelativeLineStartFromRightHead (startLine, curLine, rLnHd) =
     if startLine > curLine then
diff --git a/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-highlight.sml b/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-highlight.sml
index 7f6593a..bc55aeb 100644
--- a/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-highlight.sml
+++ b/fcore/text-builder/text-builder-with-highlight.sml
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ struct
     | _ => false
 
   fun goToFirstLineAfter
-    (stl, ltl, posY, lineNumber, absIdx, cursorIdx, env, acc, searchPos) =
+    (stl, ltl, posY, lineNumber, absIdx, cursorIdx, env, acc) =
     case (stl, ltl) of
       (shd :: stl, lhd :: ltl) =>
         if Vector.length lhd > 0 then
@@ -34,7 +34,6 @@ struct
               , cursorIdx
               , env
               , acc
-              , searchPos
               )
           end
         else
@@ -48,24 +47,11 @@ struct
             , cursorIdx
             , env
             , acc
-            , searchPos
             )
     | (_, _) => acc
 
   and skipToNextLine
-    ( pos
-    , str
-    , stl
-    , line
-    , ltl
-    , posY
-    , lineNumber
-    , absIdx
-    , cursorIdx
-    , env
-    , acc
-    , searchPos
-    ) =
+    (pos, str, stl, line, ltl, posY, lineNumber, absIdx, cursorIdx, env, acc) =
     if Vector.length line = 0 then
       let
         (* get index of buffer after this string *)
@@ -73,7 +59,7 @@ struct
         val absIdx = absIdx + String.size str
       in
         goToFirstLineAfter
-          (stl, ltl, posY, lineNumber, absIdx, cursorIdx, env, acc, searchPos)
+          (stl, ltl, posY, lineNumber, absIdx, cursorIdx, env, acc)
       end
     else
       (* bin search lines *)
@@ -87,16 +73,7 @@ struct
             val absIdx = absIdx + String.size str
           in
             goToFirstLineAfter
-              ( stl
-              , ltl
-              , posY
-              , lineNumber
-              , absIdx
-              , cursorIdx
-              , env
-              , acc
-              , searchPos
-              )
+              (stl, ltl, posY, lineNumber, absIdx, cursorIdx, env, acc)
           end
         else
           let
@@ -120,7 +97,6 @@ struct
               , cursorIdx
               , env
               , acc
-              , searchPos
               )
           end
       end
@@ -139,26 +115,8 @@ struct
     , cursorIdx
     , env: Utils.env_data
     , acc
-    , searchPos
     ) =
-    if searchPos = Vector.length (#searchList env) then
-      (* exhausted search list; call normal text-builder function *)
-      TextBuilderWithCursor.build
-        ( pos
-        , str
-        , stl
-        , line
-        , ltl
-        , posX
-        , posY
-        , column
-        , lineNumber
-        , absIdx
-        , cursorIdx
-        , env
-        , acc
-        )
-    else if pos = String.size str then
+    if pos = String.size str then
       case (stl, ltl) of
         (str :: stl, line :: ltl) =>
           build
@@ -175,154 +133,126 @@ struct
             , cursorIdx
             , env
             , acc
-            , searchPos
             )
       | (_, _) => acc
     else
-      let
-        val searchPos = Utils.advanceSearchPos (absIdx, searchPos, env)
-      in
-        if searchPos = Vector.length (#searchList env) then
-          (* another check to see if we exhausted the searchList *)
-          TextBuilderWithCursor.build
-            ( pos
-            , str
-            , stl
-            , line
-            , ltl
-            , posX
-            , posY
-            , column
-            , lineNumber
-            , absIdx
-            , cursorIdx
-            , env
-            , acc
-            )
-        else
-          case String.sub (str, pos) of
-            #" " =>
-              let
-                val acc =
-                  if absIdx = cursorIdx then
-                    Utils.makeCursor (posX, posY, env) :: acc
-                  else
-                    acc
-                val acc =
-                  if Utils.isInSearchRange (absIdx, searchPos, env) then
-                    Utils.makeHighlight (posX, posY, env) :: acc
-                  else
-                    acc
-                val posX =
-                  if column < #scrollColumnStart env then #startX env
-                  else posX + TC.xSpace
-              in
-                build
-                  ( pos + 1
-                  , str
-                  , stl
-                  , line
-                  , ltl
-                  , posX
-                  , posY
-                  , column + 1
-                  , lineNumber
-                  , absIdx + 1
-                  , cursorIdx
-                  , env
-                  , acc
-                  , searchPos
-                  )
-              end
-          | #"\n" =>
-              if lineNumber + 1 > #lastLineNumber env then
+      case String.sub (str, pos) of
+        #" " =>
+          let
+            val acc =
+              if absIdx = cursorIdx then
+                Utils.makeCursor (posX, posY, env) :: acc
+              else
                 acc
+            val acc =
+              if PersistentVector.isInRange (absIdx, #searchList env) then
+                Utils.makeHighlight (posX, posY, env) :: acc
               else
-                let
-                  val acc =
-                    if absIdx = cursorIdx then
-                      Utils.makeCursor (posX, posY, env) :: acc
-                    else
-                      acc
-                in
-                  build
-                    ( pos + 1
-                    , str
-                    , stl
-                    , line
-                    , ltl
-                    , #startX env
-                    , posY + TC.ySpace
-                    , 0
-                    , lineNumber + 1
-                    , absIdx + 1
-                    , cursorIdx
-                    , env
-                    , acc
-                    , searchPos
-                    )
-                end
-          | chr =>
-              if column < #scrollColumnStart env then
-                build
-                  ( pos + 1
-                  , str
-                  , stl
-                  , line
-                  , ltl
-                  , #startX env
-                  , posY
-                  , column + 1
-                  , lineNumber
-                  , absIdx + 1
-                  , cursorIdx
-                  , env
-                  , acc
-                  , searchPos
-                  )
-              else if column > #scrollColumnEnd env then
-                skipToNextLine
-                  ( pos
-                  , str
-                  , stl
-                  , line
-                  , ltl
-                  , posY
-                  , lineNumber
-                  , absIdx
-                  , cursorIdx
-                  , env
-                  , acc
-                  , searchPos
-                  )
-              else
-                let
-                  val acc =
-                    if absIdx = cursorIdx then
-                      Utils.makeCursorOnChr (chr, posX, posY, env)
-                      :: Utils.makeCursor (posX, posY, env) :: acc
-                    else if Utils.isInSearchRange (absIdx, searchPos, env) then
-                      Utils.makeHighlightChr (chr, posX, posY, env)
-                      :: Utils.makeHighlight (posX, posY, env) :: acc
-                    else
-                      Utils.makeChr (chr, posX, posY, env) :: acc
-                in
-                  build
-                    ( pos + 1
-                    , str
-                    , stl
-                    , line
-                    , ltl
-                    , posX + TC.xSpace
-                    , posY
-                    , column + 1
-                    , lineNumber
-                    , absIdx + 1
-                    , cursorIdx
-                    , env
-                    , acc
-                    , searchPos
-                    )
-                end
-      end
+                acc
+            val posX =
+              if column < #scrollColumnStart env then #startX env
+              else posX + TC.xSpace
+          in
+            build
+              ( pos + 1
+              , str
+              , stl
+              , line
+              , ltl
+              , posX
+              , posY
+              , column + 1
+              , lineNumber
+              , absIdx + 1
+              , cursorIdx
+              , env
+              , acc
+              )
+          end
+      | #"\n" =>
+          if lineNumber + 1 > #lastLineNumber env then
+            acc
+          else
+            let
+              val acc =
+                if absIdx = cursorIdx then
+                  Utils.makeCursor (posX, posY, env) :: acc
+                else
+                  acc
+            in
+              build
+                ( pos + 1
+                , str
+                , stl
+                , line
+                , ltl
+                , #startX env
+                , posY + TC.ySpace
+                , 0
+                , lineNumber + 1
+                , absIdx + 1
+                , cursorIdx
+                , env
+                , acc
+                )
+            end
+      | chr =>
+          if column < #scrollColumnStart env then
+            build
+              ( pos + 1
+              , str
+              , stl
+              , line
+              , ltl
+              , #startX env
+              , posY
+              , column + 1
+              , lineNumber
+              , absIdx + 1
+              , cursorIdx
+              , env
+              , acc
+              )
+          else if column > #scrollColumnEnd env then
+            skipToNextLine
+              ( pos
+              , str
+              , stl
+              , line
+              , ltl
+              , posY
+              , lineNumber
+              , absIdx
+              , cursorIdx
+              , env
+              , acc
+              )
+          else
+            let
+              val acc =
+                if absIdx = cursorIdx then
+                  Utils.makeCursorOnChr (chr, posX, posY, env)
+                  :: Utils.makeCursor (posX, posY, env) :: acc
+                else if PersistentVector.isInRange (absIdx, #searchList env) then
+                  Utils.makeHighlightChr (chr, posX, posY, env)
+                  :: Utils.makeHighlight (posX, posY, env) :: acc
+                else
+                  Utils.makeChr (chr, posX, posY, env) :: acc
+            in
+              build
+                ( pos + 1
+                , str
+                , stl
+                , line
+                , ltl
+                , posX + TC.xSpace
+                , posY
+                , column + 1
+                , lineNumber
+                , absIdx + 1
+                , cursorIdx
+                , env
+                , acc
+                )
+            end
 end