--- a/options.api/src/org/netbeans/modules/options/OptionsPanel.java	
+++ a/options.api/src/org/netbeans/modules/options/OptionsPanel.java	
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ 
 
 package org.netbeans.modules.options;
 
+import java.awt.AWTEvent;
 import java.awt.Color;
 import java.awt.Component;
 import java.awt.Cursor;
@@ -73,6 +74,7 @@ 
 import java.util.Iterator;
 import java.util.LinkedHashMap;
 import java.util.Map;
+import java.util.Set;
 import javax.swing.AbstractAction;
 import javax.swing.BorderFactory;
 import javax.swing.InputMap;
@@ -86,10 +88,15 @@ 
 import javax.swing.border.CompoundBorder;
 import javax.swing.border.EmptyBorder;
 import javax.swing.border.LineBorder;
+import javax.swing.text.Position.Bias;
+import org.netbeans.api.quicksearch.QuickSearch;
+import org.netbeans.api.quicksearch.QuickSearchListener;
 import org.netbeans.modules.options.ui.VariableBorder;
+import org.netbeans.spi.options.OptionsCategory;
 import org.netbeans.spi.options.OptionsPanelController;
 import org.openide.awt.Mnemonics;
 import org.openide.util.HelpCtx;
+import org.openide.util.Lookup;
 import org.openide.util.NbBundle;
 import org.openide.util.NbPreferences;
 import org.openide.util.RequestProcessor;
@@ -114,6 +121,7 @@ 
     
     private final Color borderMac = new Color(141, 141, 141);
     private final Font labelFontMac = new Font("Lucida Grande", 0, 10);            
+    private QuickSearch qs;
     
     private static String loc (String key) {
         return NbBundle.getMessage (OptionsPanel.class, key);
@@ -269,6 +277,14 @@ 
                 b.setSelected();
             }
         }
+        GridBagConstraints qsConstraints = new GridBagConstraints();
+        qsConstraints.gridx = buttons.size() + 1;
+        qsConstraints.anchor = GridBagConstraints.NORTHEAST;
+        qsConstraints.gridy = 0;
+        qs = QuickSearch.attach(pCategories2, qsConstraints);
+        qs.addQuickSearchListener(new QSListener());
+        qs.setAsynchronous(true);
+        enableEvents(AWTEvent.KEY_EVENT_MASK);
     }
         
     private void initActions () {
@@ -399,7 +415,23 @@ 
         }        
         return retval;
     }
+    
+    private KeyEvent processingEvent = null;
 
+    @Override
+    protected boolean processKeyBinding(KeyStroke ks, KeyEvent e, int condition, boolean pressed) {
+        if (condition == WHEN_ANCESTOR_OF_FOCUSED_COMPONENT && !e.isConsumed()) {
+            if (e == processingEvent) return false;
+            processingEvent = e;
+            qs.processKeyEvent(e);
+            processingEvent = null;
+            if (e.isConsumed()) {
+                return true;
+            }
+        }
+        return super.processKeyBinding(ks, e, condition, pressed);
+    }
+    
     // innerclasses ............................................................
     
     private class SelectAction extends AbstractAction {
@@ -441,6 +473,55 @@ 
         }
     }
     
+    private class QSListener implements QuickSearchListener {
+
+        @Override
+        public void quickSearchUpdate(String searchText) {
+            System.out.println("quickSearchUpdate("+searchText+")");
+            searchText = searchText.toUpperCase();
+            for (Lookup.Item<OptionsCategory> entry : QuickSearchProvider.getODCategories()) {
+                for (Map.Entry<String, Set<String>> kw : QuickSearchProvider.getKeywords(entry).entrySet()) {
+                    for (String keyword : kw.getValue()) {
+                        if (keyword.toUpperCase().indexOf(searchText) > -1) {
+                            displayOption(kw.getKey(), keyword);
+                        }
+                    }
+                }
+            }
+            
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void showNextSelection(Bias bias) {
+            
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public String findMaxPrefix(String prefix) {
+            return prefix;
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void quickSearchConfirmed() {
+            
+        }
+
+        @Override
+        public void quickSearchCanceled() {
+            
+        }
+        
+    }
+    
+    private void displayOption(final String path, final String keyword) {
+        SwingUtilities.invokeLater(new Runnable() {
+            @Override
+            public void run() {
+                OptionsDisplayerImpl.selectCategory(path);
+            }
+        });
+    }
+    
     class CategoryButton extends JLabel implements MouseListener {
         private final CategoryModel.Category category;                
         CategoryButton (final CategoryModel.Category category) {
--- a/options.api/src/org/netbeans/modules/options/QuickSearchProvider.java	
+++ a/options.api/src/org/netbeans/modules/options/QuickSearchProvider.java	
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ 
         }
     }
 
-    private Map<String, Set<String>> getKeywords(Lookup.Item<OptionsCategory> it) {
+    static Map<String, Set<String>> getKeywords(Lookup.Item<OptionsCategory> it) {
         OptionsCategory category = it.getInstance();
 
             Map<String, Set<String>> kws = new HashMap<String, Set<String>>();
@@ -100,7 +100,7 @@ 
             return kws;
         }
 
-    private Iterable<? extends Lookup.Item<OptionsCategory>> getODCategories() {
+    static Iterable<? extends Lookup.Item<OptionsCategory>> getODCategories() {
         Lookup lookup = Lookups.forPath(CategoryModel.OD_LAYER_FOLDER_NAME);
         Lookup.Result<OptionsCategory> result = lookup.lookupResult(OptionsCategory.class);
         return result.allItems();