diff --git a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/views/plugins/PluginsView.java b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/views/plugins/PluginsView.java
index 2484ce4dbfa..e8e5d4a4ed5 100644
--- a/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/views/plugins/PluginsView.java
+++ b/ui/org.eclipse.pde.ui/src/org/eclipse/pde/internal/ui/views/plugins/PluginsView.java
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*******************************************************************************
- * Copyright (c) 2000, 2021 IBM Corporation and others.
+ * Copyright (c) 2000, 2026 IBM Corporation and others.
  *
  * This program and the accompanying materials
  * are made available under the terms of the Eclipse Public License 2.0
@@ -92,6 +92,7 @@
 import org.eclipse.swt.dnd.Transfer;
 import org.eclipse.swt.program.Program;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Composite;
+import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Control;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Display;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Menu;
 import org.eclipse.swt.widgets.Tree;
@@ -107,6 +108,8 @@
 import org.eclipse.ui.actions.ActionContext;
 import org.eclipse.ui.actions.ActionFactory;
 import org.eclipse.ui.actions.ContributionItemFactory;
+import org.eclipse.ui.dialogs.FilteredTree;
+import org.eclipse.ui.dialogs.PatternFilter;
 import org.eclipse.ui.ide.FileStoreEditorInput;
 import org.eclipse.ui.keys.IBindingService;
 import org.eclipse.ui.part.DrillDownAdapter;
@@ -125,6 +128,7 @@ public class PluginsView extends ViewPart implements IPluginModelListener {
 	private static final String HIDE_WRKSPC = "hideWorkspace"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	private static final String HIDE_EXENABLED = "hideEnabledExternal"; //$NON-NLS-1$
 	private static final String SHOW_EXDISABLED = "showDisabledExternal"; //$NON-NLS-1$
+	private FilteredTree fFilteredTree;
 	private TreeViewer fTreeViewer;
 	private DrillDownAdapter fDrillDownAdapter;
 	private final IPropertyChangeListener fPropertyListener;
@@ -228,7 +232,8 @@ public void dispose() {
 
 	@Override
 	public void createPartControl(Composite parent) {
-		fTreeViewer = new TreeViewer(parent, SWT.MULTI | SWT.V_SCROLL | SWT.H_SCROLL);
+		fFilteredTree = new FilteredTree(parent, SWT.MULTI | SWT.V_SCROLL | SWT.H_SCROLL, new PatternFilter(), true, true);
+		fTreeViewer = fFilteredTree.getViewer();
 		fTreeViewer.setUseHashlookup(true);
 		fDrillDownAdapter = new DrillDownAdapter(fTreeViewer);
 		fTreeViewer.setContentProvider(new PluginsContentProvider(this));
@@ -834,6 +839,13 @@ private void hookDoubleClickAction() {
 
 	@Override
 	public void setFocus() {
+		if (fFilteredTree != null) {
+			Control c = fFilteredTree.getFilterControl();
+			if (c != null && !c.isFocusControl()) {
+				c.setFocus();
+				return;
+			}
+		}
 		fTreeViewer.getTree().setFocus();
 	}