diff --git a/components/search/SearchResults.brs b/components/search/SearchResults.brs
index 42683e26..0eddf058 100644
--- a/components/search/SearchResults.brs
+++ b/components/search/SearchResults.brs
@@ -41,6 +41,13 @@ sub loadResults()
     m.searchSelect.itemdata = m.searchTask.results
     m.searchSelect.query = m.top.SearchAlpha
     m.searchHelpText.visible = false
+    if m.searchTask.results.TotalRecordCount = 0
+        ' make sure focus is on the keyboard
+        if m.searchSelect.isinFocusChain()
+            m.searchAlphabox.setFocus(true)
+        end if
+        return
+    end if
     m.searchAlphabox = m.top.findnode("searchResults")
     m.searchAlphabox.translation = "[470, 85]"
 end sub
@@ -63,8 +70,14 @@ function onKeyEvent(key as string, press as boolean) as boolean
     else if key = "play" and m.searchSelect.isinFocusChain() and m.searchSelect.rowItemFocused.count() > 0
         print "play was pressed from search results"
         if m.searchSelect.rowItemFocused <> invalid
-            m.top.quickPlayNode = m.searchSelect.content.getChild(m.searchSelect.rowItemFocused[0]).getChild(m.searchSelect.rowItemFocused[1])
-            return true
+            selectedContent = m.searchSelect.content.getChild(m.searchSelect.rowItemFocused[0])
+            if selectedContent <> invalid
+                selectedItem = selectedContent.getChild(m.searchSelect.rowItemFocused[1])
+                if selectedItem <> invalid
+                    m.top.quickPlayNode = selectedItem
+                    return true
+                end if
+            end if
         end if
     end if
     return false