diff --git a/src/musicplayer.gleam b/src/musicplayer.gleam
index b3cbcb3..0308d23 100644
--- a/src/musicplayer.gleam
+++ b/src/musicplayer.gleam
@@ -8,15 +8,13 @@ import musicplayer/ui/ui
 
 pub fn main() -> Nil {
   let input_keys_name: Name(Key) = process.new_name("input_keys")
-  let input_inject_name: Name(Key) = process.new_name("input_inject_keys")
 
-  input.new(input_keys_name, input_inject_name)
+  input.new(input_keys_name)
 
   let assert Ok(ui) = ui.new()
   let assert Ok(mpv) = mpv.new()
 
   let exit = process.new_subject()
-  let assert Ok(_) =
-    musicplayer.new(ui, mpv, input_keys_name, input_inject_name, exit)
+  let assert Ok(_) = musicplayer.new(ui, mpv, input_keys_name, exit)
   process.receive_forever(exit)
 }
diff --git a/src/musicplayer/control.gleam b/src/musicplayer/control.gleam
index c352494..386ceeb 100644
--- a/src/musicplayer/control.gleam
+++ b/src/musicplayer/control.gleam
@@ -2,26 +2,29 @@ import musicplayer/input/key.{type Key}
 
 pub type Control {
   TogglePlayPause
+  Search
 
-  Input(String)
-  Search(List(String))
+  Raw(String)
+  Return
+  Backspace
 
   Exit
 }
 
 pub fn from_key(key: Key) -> Result(Control, Nil) {
   case key {
-    key.Input(content) -> Ok(Input(content))
-    key.Char(char) -> char_control(char)
+    key.Return -> Ok(Return)
+    key.Backspace -> Ok(Backspace)
+    key.Char(char) -> Ok(char_control(char))
     _ -> Error(Nil)
   }
 }
 
-fn char_control(char: String) -> Result(Control, Nil) {
+fn char_control(char: String) -> Control {
   case char {
-    " " -> Ok(TogglePlayPause)
-    "/" -> Ok(Search([]))
-    "q" -> Ok(Exit)
-    _ -> Error(Nil)
+    " " -> TogglePlayPause
+    "/" -> Search
+    "q" -> Exit
+    _ -> Raw(char)
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/musicplayer/input/input.gleam b/src/musicplayer/input/input.gleam
index 87ff05a..a59e00d 100644
--- a/src/musicplayer/input/input.gleam
+++ b/src/musicplayer/input/input.gleam
@@ -2,22 +2,12 @@ import gleam/erlang/process.{type Name}
 
 import musicplayer/input/key.{type Key}
 
-/// `new` accepts two named subjects:
-///    - one to send the input to, and
-///    - one to receive injected input from
-///
-/// The subject for input injection is used to allow the `input` process that
-/// owns `read_input` to be able to register and receive from it, while
-/// the any other processes can use the name reference to inject input
-pub fn new(input_keys_name: Name(Key), input_inject_name: Name(Key)) -> Nil {
+/// `new` accepts a subject that all input will be sent to
+pub fn new(input_keys_name: Name(Key)) -> Nil {
   let _ =
     process.spawn(fn() {
       let input_keys = process.named_subject(input_keys_name)
-      let input_inject = process.named_subject(input_inject_name)
-
-      let assert Ok(_) = process.register(process.self(), input_inject_name)
-
-      key.read_input_until_key(input_keys, input_inject)
+      key.read_input_until_key(input_keys)
     })
 
   key.start_raw_shell()
diff --git a/src/musicplayer/input/key.gleam b/src/musicplayer/input/key.gleam
index 6c42c7c..5dd7e47 100644
--- a/src/musicplayer/input/key.gleam
+++ b/src/musicplayer/input/key.gleam
@@ -1,20 +1,21 @@
 import gleam/erlang/atom
 import gleam/erlang/process.{type Subject}
 import gleam/list
-import gleam/string
 
 import musicplayer/input/internal as internal_input
 
 pub type Key {
+  Continue(buffer: List(String))
   Char(String)
 
-  Input(String)
   Left
   Right
   Up
   Down
 
-  Continue(buffer: List(String))
+  Return
+  Backspace
+
   Unknown
 }
 
@@ -23,8 +24,9 @@ pub const esc = "\u{001B}"
 // control sequence introducer
 pub const csi = "["
 
-// input introducer
-pub const input_introducer = "::"
+pub const return = "\r"
+
+pub const backspace = "\u{007F}"
 
 pub fn from_list(l: List(String)) -> Key {
   case l {
@@ -35,18 +37,9 @@ pub fn from_list(l: List(String)) -> Key {
 
     [e, c] if e == esc && c == csi -> Continue(l)
 
-    [ci] | [ci, _] if ci == input_introducer -> Continue(l)
-    [ii, cmd, tail] if ii == input_introducer -> {
-      case tail {
-        // Return
-        "\r" -> Input(cmd)
-        // Backspace
-        "\u{007F}" -> Continue([ii, string.drop_end(cmd, 1)])
-        _ -> Continue([ii, cmd <> tail])
-      }
-    }
-
     [e] if e == esc -> Continue(l)
+    [bs] if bs == backspace -> Backspace
+    [rtn] if rtn == return -> Return
     [char] -> Char(char)
 
     [] -> Continue([])
@@ -60,35 +53,24 @@ pub fn start_raw_shell() {
   internal_input.shell_start_interactive(#(no_shell, raw))
 }
 
-pub fn read_input_until_key(
-  input_keys: Subject(Key),
-  input_inject: Subject(Key),
-) -> Nil {
-  case process.receive(input_inject, 1) {
-    Ok(Continue(buffer)) -> buffer
-    Ok(_) | Error(_) -> []
-  }
-  |> forward_input_to(input_keys)
-
-  read_input_until_key(input_keys, input_inject)
+pub fn read_input_until_key(input_keys: Subject(Key)) -> Nil {
+  read_input_until_key_loop([], input_keys)
 }
 
-pub fn forward_input_to(l: List(String), input_keys: Subject(Key)) -> Nil {
+pub fn read_input_until_key_loop(
+  l: List(String),
+  input_keys: Subject(Key),
+) -> Nil {
   case
     internal_input.read_input()
     |> list.wrap
     |> list.append(l, _)
     |> from_list
   {
-    Continue(l) -> {
-      case l {
-        [ii, cmd] if ii == input_introducer -> {
-          process.send(input_keys, Continue([cmd]))
-          forward_input_to(l, input_keys)
-        }
-        _ -> forward_input_to(l, input_keys)
-      }
+    Continue(l) -> read_input_until_key_loop(l, input_keys)
+    k -> {
+      process.send(input_keys, k)
+      read_input_until_key_loop([], input_keys)
     }
-    k -> process.send(input_keys, k)
   }
 }
diff --git a/src/musicplayer/musicplayer.gleam b/src/musicplayer/musicplayer.gleam
index deb4034..5a7b1ee 100644
--- a/src/musicplayer/musicplayer.gleam
+++ b/src/musicplayer/musicplayer.gleam
@@ -10,11 +10,21 @@ import musicplayer/mpv/control as mpv_control
 import musicplayer/ui/control as ui_control
 import musicplayer/ui/layout
 
-type State(ui, mpv, input_inject, exit) {
+type Mode {
+  Idle
+  Searching
+}
+
+type Input {
+  Input(capturing: Bool, content: String)
+}
+
+type State {
   State(
+    mode: Mode,
+    input: Input,
     ui: Subject(ui_control.Control),
     mpv: Subject(mpv_control.Control),
-    input_inject: Subject(Key),
     exit: Subject(Nil),
   )
 }
@@ -23,14 +33,14 @@ pub fn new(
   ui: Subject(ui_control.Control),
   mpv: Subject(mpv_control.Control),
   input_keys_name: Name(Key),
-  input_inject_name: Name(Key),
   exit: Subject(Nil),
 ) -> Result(Nil, String) {
   let input_keys = process.named_subject(input_keys_name)
-  let input_inject = process.named_subject(input_inject_name)
+
+  let input = Input(False, "")
 
   case
-    actor.new(State(ui, mpv, input_inject, exit))
+    actor.new(State(Idle, input, ui, mpv, exit))
     |> actor.on_message(handle_message)
     |> actor.start
   {
@@ -49,28 +59,53 @@ pub fn new(
   }
 }
 
-fn handle_message(
-  state: State(ui, mpv, input_inject, exit),
-  control: Control,
-) -> actor.Next(State(ui, mpv, input_inject, exit), Control) {
+fn handle_message(state: State, control: Control) -> actor.Next(State, Control) {
   case control {
-    control.Search([]) -> {
-      process.send(state.input_inject, key.Continue([key.input_introducer]))
+    control.Search -> {
       update_search(state.ui, "searching: ")
-      actor.continue(state)
+
+      actor.continue(
+        State(
+          ..state,
+          mode: Searching,
+          input: Input(..state.input, capturing: True),
+        ),
+      )
     }
-    control.Search(content) -> {
-      update_search(state.ui, "searching: " <> string.join(content, ""))
-      actor.continue(state)
+
+    control.Raw(content) -> {
+      let content = case state.mode {
+        Idle -> state.input.content
+        Searching -> {
+          let updated = state.input.content <> content
+          update_search(state.ui, "searching: " <> updated)
+          updated
+        }
+      }
+
+      actor.continue(State(..state, input: Input(..state.input, content:)))
     }
-    control.Input(_) -> {
-      update_search(state.ui, "")
-      actor.continue(state)
+    control.Backspace -> {
+      let content = case state.mode {
+        Idle -> state.input.content
+        Searching -> string.drop_end(state.input.content, 1)
+      }
+      actor.continue(State(..state, input: Input(..state.input, content:)))
+    }
+    control.Return -> {
+      // Note: state.input.content is now the final input, use it
+      // before it is reset
+      case state.mode {
+        Idle -> Nil
+        Searching -> update_search(state.ui, "")
+      }
+
+      actor.continue(
+        State(..state, mode: Idle, input: Input(capturing: False, content: "")),
+      )
     }
 
     control.TogglePlayPause -> {
-      echo "toggling play/pause"
-
       process.send(state.mpv, mpv_control.TogglePlayPause)
       update_playback_time(state.mpv, state.ui)
       actor.continue(state)
@@ -133,24 +168,14 @@ fn update_search(ui: Subject(ui_control.Control), content: String) -> Nil {
   process.send(ui, ui_control.UpdateState(layout.Search, content))
 }
 
-/// `handle_key` listens to a subject onto which `input` will send messages with
-/// `Key`s. The keys can be either be
-///  - instances of `Continue` which are "streamed"input, or
-///  - instances of "final" keys that are the result of "end of input"
+/// `handle_key` listens to a subject onto which `input` will send messages with `Key`s
 fn handle_key(musicplayer: Subject(Control), input_keys: Subject(Key)) -> Nil {
-  let _ = case
+  let _ =
     process.new_selector()
     |> process.select(input_keys)
     |> process.selector_receive_forever
-  {
-    key.Continue(buffer:) ->
-      Ok(process.send(musicplayer, control.Search(buffer)))
-
-    key ->
-      key
-      |> control.from_key
-      |> result.map(process.send(musicplayer, _))
-  }
+    |> control.from_key
+    |> result.map(process.send(musicplayer, _))
 
   handle_key(musicplayer, input_keys)
 }
diff --git a/test/musicplayer/input/input_test.gleam b/test/musicplayer/input/input_test.gleam
index bd1e947..0775ec2 100644
--- a/test/musicplayer/input/input_test.gleam
+++ b/test/musicplayer/input/input_test.gleam
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 import gleam/list
 import gleeunit
 
-import musicplayer/input/key.{type Key, Char, csi, esc, input_introducer as ii}
+import musicplayer/input/key.{type Key, Char, backspace, csi, esc, return}
 
 pub fn main() -> Nil {
   gleeunit.main()
@@ -27,11 +27,8 @@ pub fn key_from_list_test() {
   ]
 
   let input_tests = [
-    TestCase([ii], key.Continue([ii])),
-    TestCase([ii, "a"], key.Continue([ii, "a"])),
-    TestCase([ii, "a", "b"], key.Continue([ii, "ab"])),
-    TestCase([ii, "ab", "\u{007F}"], key.Continue([ii, "a"])),
-    TestCase([ii, "ab", "\r"], key.Input("ab")),
+    TestCase([return], key.Return),
+    TestCase([backspace], key.Backspace),
   ]
 
   let test_cases = [base_tests, char_tests, escape_tests, input_tests]