diff --git a/Tomboy/RecentChanges.cs b/Tomboy/RecentChanges.cs
index fdca069..400b4d6 100644
--- a/Tomboy/RecentChanges.cs
+++ b/Tomboy/RecentChanges.cs
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ namespace Tomboy
 			find_combo.Changed += OnEntryChanged;
 			find_combo.Entry.ActivatesDefault = false;
 			find_combo.Entry.Activated += OnEntryActivated;
+			find_combo.Entry.FocusInEvent += OnSearchBoxFocused;
 			if (previous_searches != null) {
 				foreach (string prev in previous_searches) {
 					find_combo.AppendText (prev);
@@ -767,6 +768,9 @@ namespace Tomboy
 				tree.ActivateRow (path, column);
 				break;
 			case Gdk.EventType.ButtonPress:
+				// Enable the Delete Note option in the menu bar, which might have been
+				// disabled in case the focus was in the search combo box perviously.
+				Tomboy.ActionManager ["DeleteNoteAction"].Sensitive = true;
 				if (args.Event.Button == 3) {
 					Gtk.Menu menu = Tomboy.ActionManager.GetWidget (
 						"/MainWindowContextMenu") as Gtk.Menu;
@@ -1176,6 +1180,13 @@ namespace Tomboy
 			AddToPreviousSearches (SearchText);
 		}
 
+		// called when the user moves the focus in the search combo box
+		void OnSearchBoxFocused (object sender, EventArgs args)
+		{
+			// disable the Delete Note option in the menu bar (bug #647462)
+			Tomboy.ActionManager ["DeleteNoteAction"].Sensitive = false;
+		}
+		
 		void AddToPreviousSearches (string text)
 		{
 			// Update previous searches, by adding a new term to the
