diff --git a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/litho/DebugComponentDescriptor.java b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/litho/DebugComponentDescriptor.java
index ba5c7d8f8..6a6c08b7f 100644
--- a/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/litho/DebugComponentDescriptor.java
+++ b/android/src/main/java/com/facebook/flipper/plugins/litho/DebugComponentDescriptor.java
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ public class DebugComponentDescriptor extends NodeDescriptor<DebugComponent> {
   @Override
   public boolean matches(String query, DebugComponent node) throws Exception {
     NodeDescriptor descriptor = descriptorForClass(Object.class);
-    return descriptor.matches(query, node);
+    return descriptor.matches(query, node) || getId(node).equals(query);
   }
 
   private static void applyLayoutOverride(
diff --git a/src/plugins/layout/Search.js b/src/plugins/layout/Search.js
index 99a852340..a70a5d2ab 100644
--- a/src/plugins/layout/Search.js
+++ b/src/plugins/layout/Search.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ type Props = {
   onSearchResults: (searchResults: ElementSearchResultSet) => void,
   setPersistedState: (state: $Shape<PersistedState>) => void,
   persistedState: PersistedState,
+  initialQuery: ?string,
 };
 
 type State = {
@@ -67,6 +68,16 @@ export default class Search extends Component<Props, State> {
     }
   };
 
+  componentDidMount() {
+    if (this.props.initialQuery) {
+      const queryString = this.props.initialQuery
+        ? this.props.initialQuery
+        : '';
+      clearTimeout(this.timer);
+      this.timer = setTimeout(() => this.performSearch(queryString), 200);
+    }
+  }
+
   performSearch(query: string) {
     this.setState({
       outstandingSearchQuery: query,
diff --git a/src/plugins/layout/index.js b/src/plugins/layout/index.js
index ba26f3401..8ab629b52 100644
--- a/src/plugins/layout/index.js
+++ b/src/plugins/layout/index.js
@@ -94,7 +94,12 @@ export default class Layout extends FlipperPlugin<State, void, PersistedState> {
       }
     });
 
-    this.setState({init: true});
+    this.setState({
+      init: true,
+      selectedElement: this.props.deepLinkPayload
+        ? this.props.deepLinkPayload
+        : null,
+    });
   }
 
   onToggleTargetMode = () => {
@@ -201,6 +206,7 @@ export default class Layout extends FlipperPlugin<State, void, PersistedState> {
                   this.setState({searchResults})
                 }
                 inAXMode={this.state.inAXMode}
+                initialQuery={this.props.deepLinkPayload}
               />
             </Toolbar>