diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/Highlight.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/Highlight.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..77ae003c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/Highlight.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,121 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc. and its affiliates.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
+ *
+ * @format
+ */
+
+import styled from '@emotion/styled';
+import {colors} from './colors';
+import React, {
+  useEffect,
+  memo,
+  useState,
+  useRef,
+  useMemo,
+  createContext,
+  useContext,
+} from 'react';
+import {debounce} from 'lodash';
+
+const Highlighted = styled.span({
+  backgroundColor: colors.lemon,
+});
+
+export interface HighlightManager {
+  setFilter(text: string | undefined): void;
+  render(text: string): React.ReactNode;
+}
+
+function createHighlightManager(initialText: string = ''): HighlightManager {
+  const callbacks = new Set<(prev: string, next: string) => void>();
+  let matches = 0;
+  let currentFilter = initialText;
+
+  const Highlight: React.FC<{text: string}> = memo(({text}) => {
+    const [_update, setUpdate] = useState(0);
+    const elem = useRef<HTMLSpanElement | null>(null);
+    useEffect(() => {
+      function onChange(prevHighlight: string, newHighlight: string) {
+        const prevIndex = text.toLowerCase().indexOf(prevHighlight);
+        const newIndex = text.toLowerCase().indexOf(newHighlight);
+        if (prevIndex !== newIndex || newIndex !== -1) {
+          // either we had a result, and we have no longer,
+          // or we still have a result, but the highlightable text changed
+          if (newIndex !== -1) {
+            if (++matches === 1) {
+              elem.current?.parentElement?.parentElement?.scrollIntoView?.();
+            }
+          }
+          setUpdate((s) => s + 1);
+        }
+      }
+      callbacks.add(onChange);
+      return () => {
+        callbacks.delete(onChange);
+      };
+    }, [text]);
+
+    const index = text.toLowerCase().indexOf(currentFilter);
+    if (index === -1) {
+      return <span>{text}</span>;
+    }
+    return (
+      <span ref={elem}>
+        {text.substr(0, index)}
+        <Highlighted>{text.substr(index, currentFilter.length)}</Highlighted>
+        {text.substr(index + currentFilter.length)}
+      </span>
+    );
+  });
+
+  return {
+    setFilter: debounce((text: string = '') => {
+      if (currentFilter !== text) {
+        matches = 0;
+        const base = currentFilter;
+        currentFilter = text.toLowerCase();
+        callbacks.forEach((cb) => cb(base, currentFilter));
+      }
+    }, 100),
+    render(text: string) {
+      return <Highlight text={text} />;
+    },
+  };
+}
+
+export const HighlightContext = createContext<HighlightManager>({
+  setFilter(_text: string) {
+    throw new Error('Cannot set the filter of a stub highlight manager');
+  },
+  render(text: string) {
+    // stub implementation in case we render a component without a Highlight context
+    return text;
+  },
+});
+
+export function HighlightProvider({
+  text,
+  children,
+}: {
+  text: string | undefined;
+  children: React.ReactElement;
+}) {
+  const highlightManager = useMemo(() => createHighlightManager(text), []);
+
+  useEffect(() => {
+    highlightManager.setFilter(text);
+  }, [text]);
+
+  return (
+    <HighlightContext.Provider value={highlightManager}>
+      {children}
+    </HighlightContext.Provider>
+  );
+}
+
+export function useHighlighter(): HighlightManager {
+  return useContext(HighlightContext);
+}
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataDescription.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataDescription.tsx
index 6d9f579a0..fe89c15dc 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataDescription.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataDescription.tsx
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ import {colors} from '../colors';
 import Input from '../Input';
 import React, {KeyboardEvent} from 'react';
 import Glyph from '../Glyph';
-import {Highlight} from './Highlight';
+import {HighlightContext} from '../Highlight';
 
 const NullValue = styled.span({
   color: 'rgb(128, 128, 128)',
@@ -85,7 +85,6 @@ type DataDescriptionProps = {
   value: any;
   extra?: any;
   setValue: DataInspectorSetValue | null | undefined;
-  highlight?: string;
 };
 
 type DescriptionCommitOptions = {
@@ -280,14 +279,13 @@ export default class DataDescription extends PureComponent<
           editable={Boolean(this.props.setValue)}
           commit={this.commit}
           onEdit={this.onEditStart}
-          highlight={this.props.highlight}
         />
       );
     }
   }
 }
 
-class ColorEditor extends Component<{
+class ColorEditor extends PureComponent<{
   value: any;
   colorSet?: Array<string | number>;
   commit: (opts: DescriptionCommitOptions) => void;
@@ -449,7 +447,6 @@ class DataDescriptionPreview extends Component<{
   editable: boolean;
   commit: (opts: DescriptionCommitOptions) => void;
   onEdit?: () => void;
-  highlight?: string;
 }> {
   onClick = () => {
     const {onEdit} = this.props;
@@ -467,7 +464,6 @@ class DataDescriptionPreview extends Component<{
         value={value}
         editable={this.props.editable}
         commit={this.props.commit}
-        highlight={this.props.highlight}
       />
     );
 
@@ -548,8 +544,10 @@ class DataDescriptionContainer extends Component<{
   value: any;
   editable: boolean;
   commit: (opts: DescriptionCommitOptions) => void;
-  highlight?: string;
 }> {
+  static contextType = HighlightContext; // Replace with useHighlighter
+  context!: React.ContextType<typeof HighlightContext>;
+
   onChangeCheckbox = (e: React.ChangeEvent<HTMLInputElement>) => {
     this.props.commit({
       clear: true,
@@ -561,6 +559,7 @@ class DataDescriptionContainer extends Component<{
 
   render(): any {
     const {type, editable, value: val} = this.props;
+    const highlighter = this.context;
 
     switch (type) {
       case 'number':
@@ -615,9 +614,7 @@ class DataDescriptionContainer extends Component<{
         if (val.startsWith('http://') || val.startsWith('https://')) {
           return (
             <>
-              <Link href={val}>
-                <Highlight text={val} highlight={this.props.highlight} />
-              </Link>
+              <Link href={val}>{highlighter.render(val)}</Link>
               <Glyph
                 name="pencil"
                 variant="outline"
@@ -629,21 +626,12 @@ class DataDescriptionContainer extends Component<{
           );
         } else {
           return (
-            <StringValue>
-              <Highlight
-                text={`"${val || ''}"`}
-                highlight={this.props.highlight}
-              />
-            </StringValue>
+            <StringValue>{highlighter.render(`"${val || ''}"`)}</StringValue>
           );
         }
 
       case 'enum':
-        return (
-          <StringValue>
-            <Highlight text={val} highlight={this.props.highlight} />
-          </StringValue>
-        );
+        return <StringValue>{highlighter.render(val)}</StringValue>;
 
       case 'boolean':
         return editable ? (
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataInspector.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataInspector.tsx
index 38e2c9245..5af227db2 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataInspector.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataInspector.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ import deepEqual from 'deep-equal';
 import React from 'react';
 import {TooltipOptions} from '../TooltipProvider';
 import {shallowEqual} from 'react-redux';
-import {Highlight} from './Highlight';
+import {HighlightContext} from '../Highlight';
 
 export {DataValueExtractor} from './DataPreview';
 
@@ -154,10 +154,6 @@ type DataInspectorProps = {
    * Object of properties that will have tooltips
    */
   tooltips?: any;
-  /**
-   * Text to highlight, in case searching is used
-   */
-  highlight?: string;
 };
 
 const defaultValueExtractor: DataValueExtractor = (value: any) => {
@@ -321,6 +317,9 @@ export default class DataInspector extends Component<
   DataInspectorProps,
   DataInspectorState
 > {
+  static contextType = HighlightContext; // Replace with useHighlighter
+  context!: React.ContextType<typeof HighlightContext>;
+
   static defaultProps: {
     expanded: DataInspectorExpanded;
     depth: number;
@@ -390,8 +389,7 @@ export default class DataInspector extends Component<
       nextProps.onDelete !== props.onDelete ||
       nextProps.setValue !== props.setValue ||
       nextProps.collapsed !== props.collapsed ||
-      nextProps.expandRoot !== props.expandRoot ||
-      nextProps.highlight !== props.highlight
+      nextProps.expandRoot !== props.expandRoot
     );
   }
 
@@ -558,10 +556,10 @@ export default class DataInspector extends Component<
       ancestry,
       collapsed,
       tooltips,
-      highlight,
     } = this.props;
 
     const {resDiff, isExpandable, isExpanded, res} = this.state;
+    const highlighter = this.context; // useHighlighter();
 
     if (!res) {
       return null;
@@ -619,7 +617,6 @@ export default class DataInspector extends Component<
               data={metadata.data}
               diff={metadata.diff}
               tooltips={tooltips}
-              highlight={highlight}
             />
           );
 
@@ -657,9 +654,7 @@ export default class DataInspector extends Component<
           title={tooltips != null && tooltips[name]}
           key="name"
           options={nameTooltipOptions}>
-          <InspectorName>
-            <Highlight text={name} highlight={this.props.highlight} />
-          </InspectorName>
+          <InspectorName>{highlighter.render(name)}</InspectorName>
         </Tooltip>,
       );
       nameElems.push(<span key="sep">: </span>);
@@ -675,7 +670,6 @@ export default class DataInspector extends Component<
           type={type}
           value={value}
           extra={extra}
-          highlight={highlight}
         />
       );
     } else {
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataPreview.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataPreview.tsx
index 67423b693..0755915d4 100755
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataPreview.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/DataPreview.tsx
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ export default class DataPreview extends PureComponent<{
 
         propertyNodes.push(
           <span key={key}>
-            <InspectorName>Highlight{key}</InspectorName>
+            <InspectorName>{key}</InspectorName>
             {ellipsis}
           </span>,
         );
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/Highlight.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/Highlight.tsx
deleted file mode 100644
index b0afb12aa..000000000
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/Highlight.tsx
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,36 +0,0 @@
-/**
- * Copyright (c) Facebook, Inc. and its affiliates.
- *
- * This source code is licensed under the MIT license found in the
- * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree.
- *
- * @format
- */
-
-import styled from '@emotion/styled';
-import {colors} from '../colors';
-import React from 'react';
-
-const Highlighted = styled.span({
-  backgroundColor: colors.lemon,
-});
-
-export const Highlight: React.FC<{text: string; highlight?: string}> = ({
-  text,
-  highlight,
-}) => {
-  if (!highlight) {
-    return <span>{text}</span>;
-  }
-  const index = text.toLowerCase().indexOf(highlight.toLowerCase());
-  if (index === -1) {
-    return <span>{text}</span>;
-  }
-  return (
-    <span>
-      {text.substr(0, index)}
-      <Highlighted>{text.substr(index, highlight.length)}</Highlighted>
-      {text.substr(index + highlight.length)}
-    </span>
-  );
-};
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/ManagedDataInspector.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/ManagedDataInspector.tsx
index 19c372771..5a1531849 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/ManagedDataInspector.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/ManagedDataInspector.tsx
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ import {PureComponent} from 'react';
 import DataInspector from './DataInspector';
 import React from 'react';
 import {DataValueExtractor} from './DataPreview';
+import {HighlightProvider} from '../Highlight';
 
 type ManagedDataInspectorProps = {
   /**
@@ -147,19 +148,20 @@ export default class ManagedDataInspector extends PureComponent<
 
   render() {
     return (
-      <DataInspector
-        data={this.props.data}
-        diff={this.props.diff}
-        extractValue={this.props.extractValue}
-        setValue={this.props.setValue}
-        expanded={this.state.expanded}
-        onExpanded={this.onExpanded}
-        onDelete={this.props.onDelete}
-        expandRoot={this.props.expandRoot}
-        collapsed={this.props.filter ? true : this.props.collapsed}
-        tooltips={this.props.tooltips}
-        highlight={this.props.filter}
-      />
+      <HighlightProvider text={this.props.filter}>
+        <DataInspector
+          data={this.props.data}
+          diff={this.props.diff}
+          extractValue={this.props.extractValue}
+          setValue={this.props.setValue}
+          expanded={this.state.expanded}
+          onExpanded={this.onExpanded}
+          onDelete={this.props.onDelete}
+          expandRoot={this.props.expandRoot}
+          collapsed={this.props.filter ? true : this.props.collapsed}
+          tooltips={this.props.tooltips}
+        />
+      </HighlightProvider>
     );
   }
 }
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/__tests__/DataInspector.node.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/__tests__/DataInspector.node.tsx
index ca535b20d..e7b472b8f 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/__tests__/DataInspector.node.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/data-inspector/__tests__/DataInspector.node.tsx
@@ -8,10 +8,11 @@
  */
 
 import * as React from 'react';
-import {render, fireEvent, waitFor} from '@testing-library/react';
+import {render, fireEvent, waitFor, act} from '@testing-library/react';
 
 jest.mock('../../../../fb/Logger');
 import ManagedDataInspector from '../ManagedDataInspector';
+import {sleep} from '../../../../utils';
 
 const mocks = {
   requestIdleCallback(fn: Function) {
@@ -105,14 +106,19 @@ test('can filter for data', async () => {
   );
   await res.findByText(/awesomely/); // everything is shown
 
-  res.rerender(
-    <ManagedDataInspector
-      data={json}
-      collapsed={false}
-      expandRoot
-      filter="sOn"
-    />,
-  );
+  // act here is used to make sure the highlight changes have propagated
+  await act(async () => {
+    res.rerender(
+      <ManagedDataInspector
+        data={json}
+        collapsed={false}
+        expandRoot
+        filter="sOn"
+      />,
+    );
+    await sleep(200);
+  });
+
   const element = await res.findByText(/son/); // N.B. search for 'son', as the text was split up
   // snapshot to make sure the hilighiting did it's job
   expect(element.parentElement).toMatchInlineSnapshot(`
@@ -132,23 +138,36 @@ test('can filter for data', async () => {
   });
 
   // find by key
-  res.rerender(
-    <ManagedDataInspector
-      data={json}
-      collapsed={false}
-      expandRoot
-      filter="somel"
-    />,
-  );
+  await act(async () => {
+    res.rerender(
+      <ManagedDataInspector
+        data={json}
+        collapsed={false}
+        expandRoot
+        filter="somel"
+      />,
+    );
+    await sleep(200);
+  });
+
   await res.findByText(/cool/);
   // hides the other part of the tree
   await waitFor(() => {
     expect(res.queryByText(/json/)).toBeNull();
   });
 
-  res.rerender(
-    <ManagedDataInspector data={json} collapsed={false} expandRoot filter="" />,
-  );
+  await act(async () => {
+    res.rerender(
+      <ManagedDataInspector
+        data={json}
+        collapsed={false}
+        expandRoot
+        filter=""
+      />,
+    );
+    await sleep(200);
+  });
+
   // everything visible again
   await res.findByText(/awesomely/);
   await res.findByText(/json/);
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/elements-inspector/elements.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/elements-inspector/elements.tsx
index 0c9a3f1dd..3f40ec576 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/components/elements-inspector/elements.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/components/elements-inspector/elements.tsx
@@ -131,6 +131,7 @@ const ElementsRowAttributeValue = styled.span({
 });
 ElementsRowAttributeValue.displayName = 'Elements:ElementsRowAttributeValue';
 
+// Merge this functionality with components/Highlight
 class PartialHighlight extends PureComponent<{
   selected: boolean;
   highlighted: string | undefined | null;
diff --git a/desktop/app/src/ui/index.tsx b/desktop/app/src/ui/index.tsx
index b559f5751..3c458d499 100644
--- a/desktop/app/src/ui/index.tsx
+++ b/desktop/app/src/ui/index.tsx
@@ -175,3 +175,4 @@ export {default as Info} from './components/Info';
 export {default as Bordered} from './components/Bordered';
 export {default as AlternatingRows} from './components/AlternatingRows';
 export {default as Layout} from './components/Layout';
+export * from './components/Highlight';