diff --git a/src/components/navigator/NavigatorView.tsx b/src/components/navigator/NavigatorView.tsx
index b93b8d5..727d06b 100644
--- a/src/components/navigator/NavigatorView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/navigator/NavigatorView.tsx
@@ -14,8 +14,10 @@ import { NavigatorRoomCreatorView } from './views/NavigatorRoomCreatorView';
 import { NavigatorRoomInfoView } from './views/NavigatorRoomInfoView';
 import { NavigatorRoomLinkView } from './views/NavigatorRoomLinkView';
 import { NavigatorRoomSettingsView } from './views/room-settings/NavigatorRoomSettingsView';
+import { NavigatorEmptyStateView } from './views/search/NavigatorEmptyStateView';
 import { NavigatorSearchResultView } from './views/search/NavigatorSearchResultView';
 import { NavigatorSearchSavesResultView } from './views/search/NavigatorSearchSavesResultView';
+import { NavigatorSearchSkeletonView } from './views/search/NavigatorSearchSkeletonView';
 import { NavigatorSearchView } from './views/search/NavigatorSearchView';
 
 export const NavigatorView: FC<{}> = props =>
@@ -132,7 +134,7 @@ export const NavigatorView: FC<{}> = props =>
                             <FaPlus className="fa-icon" />
                         </NitroCard.TabItem>
                     </NitroCard.Tabs>
-                    <NitroCard.Content isLoading={ isFetching }>
+                    <NitroCard.Content>
                         { !isCreatorOpen &&
                             <div className="flex h-full overflow-hidden gap-2">
                                 { isOpenSavesSearches &&
@@ -140,13 +142,13 @@ export const NavigatorView: FC<{}> = props =>
                                         <NavigatorSearchSavesResultView searches={ navigatorSearches || [] } />
                                     </div> }
                                 <div className="flex flex-col w-full overflow-hidden gap-2">
-                                    <NavigatorSearchView />
+                                    <NavigatorSearchView searchResult={ searchResult } />
                                     <div ref={ elementRef } className="flex flex-col flex-1 min-h-0 overflow-auto gap-2">
+                                        { (isFetching && !searchResult) &&
+                                            <NavigatorSearchSkeletonView /> }
                                         { searchResult && searchResult.results.map((result, index) => <NavigatorSearchResultView key={ index } searchResult={ result } />) }
                                         { searchResult && (!searchResult.results || searchResult.results.length === 0) &&
-                                            <div className="nitro-card-panel px-3 py-2 text-sm text-muted">
-                                                { LocalizeText(searchResult.code === 'myworld_view' ? 'navigator.roomsettings.moderation.none' : 'navigator.search.returned.no.results') }
-                                            </div> }
+                                            <NavigatorEmptyStateView code={ searchResult.code } onCreateRoom={ () => useNavigatorUiStore.getState().openCreator() } /> }
                                     </div>
                                     <Flex className="nitro-card-divider pt-2 border-t gap-2">
                                         <Flex pointer alignItems="center" justifyContent="center"
diff --git a/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorEmptyStateView.tsx b/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorEmptyStateView.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5eb3ed0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorEmptyStateView.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,33 @@
+import { FC } from 'react';
+import { FaPlus, FaSearch } from 'react-icons/fa';
+import { LocalizeText } from '../../../../api';
+import { Button } from '../../../../common';
+
+interface NavigatorEmptyStateViewProps
+{
+    code: string;
+    onCreateRoom: () => void;
+}
+
+export const NavigatorEmptyStateView: FC<NavigatorEmptyStateViewProps> = props =>
+{
+    const { code, onCreateRoom } = props;
+
+    const isMyWorld = (code === 'myworld_view');
+    const messageKey = isMyWorld ? 'navigator.roomsettings.moderation.none' : 'navigator.search.returned.no.results';
+
+    return (
+        <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col items-center justify-center gap-3 px-4 py-8 text-center">
+            <div className="flex h-16 w-16 items-center justify-center rounded-full bg-black/5 text-muted">
+                <FaSearch size={ 26 } className="opacity-40" />
+            </div>
+            <div className="text-sm text-muted max-w-[240px]">
+                { LocalizeText(messageKey) }
+            </div>
+            <Button variant="primary" onClick={ onCreateRoom }>
+                <FaPlus className="fa-icon me-1" />
+                { LocalizeText('navigator.createroom.create') }
+            </Button>
+        </div>
+    );
+};
diff --git a/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchSkeletonView.tsx b/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchSkeletonView.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..95666d8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchSkeletonView.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,25 @@
+import { FC } from 'react';
+
+interface NavigatorSearchSkeletonViewProps
+{
+    rows?: number;
+}
+
+export const NavigatorSearchSkeletonView: FC<NavigatorSearchSkeletonViewProps> = props =>
+{
+    const { rows = 5 } = props;
+
+    return (
+        <div className="flex flex-col gap-2" aria-hidden="true">
+            { Array.from({ length: rows }).map((_, index) =>
+                <div key={ index } className="nitro-card-panel flex items-center gap-2 px-2 py-2">
+                    <div className="h-10 w-10 shrink-0 rounded bg-black/10 animate-pulse" />
+                    <div className="flex flex-1 flex-col gap-1">
+                        <div className="h-3 w-1/2 rounded bg-black/10 animate-pulse" />
+                        <div className="h-2.5 w-1/3 rounded bg-black/10 animate-pulse" />
+                    </div>
+                    <div className="h-4 w-8 shrink-0 rounded bg-black/10 animate-pulse" />
+                </div>) }
+        </div>
+    );
+};
diff --git a/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchView.tsx b/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchView.tsx
index a6b3185..ae595fa 100644
--- a/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchView.tsx
+++ b/src/components/navigator/views/search/NavigatorSearchView.tsx
@@ -1,15 +1,21 @@
+import { NavigatorSearchResultSet } from '@nitrots/nitro-renderer';
 import { FC, KeyboardEvent, useEffect, useState } from 'react';
 import { FaSearch } from 'react-icons/fa';
 import { INavigatorSearchFilter, LocalizeText, SearchFilterOptions } from '../../../../api';
 import { Button } from '../../../../common';
-import { useNavigatorData, useNavigatorSearch, useNavigatorUiStore } from '../../../../hooks';
+import { useNavigatorData, useNavigatorUiStore } from '../../../../hooks';
 
-export const NavigatorSearchView: FC<{}> = props =>
+interface NavigatorSearchViewProps
 {
+    searchResult: NavigatorSearchResultSet | null;
+}
+
+export const NavigatorSearchView: FC<NavigatorSearchViewProps> = props =>
+{
+    const { searchResult } = props;
     const [ searchFilterIndex, setSearchFilterIndex ] = useState(0);
     const [ inputText, setInputText ] = useState('');
     const { topLevelContext } = useNavigatorData();
-    const { searchResult } = useNavigatorSearch();
 
     // Sync the input text display when a server result arrives (e.g. on tab switch
     // or deep-link navigation that sets the filter through the store directly).
diff --git a/src/hooks/navigator/useNavigatorSearch.test.tsx b/src/hooks/navigator/useNavigatorSearch.test.tsx
index f6858f0..57722ff 100644
--- a/src/hooks/navigator/useNavigatorSearch.test.tsx
+++ b/src/hooks/navigator/useNavigatorSearch.test.tsx
@@ -1,8 +1,6 @@
 /* @vitest-environment jsdom */
 
-import { FlatCreatedEvent, NavigatorSearchEvent,
-    NavigatorSearchResultSet } from '@nitrots/nitro-renderer';
-import { QueryClient, QueryClientProvider } from '@tanstack/react-query';
+import { NavigatorSearchEvent, NavigatorSearchResultSet } from '@nitrots/nitro-renderer';
 import { act, cleanup, renderHook, waitFor } from '@testing-library/react';
 import { afterEach, beforeEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from 'vitest';
 import { mockEventDispatcher } from '../../nitro-renderer.mock';
@@ -13,23 +11,12 @@ import { useNavigatorSearch } from './useNavigatorSearch';
 // Helpers
 // ---------------------------------------------------------------------------
 
-/** Create a fresh QueryClient with retries off so failures are immediate. */
-const makeQueryClient = () =>
-    new QueryClient({
-        defaultOptions: {
-            queries: { retry: false, gcTime: 0 }
-        }
-    });
+// NOTE: useNavigatorSearch uses useMessageEvent + useState (NOT useNitroQuery).
+// The one-shot query pattern was reverted upstream (05d71dd1) because it left
+// the UI blank when the listener never matched. These tests exercise the
+// event-driven implementation directly — no QueryClient scaffolding.
 
-/** Wrapper factory — each test gets its own QueryClient instance. */
-const makeWrapper = (client: QueryClient) =>
-    ({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) => (
-        <QueryClientProvider client={ client }>
-            { children }
-        </QueryClientProvider>
-    );
-
-/** Build a fake NavigatorSearchEvent that getParser() returns a result with `code`. */
+/** Build a fake NavigatorSearchEvent whose getParser() returns a result with `code`. */
 const makeSearchEvent = (code: string) =>
 {
     // Cast constructors as `any` so tsgo doesn't check required args against
@@ -66,7 +53,6 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
 {
     beforeEach(() =>
     {
-        // Reset UI store state before each test
         useNavigatorUiStore.setState(INITIAL_UI);
     });
 
@@ -76,59 +62,44 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
         vi.clearAllMocks();
     });
 
-    it('1. with empty tabCode query is disabled — NavigatorSearchEvent does not update data', async () =>
+    it('1. with empty tabCode no fetch starts (the request effect is gated)', () =>
     {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch());
 
-        // Dispatch a search event — should be ignored (query disabled)
-        act(() =>
-        {
-            mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('public') as any);
-        });
-
-        // Data must stay null
-        expect(result.current.searchResult).toBeNull();
+        // No tab selected → the request effect short-circuits, nothing fetches.
         expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(false);
+        expect(result.current.searchResult).toBeNull();
     });
 
-    it('2. after setTab("public"), NavigatorSearchComposer is fired and NavigatorSearchEvent resolves query', async () =>
+    it('2. after setTab("public"), the hook starts fetching and a matching event resolves it', async () =>
     {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch());
 
-        // Activate the query
         act(() =>
         {
             useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setTab('public');
         });
 
-        // Hook should start fetching
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
 
-        // Simulate server response
         act(() =>
         {
             mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('public') as any);
         });
 
-        // Query should resolve with the matching result
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.searchResult).not.toBeNull());
         expect((result.current.searchResult as any).code).toBe('public');
         expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(false);
     });
 
-    it('3. after setFilter("cocco"), a new query fires and NavigatorSearchEvent resolves it', async () =>
+    it('3. after setFilter("cocco"), a new fetch fires and a matching event resolves it', async () =>
     {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch());
 
-        // First establish a tab
         act(() =>
         {
             useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setTab('public');
         });
-        // Resolve the initial query
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
         act(() =>
         {
@@ -136,7 +107,6 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
         });
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(false));
 
-        // Now set a filter — triggers new query
         act(() =>
         {
             useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setFilter('cocco');
@@ -144,7 +114,6 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
 
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
 
-        // Resolve with matching event
         act(() =>
         {
             mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('public') as any);
@@ -152,24 +121,19 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
 
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(false));
         expect((result.current.searchResult as any).code).toBe('public');
-
-        // Confirm filter is set
         expect(useNavigatorUiStore.getState().currentFilter).toBe('cocco');
     });
 
-    it('4. after setTab("events"), currentFilter resets to "" and new query fires for events', async () =>
+    it('4. after setTab("events"), currentFilter resets to "" and a new fetch fires for events', async () =>
     {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch());
 
-        // Establish public tab with a filter
         act(() =>
         {
             useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setTab('public');
             useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setFilter('some-filter');
         });
 
-        // Resolve the public+filter query
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
         act(() =>
         {
@@ -177,20 +141,16 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
         });
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(false));
 
-        // Switch to events tab — should atomically reset filter
         act(() =>
         {
             useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setTab('events');
         });
 
-        // Filter must be cleared
         expect(useNavigatorUiStore.getState().currentFilter).toBe('');
         expect(useNavigatorUiStore.getState().currentTabCode).toBe('events');
 
-        // New query for 'events' fires
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
 
-        // Resolve with events result
         act(() =>
         {
             mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('events') as any);
@@ -202,8 +162,7 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
 
     it('5. NavigatorSearchEvent with result.code === currentTabCode is accepted and updates data', async () =>
     {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch());
 
         act(() =>
         {
@@ -226,8 +185,7 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
 
     it('6. NavigatorSearchEvent with result.code !== currentTabCode is REJECTED — data unchanged', async () =>
     {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
+        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch());
 
         act(() =>
         {
@@ -236,67 +194,20 @@ describe('useNavigatorSearch', () =>
 
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
 
-        // Dispatch an event for a DIFFERENT tab — should be rejected by accept filter
         act(() =>
         {
             mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('wrong_tab') as any);
         });
 
-        // Still fetching — the wrong-tab event was ignored
-        // (the query promise stays pending until it times out or a matching event arrives)
-        // After the wrong-tab dispatch, data should NOT be updated
+        // The wrong-tab event is filtered out by the accept guard.
         expect(result.current.searchResult).toBeNull();
 
-        // Now dispatch the correct one to unblock the test
         act(() =>
         {
             mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('public') as any);
         });
 
         await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.searchResult).not.toBeNull());
-        // Only the correct-tab result is stored
         expect((result.current.searchResult as any).code).toBe('public');
     });
-
-    it('7. dispatching FlatCreatedEvent triggers query invalidation (refetch starts)', async () =>
-    {
-        const client = makeQueryClient();
-
-        // Spy on invalidateQueries to confirm the invalidator calls it
-        const invalidateSpy = vi.spyOn(client, 'invalidateQueries');
-
-        const { result } = renderHook(() => useNavigatorSearch(), { wrapper: makeWrapper(client) });
-
-        // Establish a resolved query so there is something to invalidate
-        act(() =>
-        {
-            useNavigatorUiStore.getState().setTab('public');
-        });
-        await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(true));
-        act(() =>
-        {
-            mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(makeSearchEvent('public') as any);
-        });
-        await waitFor(() => expect(result.current.isFetching).toBe(false));
-
-        // Dispatch FlatCreatedEvent — should trigger invalidateQueries
-        const flatCreatedEv = new (FlatCreatedEvent as any)() as any;
-        flatCreatedEv.getParser = () => ({ roomId: 999 });
-        act(() =>
-        {
-            mockEventDispatcher.dispatchEvent(flatCreatedEv as any);
-        });
-
-        await waitFor(() => expect(invalidateSpy).toHaveBeenCalled());
-
-        // The invalidation should target the 'navigator', 'search' key prefix
-        const calls = invalidateSpy.mock.calls;
-        const calledWithSearchKey = calls.some(call =>
-        {
-            const opts = call[0] as any;
-            const key: string[] = opts?.queryKey ?? [];
-            return key[0] === 'navigator' && key[1] === 'search';
-        });
-        expect(calledWithSearchKey).toBe(true);
-    });
 });