diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.html
index 152ef3d2f4..27d3a429a7 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.html
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ limitations under the License.
 <link rel="import" href="../../../bower_components/polymer/polymer.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../../../styles/gr-change-list-styles.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../../core/gr-navigation/gr-navigation.html">
+<link rel="import" href="../../shared/gr-cursor-manager/gr-cursor-manager.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../../shared/gr-rest-api-interface/gr-rest-api-interface.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../gr-change-list-item/gr-change-list-item.html">
 <link rel="import" href="../../../styles/shared-styles.html">
@@ -101,11 +102,17 @@ limitations under the License.
               visible-change-table-columns="[[visibleChangeTableColumns]]"
               show-number="[[showNumber]]"
               show-star="[[showStar]]"
+              tabindex="0"
               label-names="[[labelNames]]"></gr-change-list-item>
         </template>
       </template>
     </table>
     <gr-rest-api-interface id="restAPI"></gr-rest-api-interface>
+    <gr-cursor-manager
+        id="cursor"
+        index="{{selectedIndex}}"
+        scroll-behavior="keep-visible"
+        focus-on-move></gr-cursor-manager>
   </template>
   <script src="gr-change-list.js"></script>
 </dom-module>
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.js
index 262d1dc0ec..f66d8c8a89 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list.js
@@ -113,6 +113,10 @@
       keydown: '_scopedKeydownHandler',
     },
 
+    observers: [
+      '_sectionsChanged(sections.*)',
+    ],
+
     /**
      * Iron-a11y-keys-behavior catches keyboard events globally. Some keyboard
      * events must be scoped to a component level (e.g. `enter`) in order to not
@@ -194,7 +198,7 @@
     },
 
     _sectionHref(query) {
-      return `${this.getBaseUrl()}/q/${this.encodeURL(query, true)}`;
+      return Gerrit.Nav.getUrlForSearchQuery(query);
     },
 
     /**
@@ -234,10 +238,7 @@
           this.modifierPressed(e)) { return; }
 
       e.preventDefault();
-      // Compute absolute index of item that would come after final item.
-      const len = this._computeItemAbsoluteIndex(this.sections.length, 0);
-      if (this.selectedIndex === len - 1) { return; }
-      this.selectedIndex += 1;
+      this.$.cursor.next();
     },
 
     _handleKKey(e) {
@@ -245,8 +246,7 @@
           this.modifierPressed(e)) { return; }
 
       e.preventDefault();
-      if (this.selectedIndex === 0) { return; }
-      this.selectedIndex -= 1;
+      this.$.cursor.previous();
     },
 
     _handleOKey(e) {
@@ -317,5 +317,12 @@
     _getListItems() {
       return Polymer.dom(this.root).querySelectorAll('gr-change-list-item');
     },
+
+    _sectionsChanged() {
+      // Flush DOM operations so that the list item elements will be loaded.
+      Polymer.dom.flush();
+      this.$.cursor.stops = this._getListItems();
+      this.$.cursor.moveToStart();
+    },
   });
 })();
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list_test.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list_test.html
index bded5f6242..7b9fadf31c 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list_test.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/change-list/gr-change-list/gr-change-list_test.html
@@ -473,16 +473,6 @@ limitations under the License.
       }
     });
 
-    test('_sectionHref', () => {
-      assert.equal(
-          element._sectionHref('is:open owner:self'),
-          '/q/is:open+owner:self');
-      assert.equal(
-          element._sectionHref(
-              'is:open ((reviewer:self -is:ignored) OR assignee:self)'),
-          '/q/is:open+((reviewer:self+-is:ignored)+OR+assignee:self)');
-    });
-
     test('_computeItemAbsoluteIndex', () => {
       sandbox.stub(element, '_computeLabelNames');
       element.sections = [
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-navigation/gr-navigation.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-navigation/gr-navigation.html
index f30cc1ca4d..b59ad9dc9b 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-navigation/gr-navigation.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-navigation/gr-navigation.html
@@ -26,6 +26,9 @@ limitations under the License.
     //    - `changeNum`, required, String: the numeric ID of the change.
     //
     // - Gerrit.Nav.View.SEARCH:
+    //    - `query`, optional, String: the literal search query. If provided,
+    //        the string will be used as the query, and all other params will be
+    //        ignored.
     //    - `owner`, optional, String: the owner name.
     //    - `project`, optional, String: the project name.
     //    - `branch`, optional, String: the branch name.
@@ -136,6 +139,13 @@ limitations under the License.
         return this._generateUrl(params);
       },
 
+      getUrlForSearchQuery(query) {
+        return this._getUrlFor({
+          view: Gerrit.Nav.View.SEARCH,
+          query,
+        });
+      },
+
       /**
        * @param {!string} project The name of the project.
        * @param {boolean=} opt_openOnly When true, only search open changes in
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router.js b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router.js
index 60fd109ab9..5d26cb63cf 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router.js
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router.js
@@ -322,6 +322,10 @@
      * @return {string}
      */
     _generateSearchUrl(params) {
+      if (params.query) {
+        return '/q/' + this.encodeURL(params.query, true);
+      }
+
       const operators = [];
       if (params.owner) {
         operators.push('owner:' + this.encodeURL(params.owner, false));
diff --git a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router_test.html b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router_test.html
index 909235b840..7159e0aebc 100644
--- a/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router_test.html
+++ b/polygerrit-ui/app/elements/core/gr-router/gr-router_test.html
@@ -226,6 +226,10 @@ limitations under the License.
             '/q/owner:a%2525b+project:c%2525d+branch:e%2525f+' +
             'topic:"g%2525h"+status:op%2525en');
 
+        // The presence of the query param overrides other params.
+        params.query = 'foo$bar';
+        assert.equal(element._generateUrl(params), '/q/foo%2524bar');
+
         params = {
           view: Gerrit.Nav.View.SEARCH,
           statuses: ['a', 'b', 'c'],