Index: doc/html/_static/doctools.js
===================================================================
--- doc/html/_static/doctools.js	(revision 55474303e5251a0885391f64d2999489be5196fd)
+++ doc/html/_static/doctools.js	(revision 299c79c00241e6f0fbb1e0e96048951cc5b871f5)
@@ -155,7 +155,5 @@
     this.highlightSearchWords();
     this.initIndexTable();
-    if (DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.NAVIGATION_WITH_KEYS) {
-      this.initOnKeyListeners();
-    }
+    this.initOnKeyListeners();
   },
 
@@ -270,4 +268,11 @@
   },
 
+   /**
+   * helper function to focus on search bar
+   */
+  focusSearchBar : function() {
+    $('input[name=q]').first().focus();
+  },
+
   /**
    * make the url absolute
@@ -292,25 +297,52 @@
 
   initOnKeyListeners: function() {
+    // only install a listener if it is really needed
+    if (!DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.NAVIGATION_WITH_KEYS &&
+        !DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.ENABLE_SEARCH_SHORTCUTS)
+        return;
+
     $(document).keydown(function(event) {
       var activeElementType = document.activeElement.tagName;
       // don't navigate when in search box, textarea, dropdown or button
       if (activeElementType !== 'TEXTAREA' && activeElementType !== 'INPUT' && activeElementType !== 'SELECT'
-          && activeElementType !== 'BUTTON' && !event.altKey && !event.ctrlKey && !event.metaKey
-          && !event.shiftKey) {
-        switch (event.keyCode) {
-          case 37: // left
-            var prevHref = $('link[rel="prev"]').prop('href');
-            if (prevHref) {
-              window.location.href = prevHref;
-              return false;
-            }
-            break;
-          case 39: // right
-            var nextHref = $('link[rel="next"]').prop('href');
-            if (nextHref) {
-              window.location.href = nextHref;
-              return false;
-            }
-            break;
+          && activeElementType !== 'BUTTON') {
+        if (event.altKey || event.ctrlKey || event.metaKey)
+          return;
+
+          if (!event.shiftKey) {
+            switch (event.key) {
+              case 'ArrowLeft':
+                if (!DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.NAVIGATION_WITH_KEYS)
+                  break;
+                var prevHref = $('link[rel="prev"]').prop('href');
+                if (prevHref) {
+                  window.location.href = prevHref;
+                  return false;
+                }
+                break;
+              case 'ArrowRight':
+                if (!DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.NAVIGATION_WITH_KEYS)
+                  break;
+                var nextHref = $('link[rel="next"]').prop('href');
+                if (nextHref) {
+                  window.location.href = nextHref;
+                  return false;
+                }
+                break;
+              case 'Escape':
+                if (!DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.ENABLE_SEARCH_SHORTCUTS)
+                  break;
+                Documentation.hideSearchWords();
+                return false;
+          }
+        }
+
+        // some keyboard layouts may need Shift to get /
+        switch (event.key) {
+          case '/':
+            if (!DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.ENABLE_SEARCH_SHORTCUTS)
+              break;
+            Documentation.focusSearchBar();
+            return false;
         }
       }
Index: doc/html/_static/documentation_options.js
===================================================================
--- doc/html/_static/documentation_options.js	(revision 55474303e5251a0885391f64d2999489be5196fd)
+++ doc/html/_static/documentation_options.js	(revision 299c79c00241e6f0fbb1e0e96048951cc5b871f5)
@@ -9,4 +9,6 @@
     HAS_SOURCE: true,
     SOURCELINK_SUFFIX: '.txt',
-    NAVIGATION_WITH_KEYS: false
+    NAVIGATION_WITH_KEYS: false,
+    SHOW_SEARCH_SUMMARY: true,
+    ENABLE_SEARCH_SHORTCUTS: true,
 };
Index: doc/html/_static/searchtools.js
===================================================================
--- doc/html/_static/searchtools.js	(revision 55474303e5251a0885391f64d2999489be5196fd)
+++ doc/html/_static/searchtools.js	(revision 299c79c00241e6f0fbb1e0e96048951cc5b871f5)
@@ -173,8 +173,4 @@
       // stem the word
       var word = stemmer.stemWord(tmp[i].toLowerCase());
-      // prevent stemmer from cutting word smaller than two chars
-      if(word.length < 3 && tmp[i].length >= 3) {
-        word = tmp[i];
-      }
       var toAppend;
       // select the correct list
@@ -277,5 +273,5 @@
             displayNextItem();
           }, 5);
-        } else if (DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.HAS_SOURCE) {
+        } else if (DOCUMENTATION_OPTIONS.SHOW_SEARCH_SUMMARY) {
           $.ajax({url: requestUrl,
                   dataType: "text",
@@ -294,5 +290,5 @@
                   }});
         } else {
-          // no source available, just display title
+          // just display title
           Search.output.append(listItem);
           setTimeout(function() {