diff --git a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.cpp b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.cpp
index 8f18b92bf1..82e8aa2ff8 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.cpp
+++ b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.cpp
@@ -34,11 +34,16 @@ KItemListKeyboardSearchManager::~KItemListKeyboardSearchManager()
 {
 }
 
-void KItemListKeyboardSearchManager::addKeys(const QString& keys)
+bool KItemListKeyboardSearchManager::shouldClearSearchIfInputTimeReached()
 {
     const bool keyboardTimeWasValid = m_keyboardInputTime.isValid();
     const qint64 keyboardInputTimeElapsed = m_keyboardInputTime.restart();
-    if (keyboardInputTimeElapsed > m_timeout || !keyboardTimeWasValid) {
+    return (keyboardInputTimeElapsed > m_timeout) || !keyboardTimeWasValid;
+}
+
+void KItemListKeyboardSearchManager::addKeys(const QString& keys)
+{
+    if (shouldClearSearchIfInputTimeReached()) {
         m_searchedString.clear();
     }
 
diff --git a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.h b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.h
index 016907da67..29bec14141 100644
--- a/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.h
+++ b/src/kitemviews/private/kitemlistkeyboardsearchmanager.h
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ public:
     qint64 timeout() const;
 
     void cancelSearch();
+    bool shouldClearSearchIfInputTimeReached();
 
 public slots: