diff --git a/src/ui/app.rs b/src/ui/app.rs
index f0bea7a..bceeba3 100644
--- a/src/ui/app.rs
+++ b/src/ui/app.rs
@@ -44,6 +44,23 @@ pub struct ToastMessage {
     pub expires_at: Instant,
 }
 
+const SLOW_SEARCH_THRESHOLD: Duration = Duration::from_millis(100);
+const FAST_SEARCH_THRESHOLD: Duration = Duration::from_millis(50);
+const DEBOUNCE_STEP_MS: u64 = 50;
+const MAX_EFFECTIVE_DEBOUNCE_MS: u64 = 1000;
+
+fn adjusted_debounce_ms(current: u64, floor: u64, duration: Duration) -> u64 {
+    let current = current.max(floor);
+
+    if duration > SLOW_SEARCH_THRESHOLD {
+        current.saturating_add(DEBOUNCE_STEP_MS).min(MAX_EFFECTIVE_DEBOUNCE_MS).max(floor)
+    } else if duration < FAST_SEARCH_THRESHOLD {
+        current.saturating_sub(DEBOUNCE_STEP_MS).max(floor)
+    } else {
+        current
+    }
+}
+
 pub struct App {
     pub input: String,
     pub character_index: usize,
@@ -80,6 +97,9 @@ pub struct App {
     last_input_time: Instant,
     pending_search: bool,
     last_search_query: String,
+    active_search_started_at: Option<(String, Instant)>,
+    pub last_search_duration: Option<Duration>,
+    pub effective_debounce_ms: u64,
 }
 
 impl App {
@@ -107,6 +127,7 @@ impl App {
 
         let manager = Arc::new(managers::get_system_manager(&config));
         let available_managers = managers::get_available_managers();
+        let effective_debounce_ms = config.settings.search_debounce_ms;
 
         let current_tab = match config.settings.default_tab.as_str() {
             "Installed" => Tab::Installed,
@@ -149,6 +170,9 @@ impl App {
             last_input_time: Instant::now(),
             pending_search: false,
             last_search_query: String::new(),
+            active_search_started_at: None,
+            last_search_duration: None,
+            effective_debounce_ms,
         };
 
         if app.current_tab != Tab::Search {
@@ -240,10 +264,10 @@ impl App {
 
     /// Checks if the debounce period has passed and executes the search if necessary.
     fn check_and_execute_search(&mut self) {
-        let debounce_ms = self.config.settings.search_debounce_ms;
+        self.sync_debounce_floor();
 
         if self.pending_search
-            && self.last_input_time.elapsed() >= Duration::from_millis(debounce_ms)
+            && self.last_input_time.elapsed() >= Duration::from_millis(self.effective_debounce_ms)
         {
             let query = self.input.trim().to_string();
 
@@ -251,6 +275,7 @@ impl App {
                 self.last_search_query = query.clone();
                 self.pending_search = false;
                 self.loading = true;
+                self.active_search_started_at = Some((query.clone(), Instant::now()));
 
                 let tx = self.result_tx.clone();
                 let manager = self.manager.clone();
@@ -262,12 +287,41 @@ impl App {
                 });
             } else if query.is_empty() {
                 self.pending_search = false;
+                self.active_search_started_at = None;
                 self.packages.clear();
                 self.messages.clear();
                 self.loading = false;
             }
         }
     }
+
+    fn sync_debounce_floor(&mut self) {
+        let floor = self.config.settings.search_debounce_ms;
+        if self.effective_debounce_ms < floor {
+            self.effective_debounce_ms = floor;
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn record_search_duration(&mut self, query: &str) {
+        let Some((active_query, started_at)) = self.active_search_started_at.take() else {
+            return;
+        };
+
+        if active_query != query {
+            self.active_search_started_at = Some((active_query, started_at));
+            return;
+        }
+
+        let duration = started_at.elapsed();
+        self.last_search_duration = Some(duration);
+        self.adjust_effective_debounce(duration);
+    }
+
+    fn adjust_effective_debounce(&mut self, duration: Duration) {
+        let floor = self.config.settings.search_debounce_ms;
+        self.effective_debounce_ms =
+            adjusted_debounce_ms(self.effective_debounce_ms, floor, duration);
+    }
     fn run_command(
         &self,
         terminal: &mut DefaultTerminal,
@@ -348,6 +402,7 @@ impl App {
         self.messages.clear();
         self.checked.clear();
         self.last_search_query.clear();
+        self.active_search_started_at = None;
         self.selected = 0;
         self.list_state.select(None);
         self.details_state = DetailsState::Empty;
@@ -576,6 +631,10 @@ impl App {
                 };
 
                 if is_current_tab_result {
+                    if matches!(self.current_tab, Tab::Search) {
+                        self.record_search_duration(&q);
+                    }
+
                     self.packages = pkgs;
 
                     self.checked = self
@@ -1106,6 +1165,7 @@ impl App {
             3 => {
                 if let Ok(n) = val.parse() {
                     self.config.settings.search_debounce_ms = n;
+                    self.sync_debounce_floor();
                     saved = true;
                 }
             }
@@ -1156,3 +1216,28 @@ impl App {
         }
     }
 }
+
+#[cfg(test)]
+mod tests {
+    use super::adjusted_debounce_ms;
+    use std::time::Duration;
+
+    #[test]
+    fn slow_searches_raise_debounce_until_cap() {
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(200, 200, Duration::from_millis(101)), 250);
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(990, 200, Duration::from_millis(150)), 1000);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn fast_searches_decay_toward_configured_floor() {
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(300, 200, Duration::from_millis(20)), 250);
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(220, 200, Duration::from_millis(20)), 200);
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(150, 200, Duration::from_millis(20)), 200);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn mid_range_searches_leave_debounce_unchanged() {
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(350, 200, Duration::from_millis(75)), 350);
+        assert_eq!(adjusted_debounce_ms(150, 200, Duration::from_millis(75)), 200);
+    }
+}