diff --git a/src/features/gifPicker/GifPickerDialog.tsx b/src/features/gifPicker/GifPickerDialog.tsx
index 24476d08fd..08d126b876 100644
--- a/src/features/gifPicker/GifPickerDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/features/gifPicker/GifPickerDialog.tsx
@@ -100,9 +100,12 @@ function GifPickerBody({
   const items = isRecentsActive ? getRecents() : networkItems
   const hasData = items.length > 0
 
-  // Remount the grid when the data source changes so FlatList doesn't carry
-  // stale virtualized cells between e.g. a search and the recents list.
-  const viewKey = isRecentsActive ? 'recents' : `network:${effectiveSearch}`
+  // Remount the grid only when switching between the network view and the
+  // local recents list, so FlatList doesn't carry stale virtualized cells
+  // across that boundary. Within the network view we rely on normal React
+  // reconciliation as `items` changes — remounting on every search keystroke
+  // would blur the sticky-header search input.
+  const viewKey = isRecentsActive ? 'recents' : 'network'
 
   const onEndReached = () => {
     if (isRecentsActive) return
@@ -142,7 +145,7 @@ function GifPickerBody({
       <GifPickerHeader
         inputRef={textInputRef}
         onChangeText={onChangeSearch}
-        onClose={() => control.close()}
+        onGoBack={onGoBack}
         onEscape={() => control.close()}
       />
       {showPills && (
diff --git a/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifPickerGrid.tsx b/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifPickerGrid.tsx
index dccb3c094c..5d3870954e 100644
--- a/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifPickerGrid.tsx
+++ b/src/features/gifPicker/components/GifPickerGrid.tsx
@@ -16,9 +16,10 @@ type Props = {
   isFetchingNextPage: boolean
   error: unknown
   /**
-   * Identifies the current data source (e.g. "recents", "trending", a search
-   * term). Used to remount the underlying FlatList when switching sources so
-   * virtualized cells from the previous view can't bleed into the next one.
+   * Identifies the current data source at a coarse grain ("recents" vs
+   * "network"). Used to remount the underlying FlatList when crossing that
+   * boundary so virtualized cells from the previous view can't bleed into the
+   * next one.
    */
   viewKey: string
   fetchNextPage: () => Promise<unknown>