diff --git a/static/js/click_handlers.js b/static/js/click_handlers.js
index 5917849fe8..c5bca870e8 100644
--- a/static/js/click_handlers.js
+++ b/static/js/click_handlers.js
@@ -367,6 +367,12 @@ exports.initialize = function () {
     // Wait for user to go idle before initiating search.
     }, 300));
 
+    $('body').on('click', '#recent_topics_search_clear', function (e) {
+        e.stopPropagation();
+        $('#recent_topics_search').val("");
+        recent_topics.update_filters_view();
+    });
+
     // RECIPIENT BARS
 
     function get_row_id_for_narrowing(narrow_link_elem) {
diff --git a/static/styles/recent_topics.scss b/static/styles/recent_topics.scss
index 3507ec7fdc..a6c80a3a46 100644
--- a/static/styles/recent_topics.scss
+++ b/static/styles/recent_topics.scss
@@ -92,6 +92,10 @@
             flex-grow: 1;
         }
 
+        #recent_topics_search_clear {
+            margin-top: -10px !important;
+        }
+
         .btn-recent-filters {
             border-radius: 40px;
             margin: 0 5px 10px 0;
diff --git a/static/templates/recent_topics_table.hbs b/static/templates/recent_topics_table.hbs
index 82a60f517b..986212af38 100644
--- a/static/templates/recent_topics_table.hbs
+++ b/static/templates/recent_topics_table.hbs
@@ -3,6 +3,9 @@
         {{> recent_topics_filters}}
     </div>
     <input type="text" id="recent_topics_search" placeholder="{{t 'Search stream / topic' }}">
+    <button type="button" class="btn clear_search_button" id="recent_topics_search_clear">
+        <i class="fa fa-remove" aria-hidden="true"></i>
+    </button>
 </div>
 <div class="tableFixHead">
     <table class="table table-responsive table-hover">