diff --git a/ui/editable-text-base/editable-text-base.android.ts b/ui/editable-text-base/editable-text-base.android.ts
index 657a8c27c..522c11118 100644
--- a/ui/editable-text-base/editable-text-base.android.ts
+++ b/ui/editable-text-base/editable-text-base.android.ts
@@ -2,13 +2,13 @@
 import textBase = require("ui/text-base");
 import dependencyObservable = require("ui/core/dependency-observable");
 import enums = require("ui/enums");
+import utils = require("utils/utils");
 
 export class EditableTextBase extends common.EditableTextBase {
     private _android: android.widget.EditText;
     /* tslint:disable */
     private _dirtyTextAccumulator: string;
     /* tslint:enable */
-    private _imm: android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager;
 
     constructor(options?: textBase.Options) {
         super(options);
@@ -18,9 +18,7 @@ export class EditableTextBase extends common.EditableTextBase {
         return this._android;
     }
 
-    public _createUI() {
-        this._imm = <android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager>this._context.getSystemService(android.content.Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
-        
+    public _createUI() {      
         this._android = new android.widget.EditText(this._context);
         this._configureEditText();
         this.android.setTag(this.android.getKeyListener());
@@ -103,23 +101,20 @@ export class EditableTextBase extends common.EditableTextBase {
     }
 
     public _onDetached(force?: boolean) {
-        this._imm = undefined;
         this._android = undefined;
 
         super._onDetached(force);
     }
 
     public dismissSoftInput() {
-        if (this._imm) {
-            this._imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(this._android.getWindowToken(), 0);
-        }
+        utils.ad.dismissSoftInput(this._nativeView);
     }
 
     public focus(): boolean {
         var result = super.focus();
         
-        if (result && this._nativeView) {
-            this._imm.showSoftInput(this._nativeView, android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager.SHOW_IMPLICIT);
+        if (result) {
+            utils.ad.showSoftInput(this._nativeView);
         }
         
         return result;
diff --git a/ui/search-bar/search-bar-common.ts b/ui/search-bar/search-bar-common.ts
index 2252c4b6e..adf458b9c 100644
--- a/ui/search-bar/search-bar-common.ts
+++ b/ui/search-bar/search-bar-common.ts
@@ -50,4 +50,7 @@ export class SearchBar extends view.View implements definition.SearchBar {
             value instanceof color.Color ? value : new color.Color(<any>value));
     }
 	
+    public dismissSoftInput() {
+        //
+    }
 } 
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/search-bar/search-bar.android.ts b/ui/search-bar/search-bar.android.ts
index 4012c803e..e54dc94c2 100644
--- a/ui/search-bar/search-bar.android.ts
+++ b/ui/search-bar/search-bar.android.ts
@@ -96,6 +96,20 @@ global.moduleMerge(common, exports);
 export class SearchBar extends common.SearchBar {
     private _android: android.widget.SearchView;
 
+    public dismissSoftInput() {
+        utils.ad.dismissSoftInput(this._nativeView);
+    }
+
+    public focus(): boolean {
+        var result = super.focus();
+
+        if (result) {
+            utils.ad.showSoftInput(this._nativeView);
+        }
+
+        return result;
+    }
+
     public _createUI() {
         this._android = new android.widget.SearchView(this._context);
 
diff --git a/ui/search-bar/search-bar.d.ts b/ui/search-bar/search-bar.d.ts
index 087392fd7..73e272e39 100644
--- a/ui/search-bar/search-bar.d.ts
+++ b/ui/search-bar/search-bar.d.ts
@@ -78,5 +78,10 @@ declare module "ui/search-bar" {
          * Raised when a search bar search is closed.
          */
         on(event: "close", callback: (args: observable.EventData) => void, thisArg?: any);
+
+        /**
+         * Hides the soft input method, ususally a soft keyboard.
+         */
+        dismissSoftInput(): void;
     }
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/ui/search-bar/search-bar.ios.ts b/ui/search-bar/search-bar.ios.ts
index b7c648198..e785f9278 100644
--- a/ui/search-bar/search-bar.ios.ts
+++ b/ui/search-bar/search-bar.ios.ts
@@ -115,6 +115,10 @@ export class SearchBar extends common.SearchBar {
         super.onUnloaded();
     }
 
+    public dismissSoftInput() {
+        (<UIResponder>this.ios).resignFirstResponder();
+    }
+
     get ios(): UISearchBar {
         return this._ios;
     }  
diff --git a/utils/utils.android.ts b/utils/utils.android.ts
index 54b3fb1b3..ae2a273c6 100644
--- a/utils/utils.android.ts
+++ b/utils/utils.android.ts
@@ -51,6 +51,28 @@ export module ad {
     export function getApplication() { return <android.app.Application>(<any>com.tns).NativeScriptApplication.getInstance(); }
     export function getApplicationContext() { return <android.content.Context>getApplication().getApplicationContext(); }
 
+    var inputMethodManager: android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager;
+    export function getInputMethodManager() { 
+        if (!inputMethodManager) {
+            inputMethodManager = <android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager>getApplicationContext().getSystemService(android.content.Context.INPUT_METHOD_SERVICE);
+        }
+        return inputMethodManager;
+    }
+
+    export function showSoftInput(nativeView: android.view.View) : void {
+        var imm = getInputMethodManager();
+        if (imm && nativeView instanceof android.view.View) {
+            imm.showSoftInput(nativeView, android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager.SHOW_IMPLICIT);
+        }
+    }
+
+    export function dismissSoftInput(nativeView: android.view.View): void {
+        var imm = getInputMethodManager();
+        if (imm && nativeView instanceof android.view.View) {
+            imm.hideSoftInputFromWindow(nativeView.getWindowToken(), 0);
+        }
+    }
+
     export module collections {
         export function stringArrayToStringSet(str: string[]): any {
             var hashSet = new java.util.HashSet();
diff --git a/utils/utils.d.ts b/utils/utils.d.ts
index 97b923e5b..48b4e09d6 100644
--- a/utils/utils.d.ts
+++ b/utils/utils.d.ts
@@ -66,6 +66,21 @@
          */
         export function getApplicationContext(): android.content.Context;
 
+        /**
+         * Gets the native Android input method manager.
+         */
+        export function getInputMethodManager(): android.view.inputmethod.InputMethodManager;
+
+        /**
+         * Hides the soft input method, ususally a soft keyboard.
+         */
+        export function dismissSoftInput(nativeView: android.view.View): void;
+
+        /**
+         * Shows the soft input method, ususally a soft keyboard.
+         */
+        export function showSoftInput(nativeView: android.view.View): void;
+
         /**
          * Utility module dealing with some android collections.
          */