diff --git a/src/main/search-service.ts b/src/main/search-service.ts
index bf5e7f9..1c21123 100644
--- a/src/main/search-service.ts
+++ b/src/main/search-service.ts
@@ -1,4 +1,3 @@
-import { createRequire } from 'node:module'
 import { spawn } from 'node:child_process'
 import { relative, sep } from 'node:path'
 import { getConfig } from './config'
@@ -6,18 +5,23 @@ import { getConfig } from './config'
 /** ripgrep is the single source of "what files are in the project": it powers
  * content search, the file-name list, AND the Explorer tree / content index
  * (via fs-service) — so gitignore + files.exclude are honored everywhere the
- * same way. Substring (fixed-string), smart-case search. */
-const require = createRequire(import.meta.url)
-
-let rgPath: string | null = null
-try {
-  rgPath = (require('@vscode/ripgrep') as { rgPath: string }).rgPath
-  // When packaged the binary is unpacked from the asar; rgPath still points
-  // inside app.asar, so redirect it. No-op in dev (path has no app.asar).
-  if (rgPath) rgPath = rgPath.replace(/\bapp\.asar\b/, 'app.asar.unpacked')
-} catch (e) {
-  console.error('[helder] @vscode/ripgrep unavailable:', (e as Error).message)
-}
+ * same way. Substring (fixed-string), smart-case search.
+ *
+ * @vscode/ripgrep ships as ESM, so load it with dynamic import() (works for
+ * ESM and CJS) and cache the resolved binary path. */
+const rgPathPromise: Promise<string | null> = (async () => {
+  try {
+    const mod = await import('@vscode/ripgrep')
+    let p = (mod as { rgPath: string }).rgPath
+    // When packaged the binary is unpacked from the asar; rgPath still points
+    // inside app.asar, so redirect it. No-op in dev (path has no app.asar).
+    if (p) p = p.replace(/\bapp\.asar\b/, 'app.asar.unpacked')
+    return p || null
+  } catch (e) {
+    console.error('[helder] @vscode/ripgrep unavailable:', (e as Error).message)
+    return null
+  }
+})()
 
 export interface ContentHit { no: number; ln: string; ix: number }
 export interface ContentGroup { path: string; hits: ContentHit[] }
@@ -31,8 +35,8 @@ const BASE_IGNORE = [
 const MAX_FILES = 400
 const MAX_LINE = 1000
 
-export function rgAvailable(): boolean {
-  return !!rgPath
+export async function rgAvailable(): Promise<boolean> {
+  return !!(await rgPathPromise)
 }
 
 /** Glob/ignore args derived from config (files.exclude, files.followGitignore). */
@@ -49,9 +53,10 @@ function toRel(root: string, p: string): string {
   return relative(root, p).split(sep).join('/')
 }
 
-export function searchContent(root: string, query: string): Promise<ContentGroup[]> {
+export async function searchContent(root: string, query: string): Promise<ContentGroup[]> {
+  const rgPath = await rgPathPromise
+  if (!rgPath || query.trim().length < 2) return []
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
-    if (!rgPath || query.trim().length < 2) return resolve([])
     const child = spawn(rgPath, [
       '--json', '--fixed-strings', '--smart-case', '--hidden',
       '--max-count', '50', '--max-columns', '2000',
@@ -90,9 +95,10 @@ export function searchContent(root: string, query: string): Promise<ContentGroup
 
 /** All project files (relative paths), honoring gitignore + excludes. Includes
  * dotfiles (--hidden) so .env etc. show up unless ignored. */
-export function listFiles(root: string): Promise<string[]> {
+export async function listFiles(root: string): Promise<string[]> {
+  const rgPath = await rgPathPromise
+  if (!rgPath) return []
   return new Promise((resolve) => {
-    if (!rgPath) return resolve([])
     const child = spawn(rgPath, ['--files', '--hidden', ...ignoreArgs(), '--', root])
     let buf = ''
     const out: string[] = []
diff --git a/src/renderer/src/styles.css b/src/renderer/src/styles.css
index e38b389..9773637 100644
--- a/src/renderer/src/styles.css
+++ b/src/renderer/src/styles.css
@@ -289,9 +289,11 @@ body {
 /* ============ overlays ============ */
 .scrim { position:fixed; inset:0; background:rgba(8,9,11,0.5); z-index:50; display:flex; justify-content:center; align-items:flex-start; padding-top:90px; backdrop-filter:blur(1.5px); }
 .palette { width:620px; max-width:92vw; background:#212429; border:1px solid var(--border-2); border-radius:11px; box-shadow:0 24px 70px rgba(0,0,0,.55); overflow:hidden; }
-.palette .pi { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:10px; padding:12px 15px; border-bottom:1px solid var(--border); }
-.palette .pi input { flex:1; background:transparent; border:0; outline:0; color:var(--fg-0); font-size:15px; font-family:var(--ui); }
-.palette .pi .mode-chip { font-size:10px; color:var(--fg-3); border:1px solid var(--border-2); border-radius:5px; padding:2px 7px; font-family:var(--mono); }
+.palette .pi, .search-modal .pi { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:10px; padding:12px 15px; border-bottom:1px solid var(--border); }
+.palette .pi input, .search-modal .pi input { flex:1; min-width:0; background:transparent; border:0; outline:0; color:var(--fg-0); font-size:15px; font-family:var(--ui); }
+.palette .pi input::placeholder, .search-modal .pi input::placeholder { color:var(--fg-3); }
+.palette .pi svg, .search-modal .pi svg { flex:0 0 auto; }
+.palette .pi .mode-chip, .search-modal .pi .mode-chip { flex:0 0 auto; white-space:nowrap; font-size:10px; color:var(--fg-3); border:1px solid var(--border-2); border-radius:5px; padding:2px 7px; font-family:var(--mono); }
 .palette .results { max-height:380px; overflow:auto; padding:6px; }
 .pres { display:flex; align-items:center; gap:10px; padding:7px 10px; border-radius:7px; cursor:pointer; }
 .pres.sel { background:var(--accent-soft); }
diff --git a/test/search.test.ts b/test/search.test.ts
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b72d54a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/search.test.ts
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+import { mkdtemp, rm, writeFile } from 'node:fs/promises'
+import { tmpdir } from 'node:os'
+import { join } from 'node:path'
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it } from 'vitest'
+import { simpleGit } from 'simple-git'
+import { listFiles, rgAvailable, searchContent } from '../src/main/search-service'
+
+let dir = ''
+afterEach(async () => { if (dir) await rm(dir, { recursive: true, force: true }) })
+
+describe('search-service (real ripgrep via dynamic import)', () => {
+  it('ripgrep is available (catches the ESM require() regression)', async () => {
+    expect(await rgAvailable()).toBe(true)
+  })
+
+  it('finds content matches with line number + column', async () => {
+    dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'helder-search-'))
+    await simpleGit(dir).init()
+    await writeFile(join(dir, 'a.ts'), 'const x = 1\nconst balance = 2\n')
+    await writeFile(join(dir, 'b.ts'), 'nothing relevant\n')
+    const groups = await searchContent(dir, 'balance')
+    expect(groups).toHaveLength(1)
+    expect(groups[0].path).toBe('a.ts')
+    expect(groups[0].hits[0].no).toBe(2)
+    expect(groups[0].hits[0].ln).toContain('balance')
+    expect(groups[0].hits[0].ix).toBe('const '.length)
+  })
+
+  it('returns [] for queries under 2 characters', async () => {
+    dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'helder-search-'))
+    expect(await searchContent(dir, 'a')).toEqual([])
+  })
+
+  it('lists project files', async () => {
+    dir = await mkdtemp(join(tmpdir(), 'helder-search-'))
+    await simpleGit(dir).init()
+    await writeFile(join(dir, 'keep.ts'), 'x')
+    expect(await listFiles(dir)).toContain('keep.ts')
+  })
+})