diff --git a/src/Project.zig b/src/Project.zig
index dd401fb..80de0ef 100644
--- a/src/Project.zig
+++ b/src/Project.zig
@@ -381,7 +381,7 @@ pub fn request_n_most_recent_file(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, n: usize) Clien
 }
 
 pub fn request_recent_files(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, max: usize) ClientError!void {
-    defer from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent_done", self.longest_file_path, "" }) catch {};
+    defer from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent_done", self.longest_file_path, "", self.files.items.len }) catch {};
     for (self.files.items, 0..) |file, i| {
         from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent", self.longest_file_path, file.path, file.type, file.icon, file.color }) catch return error.ClientFailed;
         if (i >= max) return;
@@ -468,7 +468,7 @@ pub fn request_new_or_modified_files(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, max: usize)
 
 fn simple_query_recent_files(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, max: usize, query: []const u8) ClientError!usize {
     var i: usize = 0;
-    defer from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent_done", self.longest_file_path, query }) catch {};
+    defer from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent_done", self.longest_file_path, query, self.files.items.len }) catch {};
     for (self.files.items) |file| {
         if (file.path.len < query.len) continue;
         if (std.mem.indexOf(u8, file.path, query)) |idx| {
@@ -487,7 +487,7 @@ fn simple_query_recent_files(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, max: usize, query: [
 pub fn query_recent_files(self: *Self, from: tp.pid_ref, max: usize, query: []const u8) ClientError!usize {
     if (query.len < 3)
         return self.simple_query_recent_files(from, max, query);
-    defer from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent_done", self.longest_file_path, query }) catch {};
+    defer from.send(.{ "PRJ", "recent_done", self.longest_file_path, query, self.files.items.len }) catch {};
 
     var searcher = try fuzzig.Ascii.init(
         self.allocator,
diff --git a/src/tui/InputBox.zig b/src/tui/InputBox.zig
index 828d125..defb7c1 100644
--- a/src/tui/InputBox.zig
+++ b/src/tui/InputBox.zig
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ const tui = @import("tui.zig");
 pub fn Options(context: type) type {
     return struct {
         label: []const u8 = "Enter text",
+        hint: ?[]const u8 = null,
         pos: Widget.Box = .{ .y = 0, .x = 0, .w = 12, .h = 1 },
         ctx: Context,
         padding: u8 = 1,
@@ -24,13 +25,21 @@ pub fn Options(context: type) type {
 
         pub fn on_render_default(_: context, self: *State(Context), theme: *const Widget.Theme) bool {
             const style_base = theme.editor_widget;
-            const style_label = if (self.text.items.len > 0) theme.input else theme.input_placeholder;
+            const style_input_placeholder = theme.input_placeholder;
+            const style_label = if (self.text.items.len > 0) theme.input else style_input_placeholder;
             self.plane.set_base_style(style_base);
             self.plane.erase();
             self.plane.home();
             self.plane.set_style(style_label);
             self.plane.fill(" ");
             self.plane.home();
+            if (self.hint.items.len > 0) {
+                const hint = self.hint.items;
+                self.plane.set_style(style_input_placeholder);
+                _ = self.plane.print_aligned_right(0, "{s} ", .{hint}) catch {};
+                self.plane.home();
+                self.plane.set_style(style_label);
+            }
             for (0..self.opts.padding) |_| _ = self.plane.putchar(" ");
             if (self.icon_width > 0) if (self.opts.icon) |icon| {
                 _ = self.plane.print("{s}", .{icon}) catch {};
@@ -74,11 +83,16 @@ pub fn create(ctx_type: type, allocator: std.mem.Allocator, parent: Plane, opts:
         .plane = n,
         .opts = opts,
         .label = .empty,
+        .hint = .empty,
         .text = .empty,
         .icon_width = @intCast(if (tui.config().show_fileicons) if (opts.icon) |icon| n.egc_chunk_width(icon, 0, 1) else 0 else 0),
     };
     try self.label.appendSlice(self.allocator, self.opts.label);
     self.opts.label = self.label.items;
+    if (self.opts.hint) |hint| {
+        try self.hint.appendSlice(self.allocator, hint);
+        self.opts.hint = self.hint.items;
+    }
     return Widget.to(self);
 }
 
@@ -90,6 +104,7 @@ pub fn State(ctx_type: type) type {
         active: bool = false,
         hover: bool = false,
         label: std.ArrayList(u8),
+        hint: std.ArrayList(u8),
         opts: Options(ctx_type),
         text: std.ArrayList(u8),
         icon_width: c_int,
@@ -100,6 +115,7 @@ pub fn State(ctx_type: type) type {
 
         pub fn deinit(self: *Self, allocator: std.mem.Allocator) void {
             self.text.deinit(self.allocator);
+            self.hint.deinit(self.allocator);
             self.label.deinit(self.allocator);
             self.plane.deinit();
             allocator.destroy(self);
diff --git a/src/tui/mode/overlay/open_recent.zig b/src/tui/mode/overlay/open_recent.zig
index 7bcc3b4..6de797d 100644
--- a/src/tui/mode/overlay/open_recent.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mode/overlay/open_recent.zig
@@ -38,6 +38,8 @@ longest: usize,
 commands: Commands = undefined,
 buffer_manager: ?*BufferManager,
 split: enum { none, vertical } = .none,
+total_items: usize = 0,
+total_files_in_project: usize = 0,
 
 const inputbox_label = "Search files by name";
 const MenuType = Menu.Options(*Self).MenuType;
@@ -146,6 +148,7 @@ fn add_item(
     indicator: []const u8,
     matches: ?[]const u8,
 ) !void {
+    self.total_items += 1;
     var label: std.Io.Writer.Allocating = .init(self.allocator);
     defer label.deinit();
     const writer = &label.writer;
@@ -209,12 +212,14 @@ fn process_project_manager(self: *Self, m: tp.message) MessageFilter.Error!void
             self.need_select_first = false;
         }
         tui.need_render();
-    } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "PRJ", "recent_done", tp.extract(&self.longest), tp.extract(&query) })) {
+    } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "PRJ", "recent_done", tp.extract(&self.longest), tp.extract(&query), tp.extract(&self.total_files_in_project) })) {
+        self.update_count_hint();
         self.query_pending = false;
         self.need_reset = true;
         if (!std.mem.eql(u8, self.inputbox.text.items, query))
             try self.start_query();
-    } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "PRJ", "open_done", tp.string, tp.extract(&self.longest), tp.any })) {
+    } else if (try cbor.match(m.buf, .{ "PRJ", "open_done", tp.string, tp.extract(&self.longest), tp.extract(&self.total_files_in_project) })) {
+        self.update_count_hint();
         self.query_pending = false;
         self.need_reset = true;
         try self.start_query();
@@ -239,7 +244,13 @@ fn reset_results(self: *Self) void {
     self.need_select_first = true;
 }
 
+fn update_count_hint(self: *Self) void {
+    self.inputbox.hint.clearRetainingCapacity();
+    self.inputbox.hint.print(self.inputbox.allocator, "{d}/{d}", .{ self.total_items, self.total_files_in_project }) catch {};
+}
+
 fn start_query(self: *Self) MessageFilter.Error!void {
+    self.total_items = 0;
     if (self.query_pending) return;
     self.query_pending = true;
     try project_manager.query_recent_files(max_recent_files, self.inputbox.text.items);
diff --git a/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig b/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig
index a7083bd..0d92655 100644
--- a/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig
+++ b/src/tui/mode/overlay/palette.zig
@@ -291,7 +291,13 @@ pub fn Create(options: type) type {
             return false;
         }
 
+        fn update_count_hint(self: *Self) void {
+            self.inputbox.hint.clearRetainingCapacity();
+            self.inputbox.hint.print(self.inputbox.allocator, "{d}/{d}", .{ self.total_items, self.entries.items.len }) catch {};
+        }
+
         fn start_query(self: *Self, n: usize) !void {
+            defer self.update_count_hint();
             self.items = 0;
             self.menu.reset_items();
             self.menu.selected = null;