diff --git a/config.def.h b/config.def.h
index 5d53e41d8..31d7dacfe 100644
--- a/config.def.h
+++ b/config.def.h
@@ -123,6 +123,8 @@ static const KeyBinding bindings_textobjects[] = {
 	{ "ie",                 ACTION(TEXT_OBJECT_ENTIRE_INNER)            },
 	{ "if",                 ACTION(TEXT_OBJECT_FUNCTION_INNER)          },
 	{ "il",                 ACTION(TEXT_OBJECT_LINE_INNER)              },
+	{ "gn",                 ACTION(TEXT_OBJECT_SEARCH_FORWARD)          },
+	{ "gN",                 ACTION(TEXT_OBJECT_SEARCH_BACKWARD)         },
 	{ 0 /* empty last element, array terminator */                      },
 };
 
@@ -235,6 +237,8 @@ static const KeyBinding bindings_normal[] = {
 	{ "<End>",              ALIAS("$")                                  },
 	{ "gf",                 ACTION(OPEN_FILE_UNDER_CURSOR)              },
 	{ "<C-w>gf",            ACTION(OPEN_FILE_UNDER_CURSOR_NEW_WINDOW)   },
+	{ "gn",                 ALIAS("vgn")                                },
+	{ "gN",                 ALIAS("vgN")                                },
 	{ 0 /* empty last element, array terminator */                      },
 };
 
diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index ee81e49fa..30e559a8b 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -269,6 +269,8 @@ enum {
 	VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_FUNCTION_INNER,
 	VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_LINE_OUTER,
 	VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_LINE_INNER,
+	VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_SEARCH_FORWARD,
+	VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_SEARCH_BACKWARD,
 	VIS_ACTION_MOTION_CHARWISE,
 	VIS_ACTION_MOTION_LINEWISE,
 	VIS_ACTION_UNICODE_INFO,
@@ -1050,6 +1052,16 @@ static KeyAction vis_action[] = {
 		"The whole line, excluding leading and trailing whitespace",
 		textobj, { .i = VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INNER_LINE }
 	},
+	[VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_SEARCH_FORWARD] = {
+		"text-object-search-forward",
+		"The next search match in forward direction",
+		textobj, { .i = VIS_TEXTOBJECT_SEARCH_FORWARD }
+	},
+	[VIS_ACTION_TEXT_OBJECT_SEARCH_BACKWARD] = {
+		"text-object-search-backward",
+		"The next search match in backward direction",
+		textobj, { .i = VIS_TEXTOBJECT_SEARCH_BACKWARD }
+	},
 	[VIS_ACTION_MOTION_CHARWISE] = {
 		"motion-charwise",
 		"Force motion to be charwise",
diff --git a/text-objects.c b/text-objects.c
index a0ffe3ceb..a6d22303b 100644
--- a/text-objects.c
+++ b/text-objects.c
@@ -340,6 +340,26 @@ Filerange text_object_filename(Text *txt, size_t pos) {
 	return text_object_range(txt, pos, is_filename_boundary);
 }
 
+Filerange text_object_search_forward(Text *txt, size_t pos, Regex *regex) {
+	size_t start = pos;
+	size_t end = text_size(txt);
+	RegexMatch match[1];
+	bool found = start < end && !text_search_range_forward(txt, start, end - start, regex, 1, match, 0);
+	if (found)
+		return text_range_new(match[0].start, match[0].end);
+	return text_range_empty();
+}
+
+Filerange text_object_search_backward(Text *txt, size_t pos, Regex *regex) {
+	size_t start = 0;
+	size_t end = pos;
+	RegexMatch match[1];
+	bool found = !text_search_range_backward(txt, start, end, regex, 1, match, 0);
+	if (found)
+		return text_range_new(match[0].start, match[0].end);
+	return text_range_empty();
+}
+
 Filerange text_range_linewise(Text *txt, Filerange *rin) {
 	Filerange rout = *rin;
 	rout.start = text_line_begin(txt, rin->start);
diff --git a/text-objects.h b/text-objects.h
index e94d7c379..72e9a8c39 100644
--- a/text-objects.h
+++ b/text-objects.h
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ Filerange text_object_range(Text*, size_t pos, int (*isboundary)(int));
 /* a number in either decimal, hex or octal format */
 Filerange text_object_number(Text*, size_t pos);
 Filerange text_object_filename(Text*, size_t pos);
+/* match a search term in either forward or backward direction */
+Filerange text_object_search_forward(Text*, size_t pos, Regex*);
+Filerange text_object_search_backward(Text*, size_t pos, Regex*);
 
 /* extend a range to cover whole lines */
 Filerange text_range_linewise(Text*, Filerange*);
diff --git a/vis-text-objects.c b/vis-text-objects.c
index a4fe36f41..14f299dff 100644
--- a/vis-text-objects.c
+++ b/vis-text-objects.c
@@ -9,6 +9,14 @@ void vis_textobject(Vis *vis, enum VisTextObject id) {
 	}
 }
 
+static Filerange search_forward(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
+	return text_object_search_forward(txt, pos, vis->search_pattern);
+}
+
+static Filerange search_backward(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
+	return text_object_search_backward(txt, pos, vis->search_pattern);
+}
+
 TextObject vis_textobjects[] = {
 	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INNER_WORD]           = { .txt = text_object_word                          },
 	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_OUTER_WORD]           = { .txt = text_object_word_outer                    },
@@ -36,5 +44,7 @@ TextObject vis_textobjects[] = {
 	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INNER_FUNCTION]       = { .txt = text_object_function_inner,               },
 	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_OUTER_LINE]           = { .txt = text_object_line,                         },
 	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INNER_LINE]           = { .txt = text_object_line_inner,                   },
+	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_SEARCH_FORWARD]       = { .vis = search_forward,             .type = SPLIT },
+	[VIS_TEXTOBJECT_SEARCH_BACKWARD]      = { .vis = search_backward,            .type = SPLIT },
 };
 
diff --git a/vis.h b/vis.h
index 04277e73d..519d32753 100644
--- a/vis.h
+++ b/vis.h
@@ -300,6 +300,8 @@ enum VisTextObject {
 	VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INNER_FUNCTION,
 	VIS_TEXTOBJECT_OUTER_LINE,
 	VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INNER_LINE,
+	VIS_TEXTOBJECT_SEARCH_FORWARD,
+	VIS_TEXTOBJECT_SEARCH_BACKWARD,
 	VIS_TEXTOBJECT_INVALID,
 };