diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsController.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsController.kt
index 1eb724527..b340bf1c7 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsController.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/SettingsController.kt
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ abstract class SettingsController : PreferenceController() {
                         animatePreferenceHighlight(it.itemView)
                     }
                 }
+
+                // Explicitly clear it to avoid re-scrolling/animating on activity recreations
+                preferenceKey = null
             }
         }
     }
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/search/SettingsSearchController.kt b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/search/SettingsSearchController.kt
index 5dc4e1d05..b891c6f7f 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/search/SettingsSearchController.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/eu/kanade/tachiyomi/ui/setting/search/SettingsSearchController.kt
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ class SettingsSearchController :
     /**
      * Adapter containing search results grouped by lang.
      */
-    protected var adapter: SettingsSearchAdapter? = null
+    private var adapter: SettingsSearchAdapter? = null
     private lateinit var searchView: SearchView
 
     init {
@@ -54,15 +54,12 @@ class SettingsSearchController :
      * @param inflater used to load the menu xml.
      */
     override fun onCreateOptionsMenu(menu: Menu, inflater: MenuInflater) {
-        // Inflate menu.
         inflater.inflate(R.menu.settings_main, menu)
 
         // Initialize search menu
         val searchItem = menu.findItem(R.id.action_search)
         searchView = searchItem.actionView as SearchView
         searchView.maxWidth = Int.MAX_VALUE
-
-        // Change hint to show "search settings."
         searchView.queryHint = applicationContext?.getString(R.string.action_search_settings)
 
         searchItem.expandActionView()
@@ -102,8 +99,6 @@ class SettingsSearchController :
         super.onViewCreated(view)
 
         adapter = SettingsSearchAdapter(this)
-
-        // Create recycler and set adapter.
         binding.recycler.layoutManager = LinearLayoutManager(view.context)
         binding.recycler.adapter = adapter