diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 38d2a395..92612adb 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 * Update PGO build instructions in `INSTALL.md`
   (https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/418).
+* In scrollback search mode, empty cells can now be matched by spaces.
 
 
 ### Deprecated
diff --git a/search.c b/search.c
index 30a50ae5..02cea9e0 100644
--- a/search.c
+++ b/search.c
@@ -241,6 +241,9 @@ matches_cell(const struct terminal *term, const struct cell *cell, size_t search
         base = composed->base;
     }
 
+    if (composed == NULL && base == 0 && term->search.buf[search_ofs] == L' ')
+        return 1;
+
     if (wcsncasecmp(&base, &term->search.buf[search_ofs], 1) != 0)
         return -1;