diff --git a/select2.js b/select2.js
index b47f6701..fbe8d808 100644
--- a/select2.js
+++ b/select2.js
@@ -2332,13 +2332,14 @@ the specific language governing permissions and limitations under the Apache Lic
 
         // multi
         clearSearch: function () {
-            var placeholder = this.getPlaceholder();
+            var placeholder = this.getPlaceholder(),
+                maxWidth = this.getMaxSearchWidth();
 
             if (placeholder !== undefined  && this.getVal().length === 0 && this.search.hasClass("select2-focused") === false) {
                 this.search.val(placeholder).addClass("select2-default");
                 // stretch the search box to full width of the container so as much of the placeholder is visible as possible
                 // we could call this.resizeSearch(), but we do not because that requires a sizer and we do not want to create one so early because of a firefox bug, see #944
-                this.search.width(this.getMaxSearchWidth());
+                this.search.width(maxWidth > 0 ? maxWidth : this.container.css("width"));
             } else {
                 this.search.val("").width(10);
             }