diff --git a/gnucash/gnome/gnc-plugin-page-register.cpp b/gnucash/gnome/gnc-plugin-page-register.cpp
index 6d70701e9b4..3b6d797b8be 100644
--- a/gnucash/gnome/gnc-plugin-page-register.cpp
+++ b/gnucash/gnome/gnc-plugin-page-register.cpp
@@ -479,8 +479,16 @@ typedef struct GncPluginPageRegisterPrivate
         gint original_days;
         gboolean original_save_filter;
         gboolean save_filter;
-        const char* desc_filter;
+        GtkWidget* desc_filter_widget;
     } fd;
+
+    const char *get_desc_filter ()
+    {
+        if (!fd.desc_filter_widget)
+            return nullptr;
+        return gtk_entry_get_text (GTK_ENTRY(fd.desc_filter_widget));
+    };
+
 } GncPluginPageRegisterPrivate;
 
 G_DEFINE_TYPE_WITH_PRIVATE (GncPluginPageRegister, gnc_plugin_page_register,
@@ -665,7 +673,7 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_init (GncPluginPageRegister* plugin_page)
     priv->read_only         = FALSE;
     priv->fd.cleared_match  = CLEARED_ALL;
     priv->fd.days           = 0;
-    priv->fd.desc_filter    = NULL;
+    priv->fd.desc_filter_widget = nullptr;
     priv->enable_refresh    = TRUE;
     priv->search_query      = NULL;
     priv->filter_query      = NULL;
@@ -1350,7 +1358,7 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_create_widget (GncPluginPage* plugin_page)
         if (filtersize > 4 && !g_strcmp0 (filter[4], "0"))
         {
             PINFO ("Loaded Description Filter is %s", filter[4]);
-            priv->fd.desc_filter = filter[4];
+            gtk_entry_set_text (GTK_ENTRY(priv->fd.desc_filter_widget), filter[4]);
             ++filter_changed;
         }
 
@@ -2716,7 +2724,7 @@ gnc_ppr_update_text_query (GncPluginPageRegister* page)
         qof_query_purge_terms (query, param_list);
         g_slist_free (param_list);
     }
-    xaccQueryAddDescriptionMatch (query, priv->fd.desc_filter, TRUE, FALSE,
+    xaccQueryAddDescriptionMatch (query, priv->get_desc_filter (), TRUE, FALSE,
                                   QOF_COMPARE_CONTAINS, QOF_QUERY_AND);
 
     // Set filter tooltip for summary bar
@@ -2975,8 +2983,6 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_filter_desc_changed_cb (GtkEntry *entry,
 
     ENTER ("(entry %p, page %p)", entry, page);
 
-    GncPluginPageRegisterPrivate* priv = GNC_PLUGIN_PAGE_REGISTER_GET_PRIVATE (page);
-    priv->fd.desc_filter = gtk_entry_get_text (entry);
     gnc_ppr_update_text_query (page);
 
     LEAVE (" ");
@@ -2990,8 +2996,8 @@ void gnc_plugin_page_register_desc_filter_clear_cb (GtkButton *button,
 
     ENTER ("(button %p, page %p)", button, page);
 
-    /* GncPluginPageRegisterPrivate* priv = GNC_PLUGIN_PAGE_REGISTER_GET_PRIVATE (page); */
-    /* gtk_entry_set_text (entry); */
+    GncPluginPageRegisterPrivate* priv = GNC_PLUGIN_PAGE_REGISTER_GET_PRIVATE (page);
+    gtk_entry_set_text (GTK_ENTRY(priv->fd.desc_filter_widget), "");
     gnc_ppr_update_text_query (page);
 
     LEAVE (" ");
@@ -3011,7 +3017,7 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_clear_current_filter (GncPluginPage* plugin_page)
     priv->fd.start_time = 0;
     priv->fd.end_time = 0;
     priv->fd.cleared_match = (cleared_match_t)g_ascii_strtoll (DEFAULT_FILTER, NULL, 16);
-    priv->fd.desc_filter = NULL;
+    gtk_entry_set_text (GTK_ENTRY(priv->fd.desc_filter_widget), "");
 
     gnc_ppr_update_date_query (GNC_PLUGIN_PAGE_REGISTER(plugin_page));
 }
@@ -3268,8 +3274,10 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_filter_response_cb (GtkDialog* dialog,
             else
                 flist = g_list_prepend (flist, g_strdup ("0"));
 
-            if (priv->fd.desc_filter)
-                flist = g_list_prepend (flist, g_strdup (priv->fd.desc_filter));
+            const char *desc_filter = priv->get_desc_filter ();
+
+            if (desc_filter && *desc_filter)
+                flist = g_list_prepend (flist, g_strdup (desc_filter));
             else
                 flist = g_list_prepend (flist, g_strdup ("0"));
 
@@ -3372,7 +3380,7 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_set_filter_tooltip (GncPluginPageRegister* page)
     }
 
     // filtered end time
-    const char *desc_filter = priv->fd.desc_filter;
+    const char *desc_filter = priv->get_desc_filter ();
     if (desc_filter && *desc_filter)
     {
         t_list = g_list_prepend
@@ -4274,6 +4282,7 @@ gnc_plugin_page_register_cmd_view_filter_by (GSimpleAction *simple,
                                            "end_date_choose"));
     priv->fd.end_date_today = GTK_WIDGET (gtk_builder_get_object (builder,
                                           "end_date_today"));
+    priv->fd.desc_filter_widget = GTK_WIDGET (gtk_builder_get_object (builder, "desc_filter_entry"));
 
     {
         /* Start date info */
diff --git a/gnucash/gtkbuilder/gnc-plugin-page-register.glade b/gnucash/gtkbuilder/gnc-plugin-page-register.glade
index a7588b75c92..ccb3249fab3 100644
--- a/gnucash/gtkbuilder/gnc-plugin-page-register.glade
+++ b/gnucash/gtkbuilder/gnc-plugin-page-register.glade
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ If 0, all previous days included</property>
                         <property name="visible">True</property>
                         <property name="can-focus">True</property>
                         <property name="receives-default">True</property>
+                        <signal name="clicked" handler="gnc_plugin_page_register_desc_filter_clear_cb" swapped="no"/>
                       </object>
                       <packing>
                         <property name="left-attach">2</property>