diff --git a/src/tree/README.md b/src/tree/README.md
index cd437d3..4224a99 100644
--- a/src/tree/README.md
+++ b/src/tree/README.md
@@ -68,6 +68,9 @@ export class TreeDataProvider implements CDTTreeDataProvider<Example, ExampleDTO
             }),
             webview.onDidToggleNode(event => {
                 // Handle toggle
+            }),
+            webview.onDidSearchChange(event => {
+                // Handle search input changes
             })
         );
     }
diff --git a/src/tree/browser/tree.tsx b/src/tree/browser/tree.tsx
index d2d5798..3bd441c 100644
--- a/src/tree/browser/tree.tsx
+++ b/src/tree/browser/tree.tsx
@@ -14,7 +14,9 @@ import classNames from 'classnames';
 import { Resizable } from 're-resizable';
 import { default as React, useCallback, useEffect, useLayoutEffect, useMemo, useState } from 'react';
 import { debounce } from 'throttle-debounce';
+import { HOST_EXTENSION } from 'vscode-messenger-common';
 import { findNestedValue } from '../../base';
+import { messenger } from '../../browser-types';
 import { CommandDefinition } from '../../vscode/webview-types';
 import {
     CDTTreeItem,
@@ -25,6 +27,7 @@ import {
     CDTTreeTableStringColumn,
     CDTTreeWebviewContext
 } from '../common/index';
+import { CDTTreeMessengerType } from '../common/tree-messenger-types';
 import ActionCell from './components/cells/ActionCell';
 import StringCell from './components/cells/StringCell';
 import { ExpandIcon } from './components/expand-icon';
@@ -57,6 +60,17 @@ export type CDTTreeProps<T extends CDTTreeItemResource = CDTTreeItemResource> =
      * Function to sort the data source.
      */
     dataSourceSorter?: (dataSource: CDTTreeItem<T>[]) => CDTTreeItem<T>[];
+    /**
+     * Configuration for search behavior.
+     */
+    search?: {
+        /**
+         * Search mode.
+         * - 'client': filter locally in the webview (default)
+         * - 'backend': keep current content until backend returns updated data
+         */
+        mode?: 'client' | 'backend';
+    };
     /**
      * Configuration for the expansion of the tree table.
      */
@@ -215,18 +229,20 @@ export const CDTTree = <T extends CDTTreeItemResource>(props: CDTTreeProps<T>) =
     const ref = React.useRef<HTMLDivElement | null>(null);
     const tblRef: Parameters<typeof Table>[0]['ref'] = React.useRef(null);
 
+    const isBackendSearch = props.search?.mode === 'backend';
+
     // ==== Data ====
 
     const filteredData = useMemo(() => {
         let data = props.dataSource ?? [];
-        if (globalSearchText) {
+        if (globalSearchText && !isBackendSearch) {
             data = filterTree(data, globalSearchText);
         }
         if (props.dataSourceSorter) {
             data = props.dataSourceSorter([...data]);
         }
         return data;
-    }, [props.dataSource, props.dataSourceSorter, globalSearchText]);
+    }, [props.dataSource, props.dataSourceSorter, globalSearchText, isBackendSearch]);
 
     // ==== Search ====
 
@@ -238,12 +254,31 @@ export const CDTTree = <T extends CDTTreeItemResource>(props: CDTTreeProps<T>) =
         }
     }, []);
 
-    const onSearchShow = useCallback(() => setGlobalSearchText(globalSearchRef.current?.value()), []);
+    const notifySearchChanged = useCallback((text: string) => {
+        messenger.sendNotification(CDTTreeMessengerType.searchChanged, HOST_EXTENSION, { data: { text } });
+    }, []);
+
+    const onSearchShow = useCallback(() => {
+        const text = globalSearchRef.current?.value() ?? '';
+        setGlobalSearchText(text);
+        notifySearchChanged(text);
+    }, [notifySearchChanged]);
+
     const onSearchHide = useCallback(() => {
         setGlobalSearchText(undefined);
         autoSelectRowRef.current = true;
-    }, [autoSelectRowRef]);
-    const onSearchChange = useMemo(() => debounce(300, (text: string) => setGlobalSearchText(text)), []);
+
+        notifySearchChanged('');
+    }, [notifySearchChanged]);
+
+    const onSearchChange = useMemo(
+        () =>
+            debounce(600, (text: string) => {
+                setGlobalSearchText(text);
+                notifySearchChanged(text);
+            }),
+        [notifySearchChanged]
+    );
 
     // ==== Selection ====
 
@@ -263,18 +298,20 @@ export const CDTTree = <T extends CDTTreeItemResource>(props: CDTTreeProps<T>) =
 
     const expandedRowKeys = useMemo(() => {
         const expanded = new Set(props.expansion?.expandedRowKeys ?? []);
-        if (globalSearchText) {
+        if (globalSearchText && !isBackendSearch) {
+            // client-side search:
             // on search expand all nodes that match the search
             const matchingExpansion = traverseTree(filteredData, { predicate: item => item.matching ?? false, mapper: getAncestors });
             matchingExpansion.forEach(ancestorHierarchy => ancestorHierarchy.forEach(ancestor => expanded.add(ancestor.key)));
         } else {
+            // normal mode or backend-search mode:
             // otherwise use the expandedRowKeys from the props but ensure that the selected element is also expanded
             if (autoSelectRowRef.current && selection) {
                 getAncestors(selection).forEach(ancestor => expanded.add(ancestor.key));
             }
         }
         return Array.from(expanded);
-    }, [filteredData, globalSearchText, props.expansion?.expandedRowKeys, selection, autoSelectRowRef.current]);
+    }, [filteredData, globalSearchText, isBackendSearch, props.expansion?.expandedRowKeys, selection, autoSelectRowRef.current]);
 
     const handleExpand = useCallback(
         (expanded: boolean, record: CDTTreeItem<T>) => {
diff --git a/src/tree/common/tree-messenger-types.ts b/src/tree/common/tree-messenger-types.ts
index 061e927..b3b5c7e 100644
--- a/src/tree/common/tree-messenger-types.ts
+++ b/src/tree/common/tree-messenger-types.ts
@@ -45,4 +45,5 @@ export namespace CDTTreeMessengerType {
     export const toggleNode: NotificationType<CDTTreeNotification<string>> = { method: 'toggleNode' };
     export const clickNode: NotificationType<CDTTreeNotification<string>> = { method: 'clickNode' };
     export const openSearch: NotificationType<void> = { method: 'openSearch' };
+    export const searchChanged: NotificationType<CDTTreeNotification<{ text: string }>> = { method: 'searchChanged' };
 }
diff --git a/src/tree/vscode/tree-webview-view-provider.ts b/src/tree/vscode/tree-webview-view-provider.ts
index 91cbd66..25f2d08 100644
--- a/src/tree/vscode/tree-webview-view-provider.ts
+++ b/src/tree/vscode/tree-webview-view-provider.ts
@@ -18,6 +18,8 @@ export abstract class CDTTreeWebviewViewProvider<TNode> implements vscode.Webvie
     public readonly onDidExecuteCommand = this.onDidExecuteCommandEvent.event;
     protected onDidClickNodeEvent = new vscode.EventEmitter<CDTTreeNotification<string>>();
     public readonly onDidClickNode = this.onDidClickNodeEvent.event;
+    protected onDidSearchChangeEvent = new vscode.EventEmitter<CDTTreeNotification<{ text: string }>>();
+    public readonly onDidSearchChange = this.onDidSearchChangeEvent.event;
 
     protected get extensionUri(): vscode.Uri {
         return this.context.extensionUri;
@@ -119,6 +121,9 @@ export abstract class CDTTreeWebviewViewProvider<TNode> implements vscode.Webvie
             }),
             this.messenger.onNotification(CDTTreeMessengerType.clickNode, event => this.onDidClickNodeEvent.fire(event), {
                 sender: participant
+            }),
+            this.messenger.onNotification(CDTTreeMessengerType.searchChanged, event => this.onDidSearchChangeEvent.fire(event), {
+                sender: participant
             })
         ];