diff --git a/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Partials/_SearchResults.cshtml b/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Partials/_SearchResults.cshtml
index 2eb8092..b0b01ae 100644
--- a/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Partials/_SearchResults.cshtml
+++ b/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Partials/_SearchResults.cshtml
@@ -1,33 +1,37 @@
-@using TaskTracker.Api.Pages
 @using TaskTracker.Core.Enums
 @model List<TaskTracker.Core.Entities.WorkTask>
-
-@* Placeholder — full implementation in Task 6 (Search Modal) *@
-<div class="search-results">
-    @if (Model.Count == 0)
+@{
+    var statusColors = new Dictionary<WorkTaskStatus, string>
     {
-        <div style="padding: 16px; text-align: center; color: var(--color-text-secondary); font-size: 13px;">
-            No results found
+        [WorkTaskStatus.Pending] = "#64748b",
+        [WorkTaskStatus.Active] = "#3b82f6",
+        [WorkTaskStatus.Paused] = "#eab308",
+        [WorkTaskStatus.Completed] = "#22c55e",
+        [WorkTaskStatus.Abandoned] = "#ef4444",
+    };
+}
+
+@if (Model.Count == 0)
+{
+    <div class="search-empty">No results found</div>
+}
+else
+{
+    @for (var i = 0; i < Model.Count; i++)
+    {
+        var task = Model[i];
+        var color = statusColors.GetValueOrDefault(task.Status, "#64748b");
+        <div class="search-result @(i == 0 ? "search-result--selected" : "")"
+             data-task-id="@task.Id"
+             onclick="selectSearchResult(@task.Id)"
+             onmouseenter="highlightResult(this)">
+            <span class="search-result-dot" style="background: @color"></span>
+            <span class="search-result-title">@task.Title</span>
+            @if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(task.Category))
+            {
+                <span class="search-result-category">@task.Category</span>
+            }
+            <span class="search-result-arrow">→</span>
         </div>
     }
-    else
-    {
-        @foreach (var task in Model)
-        {
-            <div class="search-result-item"
-                 hx-get="/board?handler=TaskDetail&id=@task.Id"
-                 hx-target="#detail-panel"
-                 hx-swap="innerHTML"
-                 style="padding: 10px 16px; cursor: pointer; display: flex; align-items: center; gap: 8px; border-bottom: 1px solid var(--color-border);">
-                <span class="badge badge--@task.Status.ToString().ToLower()" style="flex-shrink: 0;">
-                    @task.Status
-                </span>
-                <span style="font-size: 14px; color: var(--color-text-primary);">@task.Title</span>
-                @if (!string.IsNullOrEmpty(task.Category))
-                {
-                    <span style="margin-left: auto; font-size: 11px; color: var(--color-text-tertiary);">@task.Category</span>
-                }
-            </div>
-        }
-    }
-</div>
+}
diff --git a/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml b/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml
index a0aece5..c033592 100644
--- a/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml
+++ b/TaskTracker.Api/Pages/Shared/_Layout.cshtml
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
             </nav>
         </div>
         <div class="header-right">
-            <button type="button" class="btn btn-search" id="search-trigger">
+            <button type="button" class="btn btn-search" id="search-trigger" onclick="openSearch()">
                 <svg class="icon" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2" stroke-linecap="round" stroke-linejoin="round">
                     <circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8" />
                     <line x1="21" y1="21" x2="16.65" y2="16.65" />
@@ -50,7 +50,29 @@
         @RenderBody()
     </main>
 
-    <div id="search-modal"></div>
+    <div id="search-modal" class="search-backdrop" onclick="if(event.target===this)closeSearch()">
+        <div class="search-modal">
+            <div class="search-input-row">
+                <svg class="icon" width="16" height="16" viewBox="0 0 24 24" fill="none" stroke="currentColor" stroke-width="2"><circle cx="11" cy="11" r="8"/><path d="m21 21-4.35-4.35"/></svg>
+                <input type="text" id="search-input" class="search-input" placeholder="Search tasks..."
+                       autocomplete="off"
+                       hx-get="/board?handler=Search"
+                       hx-target="#search-results"
+                       hx-swap="innerHTML"
+                       hx-trigger="input changed delay:200ms, search"
+                       hx-include="this"
+                       name="q" />
+            </div>
+            <div id="search-results" class="search-results">
+                <!-- Results loaded via htmx -->
+            </div>
+            <div class="search-footer">
+                <span><kbd>↑↓</kbd> navigate</span>
+                <span><kbd>↵</kbd> open</span>
+                <span><kbd>esc</kbd> close</span>
+            </div>
+        </div>
+    </div>
     <div id="detail-panel"></div>
 
     <script src="~/lib/htmx.min.js"></script>
diff --git a/TaskTracker.Api/wwwroot/js/app.js b/TaskTracker.Api/wwwroot/js/app.js
index 6862bdf..3f9ea52 100644
--- a/TaskTracker.Api/wwwroot/js/app.js
+++ b/TaskTracker.Api/wwwroot/js/app.js
@@ -144,8 +144,13 @@
     });
 
     // Global Escape key handler for closing the detail panel
+    // (Search modal Escape is handled separately with stopPropagation)
     document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {
         if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+            // Don't close detail panel if search modal handled Escape
+            var searchModal = document.getElementById('search-modal');
+            if (searchModal && searchModal.classList.contains('search-backdrop--open')) return;
+
             var panel = document.querySelector('.detail-panel--open');
             if (panel) {
                 closeDetailPanel();
@@ -154,4 +159,105 @@
         }
     });
 
+    // ========================================
+    // Search Modal (Ctrl+K)
+    // ========================================
+
+    var searchSelectedIndex = 0;
+
+    window.openSearch = function() {
+        var modal = document.getElementById('search-modal');
+        if (!modal) return;
+        modal.classList.add('search-backdrop--open');
+        var input = document.getElementById('search-input');
+        if (input) {
+            input.value = '';
+            input.focus();
+            // Trigger initial load (show recent tasks when empty)
+            htmx.trigger(input, 'search');
+        }
+        searchSelectedIndex = 0;
+    };
+
+    window.closeSearch = function() {
+        var modal = document.getElementById('search-modal');
+        if (modal) modal.classList.remove('search-backdrop--open');
+    };
+
+    window.selectSearchResult = function(taskId) {
+        closeSearch();
+        // Load the task detail panel
+        htmx.ajax('GET', '/board?handler=TaskDetail&id=' + taskId, {
+            target: '#detail-panel',
+            swap: 'innerHTML'
+        });
+    };
+
+    window.highlightResult = function(el) {
+        var results = document.querySelectorAll('.search-result');
+        results.forEach(function(r) { r.classList.remove('search-result--selected'); });
+        el.classList.add('search-result--selected');
+        // Update index
+        searchSelectedIndex = Array.from(results).indexOf(el);
+    };
+
+    // Keyboard navigation in search
+    document.addEventListener('keydown', function(e) {
+        var modal = document.getElementById('search-modal');
+        if (!modal || !modal.classList.contains('search-backdrop--open')) {
+            // Ctrl+K / Cmd+K to open
+            if ((e.ctrlKey || e.metaKey) && e.key === 'k') {
+                e.preventDefault();
+                openSearch();
+            }
+            return;
+        }
+
+        // Modal is open
+        if (e.key === 'Escape') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            e.stopPropagation();
+            closeSearch();
+            return;
+        }
+
+        var results = document.querySelectorAll('.search-result');
+        if (results.length === 0) return;
+
+        if (e.key === 'ArrowDown') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            searchSelectedIndex = Math.min(searchSelectedIndex + 1, results.length - 1);
+            updateSearchSelection(results);
+        } else if (e.key === 'ArrowUp') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            searchSelectedIndex = Math.max(searchSelectedIndex - 1, 0);
+            updateSearchSelection(results);
+        } else if (e.key === 'Enter') {
+            e.preventDefault();
+            var selected = results[searchSelectedIndex];
+            if (selected) {
+                var taskId = selected.dataset.taskId;
+                selectSearchResult(taskId);
+            }
+        }
+    });
+
+    function updateSearchSelection(results) {
+        results.forEach(function(r, i) {
+            if (i === searchSelectedIndex) {
+                r.classList.add('search-result--selected');
+                r.scrollIntoView({ block: 'nearest' });
+            } else {
+                r.classList.remove('search-result--selected');
+            }
+        });
+    }
+
+    // Reset selection when search results are updated
+    document.addEventListener('htmx:afterSwap', function(evt) {
+        if (evt.detail.target && evt.detail.target.id === 'search-results') {
+            searchSelectedIndex = 0;
+        }
+    });
+
 })();