diff --git a/CHANGELOG.rst b/CHANGELOG.rst
index eda5a8a63..26aa801da 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.rst
+++ b/CHANGELOG.rst
@@ -1,6 +1,10 @@
 fish ?.?.? (released ???)
 =========================
 
+Interactive improvements
+------------------------
+- :kbd:`ctrl-l` no longer cancels history search (:issue:`12436`).
+
 Regression fixes:
 -----------------
 - (from 4.4.0) Vi mode ``d,f`` key binding (:issue:`12417`).
diff --git a/src/reader/reader.rs b/src/reader/reader.rs
index 60a74a2c7..324c09587 100644
--- a/src/reader/reader.rs
+++ b/src/reader/reader.rs
@@ -6268,6 +6268,8 @@ fn command_ends_history_search(c: ReadlineCmd) -> bool {
             | rl::HistoryPagerDelete
             | rl::BeginningOfHistory
             | rl::EndOfHistory
+            | rl::ScrollbackPush
+            | rl::ClearScreenAndRepaint
             | rl::Repaint
             | rl::ForceRepaint
     )
diff --git a/tests/pexpects/history.py b/tests/pexpects/history.py
index dd0be4289..ac221a961 100644
--- a/tests/pexpects/history.py
+++ b/tests/pexpects/history.py
@@ -154,6 +154,20 @@ expect_prompt()
 send("\x1b[A")
 expect_re("echo TERM")  # not ephemeral!
 
+# Verify that ctrl-l preserves an active up-arrow history search
+sendline("echo __ctrl_l_history_a")
+expect_prompt("__ctrl_l_history_a")
+sendline("echo __ctrl_l_history_b")
+expect_prompt("__ctrl_l_history_b")
+send("__ctrl_l_history")
+send("\x1b[A")
+expect_re("echo __ctrl_l_history_b")
+send("\f")
+send("\x1b[A")
+expect_re("echo __ctrl_l_history_a")
+sendline("")
+expect_prompt("__ctrl_l_history_a")
+
 # Verify that clear-session works as expected
 # Note: This test depends on that history merge resets the session from history clear-sessions point of view.
 sendline("builtin history clear")