diff --git a/src/mode/modes.ts b/src/mode/modes.ts
index 35203bbfc8e..3670c80c56d 100644
--- a/src/mode/modes.ts
+++ b/src/mode/modes.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ import { Position } from './../common/motion/position';
 import { Mode, ModeName } from './mode';
 import { VSCodeVimCursorType } from './mode';
 import { VimState } from '../state/vimState';
+import { SearchDirection } from '../state/searchState';
+import { logger } from '../util/logger';
 
 export enum VisualBlockInsertionType {
   /**
@@ -63,7 +65,13 @@ export class SearchInProgressMode extends Mode {
   }
 
   getStatusBarText(vimState: VimState): string {
-    return `/${vimState.globalState.searchState!.searchString}`;
+    if (vimState.globalState.searchState === undefined) {
+      logger.error(`SearchInProgressMode.getStatusBarText: vimState.globalState.searchState is undefined.`);
+      return '';
+    }
+    const leadingChar =
+      vimState.globalState.searchState.searchDirection === SearchDirection.Forward ? '/' : '?';
+    return `${leadingChar}${vimState.globalState.searchState!.searchString}`;
   }
 
   getStatusBarCommandText(vimState: VimState): string {
diff --git a/src/state/searchState.ts b/src/state/searchState.ts
index d8967be4c07..ec957e400dd 100644
--- a/src/state/searchState.ts
+++ b/src/state/searchState.ts
@@ -36,6 +36,10 @@ export class SearchState {
   private _cachedDocumentVersion: number;
   private _cachedDocumentName: String;
   private _searchDirection: SearchDirection = SearchDirection.Forward;
+  public get searchDirection(): SearchDirection {
+    return this._searchDirection;
+  }
+
   private isRegex: boolean;
 
   private _searchString = '';