diff --git a/artiq/browser/datasets.py b/artiq/browser/datasets.py
index 4f49c1ba5..4f3e9e181 100644
--- a/artiq/browser/datasets.py
+++ b/artiq/browser/datasets.py
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import asyncio
 from PyQt5 import QtCore, QtWidgets
 
 from artiq.tools import short_format
-from artiq.gui.tools import LayoutWidget
+from artiq.gui.tools import LayoutWidget, QRecursiveFilterProxyModel
 from artiq.gui.models import DictSyncTreeSepModel
 from artiq.protocols.pc_rpc import AsyncioClient as RPCClient
 
@@ -77,7 +77,7 @@ class DatasetsDock(QtWidgets.QDockWidget):
 
     def set_model(self, model):
         self.table_model = model
-        self.table_model_filter = QtCore.QSortFilterProxyModel()
+        self.table_model_filter = QRecursiveFilterProxyModel()
         self.table_model_filter.setSourceModel(self.table_model)
         self.table.setModel(self.table_model_filter)
 
diff --git a/artiq/dashboard/datasets.py b/artiq/dashboard/datasets.py
index 46252a043..cdb8d3ef6 100644
--- a/artiq/dashboard/datasets.py
+++ b/artiq/dashboard/datasets.py
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ import numpy as np
 from PyQt5 import QtCore, QtWidgets
 
 from artiq.tools import short_format
-from artiq.gui.tools import LayoutWidget
+from artiq.gui.tools import LayoutWidget, QRecursiveFilterProxyModel
 from artiq.gui.models import DictSyncTreeSepModel
 
 
@@ -141,7 +141,7 @@ class DatasetsDock(QtWidgets.QDockWidget):
 
     def set_model(self, model):
         self.table_model = model
-        self.table_model_filter = QtCore.QSortFilterProxyModel()
+        self.table_model_filter = QRecursiveFilterProxyModel()
         self.table_model_filter.setSourceModel(self.table_model)
         self.table.setModel(self.table_model_filter)
 
diff --git a/artiq/gui/tools.py b/artiq/gui/tools.py
index fc3daf91a..bc681bb77 100644
--- a/artiq/gui/tools.py
+++ b/artiq/gui/tools.py
@@ -61,3 +61,21 @@ async def get_open_file_name(parent, caption, dir, filter):
     dialog.rejected.connect(fut.cancel)
     dialog.open()
     return await fut
+
+
+# Based on:
+# http://stackoverflow.com/questions/250890/using-qsortfilterproxymodel-with-a-tree-model
+class QRecursiveFilterProxyModel(QtCore.QSortFilterProxyModel):
+    def filterAcceptsRow(self, source_row, source_parent):
+        regexp = self.filterRegExp()
+        if not regexp.isEmpty():
+            source_index = self.sourceModel().index(
+                source_row, self.filterKeyColumn(), source_parent)
+            if source_index.isValid():
+                for i in range(self.sourceModel().rowCount(source_index)):
+                    if self.filterAcceptsRow(i, source_index):
+                        return True
+                key = self.sourceModel().data(source_index, self.filterRole())
+                return regexp.indexIn(key) != -1
+        return QtCore.QSortFilterProxyModel.filterAcceptsRow(
+            self, source_row, source_parent)