diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/Base.css b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/Base.css
index 409b582b5fb..206e0608257 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/Base.css
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/Base.css
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@
     -jr-gray-3: #404040;
     -jr-black: #000;
 
+    /* Some blueish greys - currently not used */
+    -jr-blue-gray-1: #c8d6e5;
+    -jr-blue-gray-1-darker: derive(-jr-blue-gray-1, -5%);
+    -jr-blue-gray-2: #8395a7;
+    -jr-blue-gray-2-darker: derive(-jr-blue-gray-2, -5%);
+    -jr-blue-gray-3: #576574;
+    -jr-blue-gray-3-darker: derive(-jr-blue-gray-3, -5%);
+    -jr-blue-gray-4: #222f3e;
+    -jr-blue-gray-4-darker: derive(-jr-blue-gray-4, -5%);
+
     /* Highlights */
     -jr-blue: #0abde3;
     -jr-light-blue: #48dbfb;
@@ -44,12 +54,6 @@
     -jr-yellow: #feca57;
     -jr-orange: #ff9f43;
 
-    /* Some blueish greys */
-    -jr-blue-gray-1: #c8d6e5;
-    -jr-blue-gray-2: #8395a7;
-    -jr-blue-gray-3: #576574;
-    -jr-blue-gray-4: #222f3e;
-
     /* Background specs */
     -jr-background-alt: -fx-background;
     -jr-text-area-background: derive(-jr-base, 80%);
@@ -252,6 +256,34 @@
 
     /* Consistent size for headers of tab-pane and side-panels*/
     -jr-header-height: 3em;
+
+    /* region: maintable base colors **/
+
+    -jr-match-1: -jr-white;
+    -jr-match-1-even: -jr-base;
+    -jr-match-1-text-color: -fx-mid-text-color;
+    -jr-match-1-hover: -jr-hover;
+    -jr-match-1-text-color-hover: -fx-mid-text-color;
+
+    -jr-match-2: derive(-jr-theme, 100%);
+    -jr-match-2-even: derive(-jr-match-2, 10%);
+    -jr-match-2-text-color: -fx-mid-text-color;
+    -jr-match-2-hover: -jr-hover;
+    -jr-match-2-text-color-hover: -fx-mid-text-color;
+
+    -jr-match-3: derive(-jr-theme, 50%);
+    -jr-match-3-even: derive(-jr-match-3, 10%);
+    -jr-match-3-text-color: derive(-jr-accent, 30%);
+    -jr-match-3-hover: -jr-hover;
+    -jr-match-3-text-color-hover: -fx-mid-text-color;
+
+    -jr-match-4: -jr-theme;
+    -jr-match-4-even: derive(-jr-match-4, 10%);
+    -jr-match-4-text-color: -jr-accent;
+    -jr-match-4-hover: -jr-hover;
+    -jr-match-4-text-color-hover: -fx-mid-text-color;
+
+    /* endregion */
 }
 
 .unchanged {
@@ -270,7 +302,6 @@
     -rtfx-background-color: rgba(255, 107, 107, 0.55);
 }
 
-
 #frame {
     -fx-background-color: -jr-background-alt;
 }
@@ -584,8 +615,8 @@ TextFlow > .tooltip-text-monospaced {
 }
 
 .tab-pane > .tab-header-area > .headers-region > .tab:selected .glyph-icon {
-    -fx-text-fill: -fx-mid-text-color;
     -fx-fill: -fx-mid-text-color;
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-mid-text-color;
 }
 
 .tab-pane:focused > .tab-header-area > .headers-region > .tab:selected .focus-indicator {
@@ -611,13 +642,13 @@ TextFlow > .tooltip-text-monospaced {
 
 .tab-pane > .tab-header-area > .headers-region > .tab .glyph-icon {
     -glyph-size: 13px;
-    -fx-text-fill: -fx-mid-text-color;
     -fx-fill: -fx-mid-text-color;
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-mid-text-color;
 }
 
 .tab-pane > .tab-header-area > .headers-region > .tab:selected .glyph-icon {
-    -fx-text-fill: -jr-theme-text;
     -fx-fill: -jr-theme-text;
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-theme-text;
 }
 
 .tab-pane > .tab-header-area {
@@ -648,30 +679,14 @@ TextFlow > .tooltip-text-monospaced {
     -fx-padding: 0 .5 0 .5;
 }
 
-.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups {
-    -fx-background-color: white;
-}
-
-.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups {
-    -fx-background-color: rgba(180, 180, 180, 0.86);
-}
-
-.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search {
-    -fx-background-color: rgba(140, 140, 140, 0.86);
-}
-
-.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups {
-    -fx-opacity: 60%;
-}
-
 .table-row-cell:hover,
+.table-row-cell:hover:even,
 .tree-table-row-cell:hover {
     -fx-background-color: -jr-hover;
     -fx-text-fill: -fx-focused-text-base-color;
     -fx-fill: -fx-focused-text-base-color;
 }
 
-.table-row-cell:hover,
 .tree-table-row-cell:selected > .tree-table-cell > .glyph-icon {
     -fx-fill: white;
     -fx-text-fill: white;
@@ -1162,12 +1177,11 @@ We want to have a look that matches our icons in the tool-bar */
 
 .table-cell,
 .tree-table-cell,
-.table-cell .glyph-icon,
 .tree-table-cell .glyph-icon {
-    -fx-padding: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 1em;
     -fx-cell-size: 4.0em;
-    -fx-text-fill: -fx-text-background-color;
+    -fx-padding: 0.5em 1em 0.5em 1em;
     -fx-fill: -fx-text-background-color;
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-text-background-color;
 }
 
 /* Drag and drop colored indicator */
diff --git a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/maintable/MainTable.css b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/maintable/MainTable.css
index b52b7ef79c8..edb77689301 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/maintable/MainTable.css
+++ b/src/main/java/org/jabref/gui/maintable/MainTable.css
@@ -37,6 +37,140 @@
     -fx-padding: -2 0 0 0;
 }
 
+/** even and odd are swapped around somehow. Below "odd" matches lines 2, 4, ... **/
+
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-1;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-1-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-1-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:focused > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-focused-text-base-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:hover > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-1-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-1-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:hover > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-1-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:odd {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-1-even;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:odd:focused,
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:odd:focused:hover,
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:focused:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-selected;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-and-groups:odd:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-1-hover;
+}
+
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-2;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-2-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-2-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:focused > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-focused-text-base-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:hover > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-2-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-2-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:hover > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-2-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:odd {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-2-even;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:odd:focused,
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:odd:focused:hover,
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:focused:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-selected;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-search-not-groups:odd:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-2-hover;
+}
+
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-3;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-3-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-3-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:focused > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-focused-text-base-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:hover > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-3-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-icon-color: -jr-match-3-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:hover > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-icon-color: -jr-match-3-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:odd {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-3-even;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:odd:focused,
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:odd:focused:hover,
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:focused:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-selected;
+}
+.table-row-cell:matching-groups-not-search:odd:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-hover;
+}
+
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-4;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-4-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-4-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:focused > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -fx-focused-text-base-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:hover > .table-cell {
+    -fx-text-fill: -jr-match-4-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-icon-color: -jr-match-4-text-color;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:hover > .table-cell > .ikonli-font-icon {
+    -fx-icon-color: -jr-match-4-text-color-hover;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:odd {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-4-even;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:odd:focused,
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:odd:focused:hover,
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:focused:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-selected;
+}
+.table-row-cell:not-matching-search-and-groups:odd:hover {
+    -fx-background-color: -jr-match-4-hover;
+}
+
 .rating > .container {
     -fx-spacing: 2;
 }
diff --git a/src/test/resources/testbib/simple-search-library.bib b/src/test/resources/testbib/simple-search-library.bib
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..9d4d58d4a7c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/testbib/simple-search-library.bib
@@ -0,0 +1,70 @@
+@Article{,
+  title = {S2},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {g2},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {n4},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {Sg},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {Sg3},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {Sg2},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {S},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {S4},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {g},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {g4},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {n},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {n3},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {Sg4},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {S3},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {g3},
+}
+
+@Article{,
+  title = {n2},
+}
+
+@Comment{jabref-meta: databaseType:bibtex;}
+
+@Comment{jabref-meta: grouping:
+0 AllEntriesGroup:;
+1 SearchGroup:g\;0\;g\;0\;0\;1\;\;\;\;;
+}