diff --git a/example/lib/chat_view_list_screen.dart b/example/lib/chat_view_list_screen.dart
index fbd0c59d..dcea2210 100644
--- a/example/lib/chat_view_list_screen.dart
+++ b/example/lib/chat_view_list_screen.dart
@@ -96,6 +96,7 @@ class _ChatViewListScreenState extends State<ChatViewListScreen> {
                 ),
                 searchConfig: SearchConfig(
                   textEditingController: _searchController,
+                  debounceDuration: const Duration(milliseconds: 300),
                   border: const OutlineInputBorder(
                     borderRadius: BorderRadius.all(Radius.circular(10)),
                   ),
diff --git a/lib/src/controller/chat_list_view_controller.dart b/lib/src/controller/chat_list_view_controller.dart
index 47c578a4..74e8ca3f 100644
--- a/lib/src/controller/chat_list_view_controller.dart
+++ b/lib/src/controller/chat_list_view_controller.dart
@@ -54,7 +54,9 @@ class ChatViewListController {
         if (initialChatList[i] case final chat) chat.id: chat,
     };
 
-    chatListMap = chatsMap;
+    chatListMap
+      ..clear()
+      ..addAll(chatsMap);
 
     // Adds the current chat map to the stream controller
     // after the first frame render.
@@ -67,10 +69,10 @@ class ChatViewListController {
   /// Stores and manages chat items by their unique IDs.
   /// A map is used for efficient lookup, update, and removal of chats
   /// by their unique id.
-  Map<String, ChatViewListItem> chatListMap = {};
+  final Map<String, ChatViewListItem> chatListMap = {};
 
   /// Provides scroll controller for chat list.
-  ScrollController scrollController;
+  final ScrollController scrollController;
 
   final bool disposeOtherResources;
 
diff --git a/lib/src/models/config_models/chat_view_list/search_config.dart b/lib/src/models/config_models/chat_view_list/search_config.dart
index 4f169e10..8544c8d2 100644
--- a/lib/src/models/config_models/chat_view_list/search_config.dart
+++ b/lib/src/models/config_models/chat_view_list/search_config.dart
@@ -52,6 +52,7 @@ class SearchConfig {
     this.border,
     this.suffixIcon,
     this.onSearch,
+    this.debounceDuration,
     this.decoration,
     this.maxLength,
   });
@@ -122,6 +123,9 @@ class SearchConfig {
   /// Callback function that is called when the search text changes.
   final SearchUserCallback? onSearch;
 
+  /// Duration to debounce the search callback.
+  final Duration? debounceDuration;
+
   /// Decoration for the search text field.
   final InputDecoration? decoration;
 
diff --git a/lib/src/utils/debounce.dart b/lib/src/utils/debounce.dart
index 83b3a85a..e605018d 100644
--- a/lib/src/utils/debounce.dart
+++ b/lib/src/utils/debounce.dart
@@ -25,18 +25,17 @@ import 'dart:async';
 import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
 class Debouncer {
-  Timer? _debounce;
-  Duration duration;
-
   Debouncer(this.duration);
 
-  void run(VoidCallback callbackAfterTimeLapsed,
-      VoidCallback callbackBeforeTimeLapsed) {
+  final Duration duration;
+  Timer? _debounce;
+
+  void run({required VoidCallback onComplete, VoidCallback? onInterrupt}) {
     if (_debounce?.isActive ?? false) {
-      callbackBeforeTimeLapsed();
+      onInterrupt?.call();
       _debounce?.cancel();
     }
-    _debounce = Timer(duration, callbackAfterTimeLapsed);
+    _debounce = Timer(duration, onComplete);
   }
 
   void dispose() {
diff --git a/lib/src/widgets/chat_view_list/search_text_field.dart b/lib/src/widgets/chat_view_list/search_text_field.dart
index 78ac5b11..fb45220b 100644
--- a/lib/src/widgets/chat_view_list/search_text_field.dart
+++ b/lib/src/widgets/chat_view_list/search_text_field.dart
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ import 'package:flutter/material.dart';
 
 import '../../controller/chat_list_view_controller.dart';
 import '../../models/config_models/chat_view_list/search_config.dart';
+import '../../utils/debounce.dart';
 import '../../utils/package_strings.dart';
 
 class SearchTextField extends StatefulWidget {
@@ -50,6 +51,10 @@ class SearchTextField extends StatefulWidget {
 class _SearchTextFieldState extends State<SearchTextField> {
   final ValueNotifier<String> _inputText = ValueNotifier('');
 
+  late final _debouncer = _config.debounceDuration == null
+      ? null
+      : Debouncer(_config.debounceDuration!);
+
   SearchConfig get _config => widget.config;
 
   InputBorder get _outlineBorder =>
@@ -121,6 +126,14 @@ class _SearchTextFieldState extends State<SearchTextField> {
 
   FutureOr<void> _onSearchChanged(String value) async {
     _inputText.value = value;
+    if (_debouncer != null) {
+      _debouncer.run(onComplete: () => _performSearch(value));
+    } else {
+      await _performSearch(value);
+    }
+  }
+
+  FutureOr<void> _performSearch(String value) async {
     final chatList = await _config.onSearch?.call(value);
     if (chatList != null) {
       widget.chatViewListController?.setSearchChats(chatList);
diff --git a/lib/src/widgets/chatui_textfield.dart b/lib/src/widgets/chatui_textfield.dart
index 18d5589e..e951c5ab 100644
--- a/lib/src/widgets/chatui_textfield.dart
+++ b/lib/src/widgets/chatui_textfield.dart
@@ -444,9 +444,9 @@ class _ChatUITextFieldState extends State<ChatUITextField> {
   }
 
   void _onChanged(String inputText) {
-    debouncer.run(() {
+    debouncer.run(onComplete: () {
       composingStatus.value = TypeWriterStatus.typed;
-    }, () {
+    }, onInterrupt: () {
       composingStatus.value = TypeWriterStatus.typing;
     });
     _inputText.value = inputText;