diff --git a/src/cache-manager.ts b/src/cache-manager.ts
index 3503b23..06f79fd 100644
--- a/src/cache-manager.ts
+++ b/src/cache-manager.ts
@@ -217,6 +217,9 @@ class CacheManager {
     await database.searchHistory.bulkAdd(history)
   }
 
+  /**
+   * @returns The search history, in reverse chronological order
+   */
   public async getSearchHistory(): Promise<ReadonlyArray<string>> {
     const data = (await database.searchHistory.toArray())
       .reverse()
diff --git a/src/components/ModalVault.svelte b/src/components/ModalVault.svelte
index 5f5ea9a..5c3ef27 100644
--- a/src/components/ModalVault.svelte
+++ b/src/components/ModalVault.svelte
@@ -102,9 +102,6 @@
     eventBus.on('vault', Action.PrevSearchHistory, prevSearchHistory)
     eventBus.on('vault', Action.NextSearchHistory, nextSearchHistory)
     await NotesIndex.refreshIndex()
-    if (settings.showPreviousQueryResults) {
-      previousQuery = (await cacheManager.getSearchHistory())[0]
-    }
   })
 
   onDestroy(() => {
diff --git a/src/components/modals.ts b/src/components/modals.ts
index eaeef5d..ab17381 100644
--- a/src/components/modals.ts
+++ b/src/components/modals.ts
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import ModalVault from './ModalVault.svelte'
 import ModalInFile from './ModalInFile.svelte'
 import { Action, eventBus, EventNames, isInputComposition } from '../globals'
 import { settings } from '../settings'
+import { cacheManager } from 'src/cache-manager'
 
 abstract class OmnisearchModal extends Modal {
   protected constructor(app: App) {
@@ -142,25 +143,37 @@ abstract class OmnisearchModal extends Modal {
 }
 
 export class OmnisearchVaultModal extends OmnisearchModal {
+  /**
+   * Instanciate the Omnisearch vault modal
+   * @param app
+   * @param query The query to pre-fill the search field with
+   */
   constructor(app: App, query?: string) {
     super(app)
 
-    // Get selected text
-    const selection = app.workspace.getActiveViewOfType(MarkdownView)?.editor.getSelection()
+    // Selected text in the editor
+    const selectedText = app.workspace
+      .getActiveViewOfType(MarkdownView)
+      ?.editor.getSelection()
 
-    const cmp = new ModalVault({
-      target: this.modalEl,
-      props: {
-        modal: this,
-        previousQuery: selection ?? query,
-      },
+    cacheManager.getSearchHistory().then(history => {
+      // Previously searched query (if enabled in settings)
+      const previous = settings.showPreviousQueryResults ? history[0] : null
+
+      // Instantiate and display the Svelte component
+      const cmp = new ModalVault({
+        target: this.modalEl,
+        props: {
+          modal: this,
+          previousQuery: query || selectedText || previous || '',
+        },
+      })
+      this.onClose = () => {
+        // Since the component is manually created,
+        // we also need to manually destroy it
+        cmp.$destroy()
+      }
     })
-
-    this.onClose = () => {
-      // Since the component is manually created,
-      // we also need to manually destroy it
-      cmp.$destroy()
-    }
   }
 }