diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index 1fba656..3ed08c0 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -388,7 +388,15 @@ func (m model) formatListItem(item listItem, selected bool) string {
 		project = project[:19] + "..."
 	}
 
-	topic := truncate(getTopic(item.conv), 40)
+	// Mark named sessions (custom/ai title) so they're distinguishable from
+	// rows that fall back to the first user message. ponytail: the glyph is
+	// ambiguous-width, so a named row may sit one cell narrow on CJK-width
+	// terminals - cosmetic only, truncate is rune-safe.
+	topic := getTopic(item.conv)
+	if item.conv.Title != "" {
+		topic = "✎ " + topic
+	}
+	topic = truncate(topic, 40)
 
 	// Message count
 	msgs := len(item.conv.Messages)
@@ -861,10 +869,11 @@ func buildItems(conversations []Conversation) []listItem {
 		searchParts = append(searchParts, formatTimestamp(conv.FirstTimestamp))
 		searchParts = append(searchParts, formatTimestamp(conv.LastTimestamp))
 
+		// Include assistant messages too so a conversation is findable by
+		// what Claude said, matching the HITS column and preview which already
+		// count all messages.
 		for _, msg := range conv.Messages {
-			if msg.Role == "user" {
-				searchParts = append(searchParts, msg.Text)
-			}
+			searchParts = append(searchParts, msg.Text)
 		}
 
 		searchText := strings.Join(searchParts, " ")
diff --git a/main_test.go b/main_test.go
index 39490c4..3434d83 100644
--- a/main_test.go
+++ b/main_test.go
@@ -186,6 +186,11 @@ func TestBuildItems(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("search text should contain all user messages, got %q", items[0].searchText)
 	}
 
+	// Search text should also contain assistant messages (findable by what Claude said)
+	if !strings.Contains(items[0].searchText, "response 1") || !strings.Contains(items[0].searchText, "response 2") {
+		t.Errorf("search text should contain assistant messages, got %q", items[0].searchText)
+	}
+
 	// Search text should contain session ID
 	if !strings.Contains(items[0].searchText, "session1") {
 		t.Errorf("search text should contain session ID, got %q", items[0].searchText)
@@ -697,6 +702,28 @@ func TestFormatListItem(t *testing.T) {
 	}
 }
 
+func TestFormatListItemNamedSessionMarker(t *testing.T) {
+	named := listItem{conv: Conversation{
+		SessionID:     "s1",
+		Title:         "Refactor auth flow",
+		LastTimestamp: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
+		Messages:      []Message{{Role: "user", Text: "hi"}},
+	}}
+	unnamed := listItem{conv: Conversation{
+		SessionID:     "s2",
+		LastTimestamp: "2024-01-15T10:30:00Z",
+		Messages:      []Message{{Role: "user", Text: "just a first message"}},
+	}}
+	m := initialModel([]listItem{named, unnamed}, "", nil)
+
+	if got := m.formatListItem(named, false); !strings.Contains(got, "✎ Refactor auth flow") {
+		t.Errorf("named session should show the marker, got %q", got)
+	}
+	if got := m.formatListItem(unnamed, false); strings.Contains(got, "✎") {
+		t.Errorf("first-message fallback should not show the marker, got %q", got)
+	}
+}
+
 func TestUpdateKeyboardNavigation(t *testing.T) {
 	items := []listItem{
 		{conv: Conversation{SessionID: "test-1"}, searchText: "first"},