diff --git a/core/ui/PageTemplate/story.tid b/core/ui/PageTemplate/story.tid
index d8693261e..4ec7aef9f 100644
--- a/core/ui/PageTemplate/story.tid
+++ b/core/ui/PageTemplate/story.tid
@@ -14,12 +14,8 @@ tags: $:/tags/PageTemplate
 
 </section>
 
-<$vars searchPrefix="[" searchSuffix="]">
-
 <$list filter=<<tf.story-river.filter>> history="$:/HistoryList" template="$:/core/ui/StoryTiddlerTemplate" storyview={{$:/view}} emptyMessage={{$:/config/EmptyStoryMessage}}/>
 
-</$vars>
-
 <section class="story-frontdrop">
 
 <$list filter="[all[shadows+tiddlers]tag[$:/tags/BelowStory]!has[draft.of]]">
diff --git a/core/wiki/functions/search.tid b/core/wiki/functions/search.tid
index eff4768c9..d1c62a790 100644
--- a/core/wiki/functions/search.tid
+++ b/core/wiki/functions/search.tid
@@ -1,4 +1,9 @@
 title: $:/core/wiki/functions/search
 tags: $:/tags/Global
 
-\function tf.story-river.filter() [[list]addsuffix[<tv-story-list>]addsuffix[$(searchSuffix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[ ]addsuffix[:filter]addsuffix[$(searchPrefix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[{$:/state/story-river/filter}match]addsuffix[$(searchPrefix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[yes]addsuffix[$(searchSuffix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[then<currentTiddler>]addsuffix[search:]addsuffix{$:/config/StoryFilter/fields}addsuffix[:]addsuffix{$:/config/StoryFilter/flags}addsuffix[{$:/temp/search/input}]addsuffix[else{$:/state/story-river/filter}!match]addsuffix[$(searchPrefix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[yes]addsuffix[$(searchSuffix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[then<currentTiddler>]] +[addprefix[$(searchPrefix)$]substitute[]addsuffix[$(searchSuffix)$]substitute[]]
\ No newline at end of file
+\procedure prefix.bracket() [
+\procedure suffix.bracket() ]
+
+\function tf.story-river.subfilter() [[{$:/state/story-river/filter}]addprefix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[match]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[yes]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[then<currentTiddler>!is]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[draft]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[search:]addsuffix{$:/config/StoryFilter/fields}addsuffix[:]addsuffix{$:/config/StoryFilter/flags}addsuffix[{$:/temp/search/input}]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[ ~]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[<currentTiddler>is]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[draft]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]]
+
+\function tf.story-river.filter() [[list]addprefix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[$:/StoryList]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[ :filter]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[subfilter<tf.story-river.subfilter>]addsuffix[else{$:/state/story-river/filter}!match]addsuffix[$(prefix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[yes]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]addsuffix[then<currentTiddler>]addsuffix[$(suffix.bracket)$]substitute[]]
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/themes/tiddlywiki/vanilla/filter.tid b/themes/tiddlywiki/vanilla/filter.tid
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..79e925bfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/themes/tiddlywiki/vanilla/filter.tid
@@ -0,0 +1,18 @@
+title: $:/themes/tiddlywiki/vanilla/filter
+tags: $:/tags/Stylesheet
+
+\rules only filteredtranscludeinline transcludeinline macrodef macrocallinline macrocallblock conditional
+
+<%if [{$:/state/story-river/filter}match[yes]] %>
+
+	.tc-story-river {
+		background: repeating-linear-gradient(
+			to right,
+			<<colour page-background>>,
+			<<colour page-background>> 10px,
+			<<colour tiddler-background>> 10px,
+			<<colour tiddler-background>> 20px
+		);
+	}
+
+<% endif %>
\ No newline at end of file