diff --git a/src/gui/FileListWidget.hxx b/src/gui/FileListWidget.hxx
index b5ba5bf7e..98c149223 100644
--- a/src/gui/FileListWidget.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/FileListWidget.hxx
@@ -88,6 +88,7 @@ class FileListWidget : public StringListWidget
     const FilesystemNode& currentDir() const { return _node; }
 
     static void setQuickSelectDelay(uInt64 time) { _QUICK_SELECT_DELAY = time; }
+    uInt64 getQuickSelectDelay() { return _QUICK_SELECT_DELAY; }
 
     ProgressDialog& progress();
     void incProgress();
diff --git a/src/gui/LauncherDialog.cxx b/src/gui/LauncherDialog.cxx
index 03be5adf3..74f08328a 100644
--- a/src/gui/LauncherDialog.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/LauncherDialog.cxx
@@ -35,6 +35,7 @@
 #include "ProgressDialog.hxx"
 #include "MessageBox.hxx"
 #include "ToolTip.hxx"
+#include "TimerManager.hxx"
 #include "OSystem.hxx"
 #include "FrameBuffer.hxx"
 #include "FBSurface.hxx"
@@ -358,6 +359,16 @@ void LauncherDialog::reload()
 {
   myMD5List.clear();
   myList->reload();
+  myPendingReload = false;
+}
+
+// - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
+void LauncherDialog::tick()
+{
+  if(myPendingReload && myReloadTime < TimerManager::getTicks() / 1000)
+    reload();
+
+  Dialog::tick();
 }
 
 // - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -
@@ -771,11 +782,20 @@ void LauncherDialog::handleCommand(CommandSender* sender, int cmd,
     case EditableWidget::kChangedCmd:
     {
       bool subAllowed = myPattern->getText().length() >= MIN_SUBDIRS_CHARS;
+      bool subDirs = subAllowed && mySubDirs->getState();
 
       mySubDirs->setEnabled(subAllowed);
-      myList->setIncludeSubDirs(mySubDirs->getState() && subAllowed);
+      myList->setIncludeSubDirs(subDirs);
       applyFiltering();  // pattern matching taken care of directly in this method
-      reload();
+
+      if(subDirs)
+      {
+        // delay (potentially slow) subdirectories reloads until user stops typing
+        myReloadTime = TimerManager::getTicks() / 1000 + myList->getQuickSelectDelay();
+        myPendingReload = true;
+      }
+      else
+        reload();
       break;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/gui/LauncherDialog.hxx b/src/gui/LauncherDialog.hxx
index 44601d48d..a415f1403 100644
--- a/src/gui/LauncherDialog.hxx
+++ b/src/gui/LauncherDialog.hxx
@@ -95,6 +95,8 @@ class LauncherDialog : public Dialog
     */
     void reload();
 
+    void tick() override;
+
   private:
     static constexpr int MIN_LAUNCHER_CHARS = 24;
     static constexpr int MIN_ROMINFO_CHARS = 30;
@@ -194,6 +196,8 @@ class LauncherDialog : public Dialog
     bool myUseMinimalUI{false};
     bool myEventHandled{false};
     bool myShortCount{false};
+    bool myPendingReload{false};
+    uInt64 myReloadTime{0};
 
     enum {
       kAllfilesCmd   = 'lalf',  // show all files (or ROMs only)
diff --git a/src/gui/WhatsNewDialog.cxx b/src/gui/WhatsNewDialog.cxx
index 5892bfcfd..7c26ca186 100644
--- a/src/gui/WhatsNewDialog.cxx
+++ b/src/gui/WhatsNewDialog.cxx
@@ -49,6 +49,7 @@ WhatsNewDialog::WhatsNewDialog(OSystem& osystem, DialogContainer& parent, const
   add(ypos, "enhanced cut/copy/paste for text editing");
   add(ypos, "added undo and redo to text editing");
   add(ypos, "added wildcard support to launcher dialog filter");
+  add(ypos, "added option to search subdirectories in launcher");
   add(ypos, "added tooltips to many UI items");
   add(ypos, "increased sample size for CDFJ+");
   add(ypos, ELLIPSIS + " (for a complete list see 'docs/Changes.txt')");