diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/InsertBytesWidget.java b/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/InsertBytesWidget.java
index 6bbd3219c4..b98bb2e31b 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/InsertBytesWidget.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/InsertBytesWidget.java
@@ -128,6 +128,7 @@ public class InsertBytesWidget extends DialogComponentProvider implements KeyLis
 	@Override
 	protected void dialogShown() {
 		populateDialog();
+		toFront();
 	}
 
 	/*********************************************************************************************
@@ -142,7 +143,7 @@ public class InsertBytesWidget extends DialogComponentProvider implements KeyLis
 	protected JPanel createWorkPanel() {
 
 		JPanel contentPanel = new JPanel();
-		contentPanel.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(300, 150));
+		contentPanel.setMinimumSize(new Dimension(500, 300));
 
 		// Create the input text widget and give it a scrollbar.
 		inputBytesTA = new HintTextAreaIS(HINT_TEXT);
@@ -210,7 +211,6 @@ public class InsertBytesWidget extends DialogComponentProvider implements KeyLis
 		// clicking the appropriate button.
 		inputBytesTA.setText(sb.toString());
 		selectionModeWidget.setInputMode(InputMode.BINARY);
-		selectionModeWidget.hexRB.doClick();
 
 		inputBytesTA.setSelectionStart(0);
 		inputBytesTA.setSelectionEnd(inputBytesTA.getText().length());
@@ -470,6 +470,20 @@ public class InsertBytesWidget extends DialogComponentProvider implements KeyLis
 		return true;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Flags the given string as invalid input
+	 * 
+	 */
+	public void setInputInvalid() {
+		inputBytesTA.setError();
+		if (selectionModeWidget.getInputMode() == InputMode.BINARY) {
+			errorMsg = ERROR_MSG_BINARY_INPUT;
+		}
+		else {
+			errorMsg = ERROR_MSG_HEX_INPUT;
+		}
+	}
+
 	@Override
 	public void keyTyped(KeyEvent e) {
 		// Do nothing.
diff --git a/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/SelectionModeWidget.java b/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/SelectionModeWidget.java
index edbfbdaaf2..a36205124e 100644
--- a/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/SelectionModeWidget.java
+++ b/Ghidra/Features/Base/src/main/java/ghidra/app/plugin/core/instructionsearch/ui/SelectionModeWidget.java
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ import javax.swing.*;
 
 import docking.widgets.button.GRadioButton;
 import ghidra.app.plugin.core.instructionsearch.util.InstructionSearchUtils;
+import ghidra.util.Msg;
 
 /**
  * Allows the user to specify whether the input mode is BINARY or HEX for the {@link InsertBytesWidget}.
@@ -78,16 +79,10 @@ public class SelectionModeWidget extends ControlPanelWidget {
 			@Override
 			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
 
-				// If input is invalid, just exit.
-				if (!parent.validateInput()) {
-					return;
-				}
-
 				// If we're already in hex, do nothing.
 				if (inputMode == InputMode.HEX) {
 					return;
 				}
-
 				inputMode = InputMode.HEX;
 
 				// CONVERSION
@@ -102,7 +97,7 @@ public class SelectionModeWidget extends ControlPanelWidget {
 					groups = InstructionSearchUtils.getGroupSizes(parent.getInputString().trim(),
 						InputMode.BINARY);
 
-					// Now convert whatever is in the input box to binary.				
+					// Now convert whatever is in the input box to hex.				
 					String hexStr =
 						InstructionSearchUtils.toHex(parent.getInputString().trim(), true);
 
@@ -114,8 +109,11 @@ public class SelectionModeWidget extends ControlPanelWidget {
 					parent.setInputString(hexStr);
 					parent.validateInput();
 				}
+				catch (NumberFormatException e2) {
+					parent.setInputInvalid();
+				}
 				catch (Exception e1) {
-					e1.printStackTrace();
+					Msg.error(this, e1.getMessage());
 				}
 			}
 
@@ -126,11 +124,6 @@ public class SelectionModeWidget extends ControlPanelWidget {
 			@Override
 			public void actionPerformed(ActionEvent e) {
 
-				// If input is invalid, just exit.
-				if (!parent.validateInput()) {
-					return;
-				}
-
 				// If we're already in binary, do nothing.
 				if (inputMode == InputMode.BINARY) {
 					return;
@@ -161,8 +154,11 @@ public class SelectionModeWidget extends ControlPanelWidget {
 					parent.setInputString(binaryStr);
 					parent.validateInput();
 				}
+				catch (NumberFormatException e2) {
+					parent.setInputInvalid();
+				}
 				catch (Exception e1) {
-					e1.printStackTrace();
+					Msg.error(this, e1.getMessage());
 				}
 
 			}