diff --git a/CommandLine.c b/CommandLine.c
index 1ca40c046..f79106f4a 100644
--- a/CommandLine.c
+++ b/CommandLine.c
@@ -472,19 +472,10 @@ int CommandLine_run(int argc, char** argv) {
    if (flags.commFilter)
       setCommFilter(&state, &(flags.commFilter));
 
-   /* Set up shared search/filter history, stored next to the config file */
-   const char* rcPath = settings->filename;
-   const char* lastSlash = strrchr(rcPath, '/');
-   char historyPath[PATH_MAX];
-   if (lastSlash) {
-      int dirLen = (int)(lastSlash - rcPath + 1);
-      xSnprintf(historyPath, sizeof(historyPath), "%.*s" "htop_history", dirLen, rcPath);
-   } else {
-   /* no history file saved unless we have a sane rcPath */
-      historyPath[0] = '\0';
-   }
-
+   /* Set up shared search/filter history, stored below the XDG state directory */
+   char* historyPath = Settings_getHistoryFile(settings->filename);
    IncSet_setHistoryFile(panel->inc, historyPath);
+   free(historyPath);
 
    ScreenManager* scr = ScreenManager_new(header, host, &state, true);
    ScreenManager_add(scr, (Panel*) panel, -1);
diff --git a/History.c b/History.c
index 50320abfd..c3f255319 100644
--- a/History.c
+++ b/History.c
@@ -9,22 +9,66 @@ in the source distribution for its full text.
 
 #include "History.h"
 
+#include <errno.h>
 #include <fcntl.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <string.h>
 #include <unistd.h>
+#include <sys/stat.h>
 
 #include "Macros.h"
 #include "XUtils.h"
 
 
+/* Determine whether the history file is safe to (over)write, mirroring the
+   checks Settings_read() applies to htoprc: the file must be a regular file
+   owned by the effective user with owner-write permission. The O_NOFOLLOW
+   flag guards the final path component against symlink attacks, while
+   O_NONBLOCK keeps an owned FIFO from blocking the read-only fallback. */
 static void History_load(History* this) {
    if (!this->filename)
       return;
-   FILE* fp = fopen(this->filename, "r");
-   if (!fp)
+
+   int fd = -1;
+   do {
+      fd = open(this->filename, O_RDWR | O_NOCTTY | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NONBLOCK);
+   } while (fd < 0 && errno == EINTR);
+
+   if (fd < 0) {
+      this->writeHistory = (errno == ENOENT);
+      if (errno != EACCES && errno != EPERM && errno != EROFS)
+         return;
+   } else {
+      struct stat sb;
+      int err = fstat(fd, &sb);
+      this->writeHistory = !err && S_ISREG(sb.st_mode) && (sb.st_mode & S_IWUSR) && sb.st_uid == geteuid();
+   }
+
+   /* If opening read & write is not possible, open read only.
+      O_NOFOLLOW rejects a planted symlink, O_NONBLOCK avoids blocking on
+      non-regular files such as FIFOs when no writer is present. */
+   if (fd < 0) {
+      do {
+         fd = open(this->filename, O_RDONLY | O_NOCTTY | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NONBLOCK);
+      } while (fd < 0 && errno == EINTR);
+   }
+
+   if (fd < 0)
+      return;
+
+   /* Only read regular files; reading a FIFO would block. */
+   struct stat sb;
+   if (fstat(fd, &sb) != 0 || !S_ISREG(sb.st_mode)) {
+      close(fd);
+      return;
+   }
+
+   FILE* fp = fdopen(fd, "r");
+   if (!fp) {
+      close(fd);
       return;
+   }
 
    char line[LINEEDITOR_MAX + 2];
    while (fgets(line, sizeof(line), fp)) {
@@ -48,6 +92,7 @@ History* History_new(const char* filename) {
    this->position = 0;
    this->saved[0] = '\0';
    this->filename = filename ? xStrdup(filename) : NULL;
+   this->writeHistory = true;
 
    if (this->filename)
       History_load(this);
@@ -66,12 +111,27 @@ void History_delete(History* this) {
 }
 
 void History_save(const History* this) {
-   if (!this->filename)
+   if (!this->filename || !this->writeHistory)
       return;
-   /* Settings_write writes things via a temp file & rename, we do it less robust but faster here: */
-   int fd = open(this->filename, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_TRUNC, 0600);
+   /* Settings_write writes things via a temp file & rename, we do it less robust but faster here.
+      O_NOFOLLOW guards against a symlink planted at the final path component,
+      O_NONBLOCK avoids hanging on an existing FIFO, and the fstat() re-check
+      closes a race between open and the owner verification. */
+   int fd = open(this->filename, O_WRONLY | O_NOCTTY | O_CREAT | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NONBLOCK, 0600);
    if (fd == -1)
       return;
+
+   struct stat sb;
+   if (fstat(fd, &sb) != 0 || !S_ISREG(sb.st_mode) || !(sb.st_mode & S_IWUSR) || sb.st_uid != geteuid()) {
+      close(fd);
+      return;
+   }
+
+   if (ftruncate(fd, 0) != 0) {
+      close(fd);
+      return;
+   }
+
    FILE* fp = fdopen(fd, "w");
    if (!fp) {
       close(fd); // fd not consumed on failure, so close it
diff --git a/History.h b/History.h
index d2989d7fc..d187ed7e5 100644
--- a/History.h
+++ b/History.h
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@ typedef struct History_ {
    size_t position;      /* current browse position: count = "at new input" */
    char saved[LINEEDITOR_MAX + 1]; /* saved current input while browsing */
    char* filename;    /* path to history file (may be NULL = no read / write) */
+   bool writeHistory;  /* whether the history file may be (over)written */
 } History;
 
 /* Create a new History, loading from the given file (may be NULL = init new history) */
diff --git a/Settings.c b/Settings.c
index 65c7292b8..092c3f6bb 100644
--- a/Settings.c
+++ b/Settings.c
@@ -910,6 +910,130 @@ int Settings_write(const Settings* this, bool onCrash) {
    return r;
 }
 
+static const char* Settings_getHome(void) {
+   const char* home = getenv("HOME");
+   if (!home || home[0] != '/') {
+      const struct passwd* pw = getpwuid(getuid());
+      return (pw && pw->pw_dir && pw->pw_dir[0] == '/') ? pw->pw_dir : "";
+   }
+   return home;
+}
+
+static bool Settings_mkdirp(const char* path, mode_t mode) {
+   char* copy = xStrdup(path);
+   bool ok = true;
+   for (char* p = copy + (copy[0] == '/' ? 1 : 0); *p; p++) {
+      if (*p != '/')
+         continue;
+      *p = '\0';
+      if (mkdir(copy, mode) != 0 && errno != EEXIST)
+         ok = false;
+      *p = '/';
+   }
+   if (mkdir(copy, mode) != 0 && errno != EEXIST)
+      ok = false;
+   free(copy);
+   return ok;
+}
+
+static void Settings_migrateHistory(const char* fromPath, const char* toPath) {
+   /* O_NOFOLLOW and O_NONBLOCK ensure a symlink or FIFO planted at the path
+      cannot redirect the copy or block it. */
+   int fromFd = open(fromPath, O_RDONLY | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NONBLOCK);
+   if (fromFd < 0)
+      return;
+
+   /* Validate the descriptor we actually opened: regular file owned by the
+      effective user. O_NOFOLLOW rejects a symlink at the final path component,
+      and fstat() rules out a swap between open() and here. */
+   struct stat sb;
+   if (fstat(fromFd, &sb) != 0 || !S_ISREG(sb.st_mode) || sb.st_uid != geteuid()) {
+      close(fromFd);
+      return;
+   }
+
+   /* O_EXCL guarantees the destination is never overwritten; once the state
+      file exists it takes precedence over the legacy copy. */
+   int toFd = open(toPath, O_WRONLY | O_CREAT | O_EXCL | O_NOFOLLOW | O_NONBLOCK, 0600);
+   if (toFd < 0) {
+      close(fromFd);
+      return;
+   }
+
+   bool ok = true;
+   char buf[4096];
+   for (;;) {
+      ssize_t n = read(fromFd, buf, sizeof(buf));
+      if (n < 0) {
+         if (errno == EINTR)
+            continue;
+         ok = false;
+         break;
+      }
+      if (n == 0)
+         break;
+      if (full_write(toFd, buf, (size_t)n) != n) {
+         ok = false;
+         break;
+      }
+   }
+   if (close(fromFd) != 0)
+      ok = false;
+   if (close(toFd) != 0 || !ok) {
+      unlink(toPath);
+      return;
+   }
+
+   /* Remove the legacy file only if it still refers to the entry we copied. */
+   struct stat sbPath;
+   if (lstat(fromPath, &sbPath) == 0 && sbPath.st_dev == sb.st_dev && sbPath.st_ino == sb.st_ino)
+      (void) unlink(fromPath);
+}
+
+/* Return the legacy history path as stored beside a configuration file
+   (the old history location), or NULL when the file has no directory part. */
+static char* Settings_legacyHistoryFile(const char* configFile) {
+   const char* lastSlash = strrchr(configFile, '/');
+   if (!lastSlash)
+      return NULL;
+   char* dir = xStrndup(configFile, (size_t)(lastSlash - configFile + 1));
+   char* file = String_cat(dir, "htop_history");
+   free(dir);
+   return file;
+}
+
+char* Settings_getHistoryFile(const char* configFile) {
+   const char* xdgStateHome = getenv("XDG_STATE_HOME");
+   const char* home = Settings_getHome();
+
+   if ((!xdgStateHome || xdgStateHome[0] != '/') && !home[0])
+      return NULL;
+
+   char* stateHtopDir;
+   if (xdgStateHome && xdgStateHome[0] == '/')
+      stateHtopDir = String_cat(xdgStateHome, "/htop");
+   else
+      stateHtopDir = String_cat(home, "/.local/state/htop");
+
+   char* historyFile = String_cat(stateHtopDir, "/htop_history");
+   if (!Settings_mkdirp(stateHtopDir, 0700)) {
+      free(stateHtopDir);
+      free(historyFile);
+      return NULL;
+   }
+   free(stateHtopDir);
+
+   /* The search/filter history used to be stored next to the
+      htoprc file; migrate it if present. */
+   char* legacyFile = Settings_legacyHistoryFile(configFile);
+   if (legacyFile) {
+      Settings_migrateHistory(legacyFile, historyFile);
+      free(legacyFile);
+   }
+
+   return historyFile;
+}
+
 Settings* Settings_new(const Machine* host, Hashtable* dynamicMeters, Hashtable* dynamicColumns, Hashtable* dynamicScreens) {
    Settings* this = xCalloc(1, sizeof(Settings));
 
@@ -963,11 +1087,7 @@ Settings* Settings_new(const Machine* host, Hashtable* dynamicMeters, Hashtable*
    if (rcfile) {
       this->initialFilename = xStrdup(rcfile);
    } else {
-      const char* home = getenv("HOME");
-      if (!home || home[0] != '/') {
-         const struct passwd* pw = getpwuid(getuid());
-         home = (pw && pw->pw_dir && pw->pw_dir[0] == '/') ? pw->pw_dir : "";
-      }
+      const char* home = Settings_getHome();
       const char* xdgConfigHome = getenv("XDG_CONFIG_HOME");
       char* configDir = NULL;
       char* htopDir = NULL;
diff --git a/Settings.h b/Settings.h
index e1642ab0b..637f2de00 100644
--- a/Settings.h
+++ b/Settings.h
@@ -151,4 +151,10 @@ bool Settings_isReadonly(void);
 
 void Settings_setHeaderLayout(Settings* this, HeaderLayout hLayout);
 
+/* Return the path of the search/filter history file, located below the XDG
+   state directory. Ensures the directory exists and migrates a legacy history
+   file stored next to the active configuration file. Returns NULL if no
+   suitable home directory can be determined. */
+char* Settings_getHistoryFile(const char* configFile);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/htop.1.in b/htop.1.in
index 818e3ce77..c69a42356 100644
--- a/htop.1.in
+++ b/htop.1.in
@@ -739,6 +739,17 @@ tries to read the system-wide configuration from
 .I @sysconfdir@/htoprc
 and as a last resort, falls back to its hard coded defaults.
 .LP
+The search and filter history is stored below the XDG state directory, in
+.IR $XDG_STATE_HOME/htop/htop_history ,
+defaulting to
+.IR ~/.local/state/htop/htop_history
+when the
+.IR $XDG_STATE_HOME
+variable is not set.
+A history file left over from an older version stored next to the htoprc
+configuration file is migrated to this location automatically on the next
+start.
+.LP
 You may override the location of the configuration file using the $HTOPRC
 environment variable (so you can have multiple configurations for different
 machines that share the same home directory, for example).