final SupportMenuItem searchMenuItem = (SupportMenuItem) menu.findItem(R.id.menu_search);
    if (searchMenuItem == null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("menu item is null and that is very suspicious.");

    this.searchView = (SearchView) searchMenuItem.getActionView();
    if (searchView == null) throw new IllegalArgumentException("search view is null and that is very suspicious.");

    searchView.setQueryHint(getActivity().getString(R.string.search_hint));

    // wow. much hack. style search box..
    Resources resources = searchView.getContext().getResources();

    TextView searchBox = (TextView) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_src_text);
    ImageView closeBtn = (ImageView) searchView.findViewById(android.support.v7.appcompat.R.id.search_close_btn);

    // create new hint span
    SpannableStringBuilder stopHint = new SpannableStringBuilder("   ");
    stopHint.append(resources.getString(R.string.search_hint));

    // Add the icon as an spannable
    Drawable searchIcon = FontIconDrawable.inflate(resources, R.xml.ic_ab_search);
    closeBtn.setImageDrawable(FontIconDrawable.inflate(resources, R.xml.ic_ab_close));
    Float rawTextSize = searchBox.getTextSize();
    int textSize = (int) (rawTextSize * 1.25);
    searchIcon.setBounds(0, 0, textSize, textSize);
    stopHint.setSpan(new ImageSpan(searchIcon), 1, 2, Spanned.SPAN_EXCLUSIVE_EXCLUSIVE);

    // Set the new hint text
    searchBox.setHint(stopHint);
    searchBox.setTextColor(Color.WHITE);
    searchBox.setHintTextColor(Color.LTGRAY);