diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsView.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsView.kt
index 4c44c2727..0951b53b0 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsView.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsView.kt
@@ -143,7 +143,7 @@ class ContactsView(private val bundle: Bundle? = null) : BaseView() {
         })
 
         viewModel.apply {
-            searchQueryLiveData.observe(this@ContactsView) { query ->
+            filterLiveData.observe(this@ContactsView) { query ->
                 if (!transitionInProgress) {
                     activity?.clearButton?.isVisible = !query.isNullOrEmpty()
                 }
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ class ContactsView(private val bundle: Bundle? = null) : BaseView() {
     }
 
     private fun setSearchQuery(query: CharSequence?) {
-        viewModel.setSearchQuery(query.toString())
+        viewModel.setSearchQuery(query)
     }
 
     override fun onFloatingActionButtonClick() {
diff --git a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsViewModel.kt b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsViewModel.kt
index 2266bba3d..bddcb4fb5 100644
--- a/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsViewModel.kt
+++ b/app/src/main/java/com/nextcloud/talk/newarch/features/contactsflow/contacts/ContactsViewModel.kt
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ import com.nextcloud.talk.newarch.features.contactsflow.ContactsViewOperationSta
 import com.nextcloud.talk.newarch.features.contactsflow.ParticipantElement
 import com.nextcloud.talk.newarch.features.conversationslist.ConversationsListView
 import com.nextcloud.talk.newarch.services.GlobalService
-import kotlinx.coroutines.isActive
 import kotlinx.coroutines.runBlocking
 import org.koin.core.parameter.parametersOf
 
@@ -58,13 +57,9 @@ class ContactsViewModel constructor(
     private val _operationState = MutableLiveData(ContactsViewOperationStateWrapper(ContactsViewOperationState.WAITING, null, null))
     val operationState: LiveData<ContactsViewOperationStateWrapper> = _operationState.distinctUntilChanged()
 
-    private var searchQuery: MutableLiveData<String?> = MutableLiveData()
-    var searchQueryLiveData: LiveData<String?> = Transformations.switchMap(searchQuery) { searchQuery ->
-        if (initialized) {
-            loadContacts()
-        }
-        liveData<String?> { searchQuery }
-    }
+    private val filterMutableLiveData: MutableLiveData<CharSequence?> = MutableLiveData(null)
+    val filterLiveData: LiveData<CharSequence?> = filterMutableLiveData
+
     private var conversationToken: String? = null
     private var groupConversation: Boolean = false
     private var initialized = false
@@ -77,8 +72,9 @@ class ContactsViewModel constructor(
         }
     }
 
-    fun setSearchQuery(query: String?) {
-        searchQuery.postValue(query)
+    fun setSearchQuery(query: CharSequence?) {
+        filterMutableLiveData.postValue(query)
+        loadContacts()
     }
 
     fun selectParticipant(participant: Participant) {
@@ -138,7 +134,7 @@ class ContactsViewModel constructor(
     }
 
     private fun loadContacts() {
-        getContactsUseCase.invoke(viewModelScope, parametersOf(globalService.currentUserLiveData.value, groupConversation, searchQuery.value, conversationToken), object :
+        getContactsUseCase.invoke(viewModelScope, parametersOf(globalService.currentUserLiveData.value, groupConversation, filterLiveData.value, conversationToken), object :
                 UseCaseResponse<List<Participant>> {
             override suspend fun onSuccess(result: List<Participant>) {
                 val sortPriority = mapOf("users" to 0, "groups" to 1, "emails" to 2, "circles" to 0)
@@ -161,7 +157,7 @@ class ContactsViewModel constructor(
                 } as MutableList<ParticipantElement>
 
 
-                if (conversationToken.isNullOrEmpty() && searchQuery.value.isNullOrEmpty()) {
+                if (conversationToken.isNullOrEmpty() && filterLiveData.value.isNullOrEmpty()) {
                     val newGroupElement = ParticipantElement(Pair(context.getString(R.string.nc_new_group), R.drawable.ic_people_group_white_24px), ParticipantElementType.PARTICIPANT_NEW_GROUP.ordinal)
                     participantElementsList.add(0, newGroupElement)
                 }