diff --git a/src/script/components/UserSearchableList.tsx b/src/script/components/UserSearchableList.tsx
index ef988ee58b7..0b747dae1fa 100644
--- a/src/script/components/UserSearchableList.tsx
+++ b/src/script/components/UserSearchableList.tsx
@@ -98,14 +98,13 @@ const UserSearchableList: React.FC<UserListProps> = ({
   // Filter all list items if a filter is provided
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    const connectedUsers = conversationState.connectedUsers();
     const {query: normalizedQuery} = searchRepository.normalizeQuery(filter);
     const results = searchRepository
       .searchUserInSet(filter, users)
       .filter(
         user =>
           user.isMe ||
-          connectedUsers.includes(user) ||
+          conversationState.hasConversationWith(user) ||
           teamRepository.isSelfConnectedTo(user.id) ||
           user.username() === normalizedQuery,
       );
diff --git a/src/script/conversation/ConversationState.ts b/src/script/conversation/ConversationState.ts
index dddd57f785a..38ebaf54c70 100644
--- a/src/script/conversation/ConversationState.ts
+++ b/src/script/conversation/ConversationState.ts
@@ -195,6 +195,14 @@ export class ConversationState {
         });
   }
 
+  /**
+   * indicate whether the selfUser has a conversation with this other user
+   * @param user the user to check
+   */
+  hasConversationWith(user: User) {
+    return this.connectedUsers().some(connectedUser => matchQualifiedIds(connectedUser.qualifiedId, user.qualifiedId));
+  }
+
   isSelfConversation(conversationId: QualifiedId): boolean {
     const selfConversationIds: QualifiedId[] = [this.selfProteusConversation(), this.selfMLSConversation()]
       .filter((conversation): conversation is Conversation => !!conversation)
diff --git a/src/script/page/LeftSidebar/panels/StartUI/PeopleTab.tsx b/src/script/page/LeftSidebar/panels/StartUI/PeopleTab.tsx
index 206e268c476..8dc822a55c1 100644
--- a/src/script/page/LeftSidebar/panels/StartUI/PeopleTab.tsx
+++ b/src/script/page/LeftSidebar/panels/StartUI/PeopleTab.tsx
@@ -101,10 +101,10 @@ export const PeopleTab = ({
   const [hasFederationError, setHasFederationError] = useState(false);
   const currentSearchQuery = useRef('');
 
-  const {connectedUsers} = useKoSubscribableChildren(conversationState, ['connectedUsers']);
   const {inTeam} = useKoSubscribableChildren(selfUser, ['inTeam']);
 
   const getLocalUsers = (unfiltered?: boolean) => {
+    const connectedUsers = conversationState.connectedUsers();
     if (!canSearchUnconnectedUsers) {
       return connectedUsers;
     }
@@ -118,7 +118,9 @@ export const PeopleTab = ({
 
       contacts = unfiltered
         ? teamUsers
-        : teamUsers.filter(user => connectedUsers.includes(user) || teamRepository.isSelfConnectedTo(user.id));
+        : teamUsers.filter(
+            user => conversationState.hasConversationWith(user) || teamRepository.isSelfConnectedTo(user.id),
+          );
     }
 
     return contacts.filter(user => user.isAvailable());
@@ -178,9 +180,11 @@ export const PeopleTab = ({
       const localSearchSources = getLocalUsers(true);
 
       const contactResults = searchRepository.searchUserInSet(searchQuery, localSearchSources);
-      const connectedUsers = conversationState.connectedUsers();
       const filteredResults = contactResults.filter(
-        user => connectedUsers.includes(user) || teamRepository.isSelfConnectedTo(user.id) || user.username() === query,
+        user =>
+          conversationState.hasConversationWith(user) ||
+          teamRepository.isSelfConnectedTo(user.id) ||
+          user.username() === query,
       );
 
       const localSearchResults: SearchResultsData = {