diff --git a/src/Core/Search.php b/src/Core/Search.php
index aedad2f0e1..8138c5763f 100644
--- a/src/Core/Search.php
+++ b/src/Core/Search.php
@@ -21,7 +21,6 @@
 
 namespace Friendica\Core;
 
-use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\DI;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
 use Friendica\Network\HTTPException;
@@ -171,45 +170,11 @@ class Search
 	{
 		Logger::info('Searching', ['search' => $search, 'type' => $type, 'start' => $start, 'itempage' => $itemPage]);
 
-		$config = DI::config();
+		$contacts = Contact::searchByName($search, $type == self::TYPE_FORUM ? 'community' : '');
 
-		$diaspora = $config->get('system', 'diaspora_enabled') ? Protocol::DIASPORA : Protocol::DFRN;
-		$ostatus  = !$config->get('system', 'ostatus_disabled') ? Protocol::OSTATUS : Protocol::DFRN;
+		$resultList = new ResultList($start, $itemPage, count($contacts));
 
-		$wildcard = Strings::escapeHtml('%' . $search . '%');
-
-		$condition = [
-			'NOT `unsearchable`
-			AND `network` IN (?, ?, ?, ?)
-			AND NOT `failed` AND `uid` = ?
-			AND (`url` LIKE ? OR `name` LIKE ? OR `location` LIKE ? 
-				OR `addr` LIKE ? OR `about` LIKE ? OR `keywords` LIKE ?)
-			AND `forum` = ?',
-			Protocol::ACTIVITYPUB, Protocol::DFRN, $ostatus, $diaspora, 0,
-			$wildcard, $wildcard, $wildcard,
-			$wildcard, $wildcard, $wildcard,
-			($type === self::TYPE_FORUM),
-		];
-
-		$count = DBA::count('contact', $condition);
-
-		$resultList = new ResultList($start, $itemPage, $count);
-
-		if (empty($count)) {
-			return $resultList;
-		}
-
-		$data = DBA::select('contact', [], $condition, [
-			'group_by' => ['nurl', 'updated'],
-			'limit'    => [$start, $itemPage],
-			'order'    => ['updated' => 'DESC']
-		]);
-
-		if (!DBA::isResult($data)) {
-			return $resultList;
-		}
-
-		while ($contact = DBA::fetch($data)) {
+		foreach ($contacts as $contact) {
 			$result = new ContactResult(
 				$contact["name"],
 				$contact["addr"],
@@ -225,8 +190,6 @@ class Search
 			$resultList->addResult($result);
 		}
 
-		DBA::close($data);
-
 		// Add found profiles from the global directory to the local directory
 		Worker::add(PRIORITY_LOW, 'SearchDirectory', $search);
 
diff --git a/src/Model/Contact.php b/src/Model/Contact.php
index e4cc88240e..cacc3e4f1e 100644
--- a/src/Model/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Model/Contact.php
@@ -1473,21 +1473,26 @@ class Contact
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path for a given contact array in the given size
 	 *
-	 * @param array $contact  contact array
-	 * @param string $field   Fieldname of the photo in the contact array
-	 * @param string $size    Size of the avatar picture
-	 * @param string $avatar  Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param array $contact    contact array
+	 * @param string $field     Fieldname of the photo in the contact array
+	 * @param string $size      Size of the avatar picture
+	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param bool  $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	private static function getAvatarPath(array $contact, string $field, string $size, string $avatar)
+	private static function getAvatarPath(array $contact, string $field, string $size, string $avatar, $no_update = false)
 	{
 		if (!empty($contact)) {
-			$contact = self::checkAvatarCacheByArray($contact);
+			$contact = self::checkAvatarCacheByArray($contact, $no_update);
 			if (!empty($contact[$field])) {
 				$avatar = $contact[$field];
 			}
 		}
 
+		if ($no_update && empty($avatar) && !empty($contact['avatar'])) {
+			$avatar = $contact['avatar'];
+		}
+
 		if (empty($avatar)) {
 			$avatar = self::getDefaultAvatar([], $size);
 		}
@@ -1502,46 +1507,50 @@ class Contact
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path for a given contact array
 	 *
-	 * @param array $contact Contact array
-	 * @param string $avatar  Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param array  $contact   Contact array
+	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param bool   $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	public static function getPhoto(array $contact, string $avatar = '')
+	public static function getPhoto(array $contact, string $avatar = '', bool $no_update = false)
 	{
-		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'photo', Proxy::SIZE_SMALL, $avatar);
+		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'photo', Proxy::SIZE_SMALL, $avatar, $no_update);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path (thumb size) for a given contact array
 	 *
-	 * @param array $contact Contact array
-	 * @param string $avatar  Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param array  $contact   Contact array
+	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param bool   $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	public static function getThumb(array $contact, string $avatar = '')
+	public static function getThumb(array $contact, string $avatar = '', bool $no_update = false)
 	{
-		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'thumb', Proxy::SIZE_THUMB, $avatar);
+		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'thumb', Proxy::SIZE_THUMB, $avatar, $no_update);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Return the photo path (micro size) for a given contact array
 	 *
-	 * @param array $contact Contact array
-	 * @param string $avatar  Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param array  $contact   Contact array
+	 * @param string $avatar    Avatar path that is displayed when no photo had been found
+	 * @param bool   $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return string photo path
 	 */
-	public static function getMicro(array $contact, string $avatar = '')
+	public static function getMicro(array $contact, string $avatar = '', bool $no_update = false)
 	{
-		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'micro', Proxy::SIZE_MICRO, $avatar);
+		return self::getAvatarPath($contact, 'micro', Proxy::SIZE_MICRO, $avatar, $no_update);
 	}
 
 	/**
 	 * Check the given contact array for avatar cache fields
 	 *
 	 * @param array $contact
+	 * @param bool  $no_update Don't perfom an update if no cached avatar was found
 	 * @return array contact array with avatar cache fields
 	 */
-	private static function checkAvatarCacheByArray(array $contact)
+	private static function checkAvatarCacheByArray(array $contact, bool $no_update = false)
 	{
 		$update = false;
 		$contact_fields = [];
@@ -1555,7 +1564,7 @@ class Contact
 			}
 		}
 
-		if (!$update) {
+		if (!$update || $no_update) {
 			return $contact;
 		}
 
diff --git a/src/Module/Contact.php b/src/Module/Contact.php
index 3eb261d0d5..4334d31306 100644
--- a/src/Module/Contact.php
+++ b/src/Module/Contact.php
@@ -1103,7 +1103,7 @@ class Contact extends BaseModule
 			'url'          => $url,
 			'img_hover'    => DI::l10n()->t('Visit %s\'s profile [%s]', $contact['name'], $contact['url']),
 			'photo_menu'   => Model\Contact::photoMenu($contact),
-			'thumb'        => Model\Contact::getThumb($contact),
+			'thumb'        => Model\Contact::getThumb($contact, '', true),
 			'alt_text'     => $alt_text,
 			'name'         => $contact['name'],
 			'nick'         => $contact['nick'],
diff --git a/src/Module/Search/Acl.php b/src/Module/Search/Acl.php
index 076b943c8c..ab4d61a871 100644
--- a/src/Module/Search/Acl.php
+++ b/src/Module/Search/Acl.php
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ use Friendica\Core\Search;
 use Friendica\Database\DBA;
 use Friendica\DI;
 use Friendica\Model\Contact;
-use Friendica\Model\Item;
 use Friendica\Model\Post;
 use Friendica\Network\HTTPException;
 use Friendica\Util\Strings;
@@ -79,7 +78,7 @@ class Acl extends BaseModule
 		$contacts = [];
 		foreach ($result as $contact) {
 			$contacts[] = [
-				'photo'   => Contact::getMicro($contact),
+				'photo'   => Contact::getMicro($contact, '', true),
 				'name'    => htmlspecialchars($contact['name']),
 				'nick'    => $contact['addr'] ?: $contact['url'],
 				'network' => $contact['network'],