diff --git a/services/assets.js b/services/assets.js
index 8f93de009..4aac2addd 100644
--- a/services/assets.js
+++ b/services/assets.js
@@ -116,7 +116,7 @@ module.exports = class AssetsService {
   static search({value, limit, open, sortOrder, cursor} = {}) {
     let assets = AssetModel.find({});
 
-    if (value) {
+    if (value && value.length > 0) {
       assets.merge({
         $text: {
           $search: value
diff --git a/services/regex.js b/services/regex.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9092df18a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/services/regex.js
@@ -0,0 +1,10 @@
+/**
+ * Escape string for special regular expression characters.
+ */
+function escapeRegExp(string) {
+  return string.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&'); // $& means the whole matched string
+}
+
+module.exports = {
+  escapeRegExp,
+};
diff --git a/services/users.js b/services/users.js
index 1dc9bceb6..78708b40a 100644
--- a/services/users.js
+++ b/services/users.js
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@ const ActionsService = require('./actions');
 const MailerService = require('./mailer');
 const Wordlist = require('./wordlist');
 const Domainlist = require('./domainlist');
+const {escapeRegExp} = require('./regex');
 
 const EMAIL_CONFIRM_JWT_SUBJECT = 'email_confirm';
 const PASSWORD_RESET_JWT_SUBJECT = 'password_reset';
@@ -630,14 +631,19 @@ module.exports = class UsersService {
    * @return {Promise}
    */
   static search(value) {
+    if (!value || typeof value !== 'string' || value.length === 0) {
+      return UserModel.find({});
+    }
+
+    value = escapeRegExp(value);
+
     return UserModel.find({
       $or: [
 
         // Search by a prefix match on the username.
         {
-          'username': {
-            $regex: new RegExp(`^${value}`),
-            $options: 'i'
+          'lowercaseUsername': {
+            $regex: new RegExp(value.toLowerCase())
           }
         },
 
@@ -646,7 +652,7 @@ module.exports = class UsersService {
           'profiles': {
             $elemMatch: {
               id: {
-                $regex: new RegExp(`^${value}`),
+                $regex: new RegExp(value),
                 $options: 'i'
               },
               provider: 'local'
diff --git a/services/wordlist.js b/services/wordlist.js
index 8d9ee95bb..601f4bc79 100644
--- a/services/wordlist.js
+++ b/services/wordlist.js
@@ -3,13 +3,7 @@ const _ = require('lodash');
 const SettingsService = require('./settings');
 const Errors = require('../errors');
 const memoize = require('lodash/memoize');
-
-/**
- * Escape string for special regular expression characters.
- */
-function escapeRegExp(string) {
-  return string.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&'); // $& means the whole matched string
-}
+const {escapeRegExp} = require('./regex');
 
 /**
  * Generate a regulare expression that catches the `phrases`.
diff --git a/test/server/services/users.js b/test/server/services/users.js
index 57d0f3815..251618187 100644
--- a/test/server/services/users.js
+++ b/test/server/services/users.js
@@ -208,6 +208,50 @@ describe('services.UsersService', () => {
     });
   });
 
+  describe('#search', () => {
+    it('should return all the results without a value', async () => {
+      expect(await UsersService.search()).to.have.length(3);
+    });
+
+    it('should match the search terms', async () => {
+      const tests = [
+        {
+          search: 'monster',
+          results: 1,
+          id: mockUsers[1].id,
+        },
+        {
+          search: 'Stamp',
+          results: 1,
+          id: mockUsers[0].id,
+        },
+        {
+          search: 'sockmonster@gmail.com',
+          results: 1,
+          id: mockUsers[1].id,
+        },
+        {
+          search: 'marvel',
+          results: 1,
+          id: mockUsers[2].id,
+        },
+        {
+          search: 'gmail.com',
+          results: 3
+        }
+      ];
+
+      for (const test of tests) {
+        const users = await UsersService.search(test.search);
+
+        expect(users).to.have.length(test.results);
+        if (test.results === 1) {
+          expect(users[0]).to.have.property('id', test.id);
+        }
+      }
+    });
+  });
+
   describe('#editName', () => {
     it('should let the user edit their username if the proper toggle is set', () => {
       return UsersService