diff --git a/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js b/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js
--- a/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js
+++ b/lib/identity-search/identity-search-context.js
@@ -2,9 +2,13 @@
 
 import invariant from 'invariant';
 import * as React from 'react';
+import uuid from 'uuid';
 
 import { identitySearchURL } from '../facts/identity-search.js';
-import { identitySearchHeartbeatTimeout } from '../shared/timeouts.js';
+import {
+  clientRequestVisualTimeout,
+  identitySearchHeartbeatTimeout,
+} from '../shared/timeouts.js';
 import type { IdentitySearchAuthMessage } from '../types/identity-search/auth-message-types.js';
 import {
   type IdentitySearchMessageToClient,
@@ -12,19 +16,42 @@
   identitySearchMessageToServerTypes,
   identitySearchMessageToClientValidator,
 } from '../types/identity-search/messages.js';
+import {
+  type IdentitySearchQuery,
+  type IdentitySearchPrefix,
+} from '../types/identity-search/search-query-types.js';
+import {
+  type IdentitySearchUser,
+  identitySearchResponseValidator,
+} from '../types/identity-search/search-response-types.js';
 import type { Heartbeat } from '../types/websocket/heartbeat-types.js';
 import { useGetIdentitySearchAuthMessage } from '../utils/identity-search-utils.js';
+import sleep from '../utils/sleep.js';
 
 export type IdentitySearchSocketListener = (
   message: IdentitySearchMessageToClient,
 ) => mixed;
 
+type PromiseCallbacks = {
+  +resolve: (hits: $ReadOnlyArray<IdentitySearchUser>) => void,
+  +reject: (error: string) => void,
+};
+type Promises = { [queryID: string]: PromiseCallbacks };
+
 type IdentitySearchContextType = {
-  +addListener: (listener: IdentitySearchSocketListener) => void,
-  +removeListener: (listener: IdentitySearchSocketListener) => void,
+  +sendPrefixQuery: (
+    usernamePrefix: string,
+  ) => Promise<$ReadOnlyArray<IdentitySearchUser>>,
+  +addListener: (listener: IdentitySearchSocketListener) => mixed,
+  +removeListener: (listener: IdentitySearchSocketListener) => mixed,
   +connected: boolean,
 };
 
+const timeout = async (): Promise<$ReadOnlyArray<IdentitySearchUser>> => {
+  await sleep(clientRequestVisualTimeout);
+  throw new Error('search request timed out');
+};
+
 const IdentitySearchContext: React.Context<?IdentitySearchContextType> =
   React.createContext<?IdentitySearchContextType>();
 
@@ -40,6 +67,7 @@
   const [identitySearchAuthMessage, setIdentitySearchAuthMessage] =
     React.useState<?IdentitySearchAuthMessage>(null);
   const socket = React.useRef<?WebSocket>(null);
+  const promises = React.useRef<Promises>({});
   const heartbeatTimeoutID = React.useRef<?TimeoutID>();
 
   const previousAuthMessage = React.useRef<?IdentitySearchAuthMessage>(
@@ -148,6 +176,21 @@
             message.status.data,
           );
         }
+      } else if (
+        message.type === identitySearchMessageToClientTypes.SUCCESS ||
+        message.type === identitySearchMessageToClientTypes.ERROR
+      ) {
+        if (!identitySearchResponseValidator.is(message)) {
+          console.log('Invalid search response message');
+          return;
+        }
+        if (message.type === identitySearchMessageToClientTypes.SUCCESS) {
+          promises.current[message.data.id]?.resolve(message.data.hits);
+          delete promises.current[message.data.id];
+        } else {
+          promises.current[message.data.id]?.reject(message.data.error);
+          delete promises.current[message.data.id];
+        }
       } else if (
         message.type === identitySearchMessageToClientTypes.HEARTBEAT
       ) {
@@ -166,6 +209,38 @@
     stopHeartbeatTimeout,
   ]);
 
+  const sendPrefixQuery: (
+    usernamePrefix: string,
+  ) => Promise<$ReadOnlyArray<IdentitySearchUser>> = React.useCallback(
+    (usernamePrefix: string) => {
+      if (!connected || !socket.current) {
+        return Promise.reject(new Error('Socket is not connected'));
+      }
+
+      const queryID = uuid.v4();
+      const prefixQuery: IdentitySearchPrefix = {
+        type: identitySearchMessageToServerTypes.IDENTITY_SEARCH_PREFIX,
+        prefix: usernamePrefix,
+      };
+
+      const searchQuery: IdentitySearchQuery = {
+        type: identitySearchMessageToServerTypes.IDENTITY_SEARCH_QUERY,
+        id: queryID,
+        searchMethod: prefixQuery,
+      };
+
+      const requestPromise: Promise<$ReadOnlyArray<IdentitySearchUser>> =
+        new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
+          promises.current[queryID] = { resolve, reject };
+        });
+
+      socket.current?.send(JSON.stringify(searchQuery));
+
+      return Promise.race([requestPromise, timeout()]);
+    },
+    [connected],
+  );
+
   const addListener = React.useCallback(
     (listener: IdentitySearchSocketListener) => {
       listeners.current.add(listener);
@@ -182,11 +257,12 @@
 
   const value: IdentitySearchContextType = React.useMemo(
     () => ({
+      sendPrefixQuery,
       connected,
       addListener,
       removeListener,
     }),
-    [connected, addListener, removeListener],
+    [connected, addListener, removeListener, sendPrefixQuery],
   );
 
   return (