diff --git a/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js b/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js
--- a/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js
+++ b/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@
   useForwardLookupSearchText,
   useSearchUsers,
 } from '../shared/search-utils.js';
+import { useOldestPrivateThreadInfo } from '../shared/thread-utils.js';
 import type { GlobalAccountUserInfo } from '../types/user-types.js';
 import { useSelector } from '../utils/redux-utils.js';
 import { usingCommServicesAccessToken } from '../utils/services-utils.js';
@@ -25,21 +26,26 @@
   +usersSearchResults: $ReadOnlyArray<UserSearchResult>,
 };
 
+const searchUsersOptions = { includeViewer: true };
+
 function useThreadListSearch(
   searchText: string,
   viewerID: ?string,
 ): ThreadListSearchResult {
   const usersWithPersonalThread = useSelector(usersWithPersonalThreadSelector);
   const forwardLookupSearchText = useForwardLookupSearchText(searchText);
+  const oldestPrivateThreadInfo = useOldestPrivateThreadInfo();
 
   const filterAndSetUserResults = React.useCallback(
     (userInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<UserSearchResult>) => {
       const usersResults = userInfos.filter(
-        info => !usersWithPersonalThread.has(info.id) && info.id !== viewerID,
+        info =>
+          !usersWithPersonalThread.has(info.id) &&
+          (info.id !== viewerID || !oldestPrivateThreadInfo),
       );
       setUsersSearchResults(usersResults);
     },
-    [usersWithPersonalThread, viewerID],
+    [usersWithPersonalThread, viewerID, oldestPrivateThreadInfo],
   );
 
   const legacyCallSearchUsers = useLegacyAshoatKeyserverCall(searchUserCall);
@@ -84,7 +90,10 @@
   ]);
 
   const usersSupportThickThreads = useUsersSupportThickThreads();
-  const identitySearchUsers = useSearchUsers(forwardLookupSearchText);
+  const identitySearchUsers = useSearchUsers(
+    forwardLookupSearchText,
+    searchUsersOptions,
+  );
   React.useEffect(() => {
     void (async () => {
       if (!usingCommServicesAccessToken) {
diff --git a/lib/shared/search-utils.js b/lib/shared/search-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/search-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/search-utils.js
@@ -416,9 +416,14 @@
   return usernameToSearch;
 }
 
+type UseSearchUsersOptions = {
+  +includeViewer?: ?boolean,
+};
 function useSearchUsers(
   usernameInputText: string,
+  options?: ?UseSearchUsersOptions,
 ): $ReadOnlyArray<GlobalAccountUserInfo> {
+  const includeViewer = !!options?.includeViewer;
   const currentUserID = useSelector(
     state => state.currentUserInfo && state.currentUserInfo.id,
   );
@@ -429,9 +434,13 @@
   >([]);
   const setSearchResultsFromServer = React.useCallback(
     (userInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<GlobalAccountUserInfo>) => {
-      setSearchResults(userInfos.filter(({ id }) => id !== currentUserID));
+      if (includeViewer) {
+        setSearchResults(userInfos);
+      } else {
+        setSearchResults(userInfos.filter(({ id }) => id !== currentUserID));
+      }
     },
-    [currentUserID],
+    [currentUserID, includeViewer],
   );
 
   const callLegacyAshoatKeyserverSearchUsers =