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
@@ -129,43 +129,51 @@
       relationshipStatus,
       ...result
     }) => {
-      let notice, alertText, alertTitle;
+      let notice, alert;
       const username = result.username;
       if (blockedRelationshipsStatuses.has(relationshipStatus)) {
         notice = 'user is blocked';
-        alertTitle = 'User is blocked';
-        alertText =
-          `Before you add ${username} to this chat, ` +
-          'you’ll need to unblock them. You can do this from the Block List ' +
-          'in the Profile tab.';
+        alert = {
+          title: 'User is blocked',
+          text:
+            `Before you add ${username} to this chat, ` +
+            'you’ll need to unblock them. You can do this from the Block List ' +
+            'in the Profile tab.',
+        };
       } else if (!isMemberOfContainingThread && containingThreadInfo) {
         if (threadType !== threadTypes.SIDEBAR) {
           notice = 'not in community';
-          alertTitle = 'Not in community';
-          alertText = 'You can only add members of the community to this chat';
+          alert = {
+            title: 'Not in community',
+            text: 'You can only add members of the community to this chat',
+          };
         } else {
           notice = 'not in parent chat';
-          alertTitle = 'Not in parent chat';
-          alertText = 'You can only add members of the parent chat to a thread';
+          alert = {
+            title: 'Not in parent chat',
+            text: 'You can only add members of the parent chat to a thread',
+          };
         }
       } else if (
         !containingThreadInfo &&
         relationshipStatus !== userRelationshipStatus.FRIEND
       ) {
         notice = notFriendNotice;
-        alertTitle = 'Not a friend';
-        alertText =
-          `Before you add ${username} to this chat, ` +
-          'you’ll need to send them a friend request. ' +
-          'You can do this from the Friend List in the Profile tab.';
+        alert = {
+          title: 'Not a friend',
+          text:
+            `Before you add ${username} to this chat, ` +
+            'you’ll need to send them a friend request. ' +
+            'You can do this from the Friend List in the Profile tab.',
+        };
       } else if (parentThreadInfo && !isMemberOfParentThread) {
         notice = 'not in parent chat';
       }
       if (notice) {
         result = { ...result, notice };
       }
-      if (alertTitle) {
-        result = { ...result, alertTitle, alertText };
+      if (alert) {
+        result = { ...result, alert };
       }
       return result;
     },
diff --git a/lib/shared/thread-utils.js b/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
--- a/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/thread-utils.js
@@ -1027,7 +1027,7 @@
   +searching: boolean,
   +userInfoInputArray: $ReadOnlyArray<AccountUserInfo>,
 };
-type ExistingThreadInfoFinder = (
+export type ExistingThreadInfoFinder = (
   params: ExistingThreadInfoFinderParams,
 ) => ?ThreadInfo;
 function useExistingThreadInfoFinder(
diff --git a/lib/types/user-types.js b/lib/types/user-types.js
--- a/lib/types/user-types.js
+++ b/lib/types/user-types.js
@@ -71,6 +71,8 @@
   +username: string,
   +disabled?: boolean,
   +notice?: string,
-  +alertText?: string,
-  +alertTitle?: string,
+  +alert?: {
+    title: string,
+    text: string,
+  },
 };
diff --git a/native/chat/message-list-thread-search.react.js b/native/chat/message-list-thread-search.react.js
--- a/native/chat/message-list-thread-search.react.js
+++ b/native/chat/message-list-thread-search.react.js
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@
           continue;
         }
         nonFriendsSet.add(searchResult.id);
-        const { alertText, alertTitle, ...rest } = searchResult;
+        const { alert, ...rest } = searchResult;
         userListItemsArr.push(rest);
       }
       return [userListItemsArr, nonFriendsSet];
diff --git a/native/components/user-list-user.react.js b/native/components/user-list-user.react.js
--- a/native/components/user-list-user.react.js
+++ b/native/components/user-list-user.react.js
@@ -54,11 +54,11 @@
 
   onSelect = () => {
     const { userInfo } = this.props;
-    if (!userInfo.alertText) {
+    if (!userInfo.alert) {
       this.props.onSelect(userInfo.id);
       return;
     }
-    Alert.alert(userInfo.alertTitle, userInfo.alertText, [{ text: 'OK' }], {
+    Alert.alert(userInfo.alert?.title, userInfo.alert?.text, [{ text: 'OK' }], {
       cancelable: true,
     });
   };
diff --git a/web/chat/chat-message-list-container.react.js b/web/chat/chat-message-list-container.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-message-list-container.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-message-list-container.react.js
@@ -226,6 +226,9 @@
       <ChatThreadComposer
         userInfoInputArray={userInfoInputArray}
         setUserInfoInputArray={setUserInfoInputArray}
+        existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread={
+          existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread
+        }
         otherUserInfos={otherUserInfos}
         threadID={threadInfo.id}
         inputState={inputState}
@@ -243,6 +246,7 @@
       </>
     );
   }, [
+    existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread,
     inputState,
     isChatCreation,
     otherUserInfos,
diff --git a/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js b/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js
--- a/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js
+++ b/web/chat/chat-thread-composer.react.js
@@ -5,12 +5,17 @@
 import { useDispatch } from 'react-redux';
 
 import { searchUsers } from 'lib/actions/user-actions';
+import { useModalContext } from 'lib/components/modal-provider.react';
 import {
   filterPotentialMembers,
   userSearchIndexForPotentialMembers,
 } from 'lib/selectors/user-selectors';
-import { getPotentialMemberItems } from 'lib/shared/search-utils';
+import {
+  getPotentialMemberItems,
+  notFriendNotice,
+} from 'lib/shared/search-utils';
 import { threadIsPending } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils';
+import type { ExistingThreadInfoFinder } from 'lib/shared/thread-utils';
 import type { SetState } from 'lib/types/hook-types';
 import type {
   AccountUserInfo,
@@ -23,6 +28,7 @@
 import Label from '../components/label.react';
 import Search from '../components/search.react';
 import type { InputState } from '../input/input-state';
+import Alert from '../modals/alert.react';
 import { updateNavInfoActionType } from '../redux/action-types';
 import { useSelector } from '../redux/redux-utils';
 import SWMansionIcon from '../SWMansionIcon.react';
@@ -31,6 +37,7 @@
 type Props = {
   +userInfoInputArray: $ReadOnlyArray<AccountUserInfo>,
   +setUserInfoInputArray: SetState<$ReadOnlyArray<AccountUserInfo>>,
+  +existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread: ExistingThreadInfoFinder,
   +otherUserInfos: { [id: string]: AccountUserInfo },
   +threadID: string,
   +inputState: InputState,
@@ -44,6 +51,7 @@
   const {
     userInfoInputArray,
     setUserInfoInputArray,
+    existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread,
     otherUserInfos,
     threadID,
     inputState,
@@ -116,15 +124,49 @@
     ],
   );
 
+  const dispatch = useDispatch();
+  const { pushModal } = useModalContext();
   const onSelectUserFromSearch = React.useCallback(
-    (id: string, username: string) => {
-      setUserInfoInputArray(previousUserInfoInputArray => [
-        ...previousUserInfoInputArray,
-        { id, username },
-      ]);
+    (userItem: UserListItem) => {
       setUsernameInputText('');
+      if (!userItem.alert) {
+        setUserInfoInputArray(previousUserInfoInputArray => [
+          ...previousUserInfoInputArray,
+          { id: userItem.id, username: userItem.username },
+        ]);
+      } else if (
+        userItem.notice === notFriendNotice &&
+        userInfoInputArray.length === 0
+      ) {
+        const newUserInfoInputArray = [
+          { id: userItem.id, username: userItem.username },
+        ];
+        setUserInfoInputArray(newUserInfoInputArray);
+        const threadInfo = existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread({
+          searching: true,
+          userInfoInputArray: newUserInfoInputArray,
+        });
+        dispatch({
+          type: updateNavInfoActionType,
+          payload: {
+            chatMode: 'view',
+            activeChatThreadID: threadInfo?.id,
+            pendingThread: threadInfo,
+          },
+        });
+      } else {
+        pushModal(
+          <Alert title={userItem.alert?.title}>{userItem.alert?.text}</Alert>,
+        );
+      }
     },
-    [setUserInfoInputArray],
+    [
+      dispatch,
+      existingThreadInfoFinderForCreatingThread,
+      pushModal,
+      setUserInfoInputArray,
+      userInfoInputArray.length,
+    ],
   );
 
   const onRemoveUserFromSelected = React.useCallback(
@@ -150,16 +192,11 @@
           <li key={userSearchResult.id} className={css.searchResultsItem}>
             <Button
               variant="text"
-              onClick={() =>
-                onSelectUserFromSearch(
-                  userSearchResult.id,
-                  userSearchResult.username,
-                )
-              }
+              onClick={() => onSelectUserFromSearch(userSearchResult)}
               className={css.searchResultsButton}
             >
               <div className={css.userName}>{userSearchResult.username}</div>
-              <div className={css.userInfo}>{userSearchResult.alertTitle}</div>
+              <div className={css.userInfo}>{userSearchResult.notice}</div>
             </Button>
           </li>
         ))}
@@ -172,7 +209,6 @@
     usernameInputText,
   ]);
 
-  const dispatch = useDispatch();
   const hideSearch = React.useCallback(
     (threadBehavior: ActiveThreadBehavior = 'keep-active-thread') => {
       dispatch({
diff --git a/web/modals/components/add-members-item.react.js b/web/modals/components/add-members-item.react.js
--- a/web/modals/components/add-members-item.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/components/add-members-item.react.js
@@ -16,7 +16,7 @@
 function AddMemberItem(props: AddMembersItemProps): React.Node {
   const { userInfo, onClick, userAdded = false } = props;
 
-  const canBeAdded = !userInfo.alertText;
+  const canBeAdded = !userInfo.alert;
 
   const onClickCallback = React.useCallback(() => {
     if (!canBeAdded) {
@@ -27,14 +27,14 @@
 
   const action = React.useMemo(() => {
     if (!canBeAdded) {
-      return userInfo.alertTitle;
+      return userInfo.alert?.title;
     }
     if (userAdded) {
       return <span className={css.danger}>Remove</span>;
     } else {
       return 'Add';
     }
-  }, [canBeAdded, userAdded, userInfo.alertTitle]);
+  }, [canBeAdded, userAdded, userInfo.alert]);
 
   return (
     <Button
diff --git a/web/modals/threads/members/add-members-list-content.react.js b/web/modals/threads/members/add-members-list-content.react.js
--- a/web/modals/threads/members/add-members-list-content.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/threads/members/add-members-list-content.react.js
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
   } = props;
 
   const usersAvailableToAdd = React.useMemo(
-    () => userListItems.filter(user => !user.alertText),
+    () => userListItems.filter(user => !user.alert),
     [userListItems],
   );
 
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@
   );
 
   const usersUnavailableToAdd = React.useMemo(() => {
-    const usersUnavailable = userListItems.filter(user => user.alertText);
+    const usersUnavailable = userListItems.filter(user => user.alert);
     if (!usersUnavailable.length) {
       return null;
     }