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
@@ -1,17 +1,28 @@
 // @flow
 
+import * as React from 'react';
+
 import SearchIndex from './search-index.js';
 import {
   userIsMember,
   threadMemberHasPermission,
   getContainingThreadID,
 } from './thread-utils.js';
+import {
+  searchMessages,
+  searchMessagesActionTypes,
+} from '../actions/message-actions.js';
 import genesis from '../facts/genesis.js';
+import type { RawMessageInfo } from '../types/message-types.js';
 import { userRelationshipStatus } from '../types/relationship-types.js';
 import { threadPermissions } from '../types/thread-permission-types.js';
 import { type ThreadType, threadTypes } from '../types/thread-types-enum.js';
 import { type ThreadInfo } from '../types/thread-types.js';
 import type { AccountUserInfo, UserListItem } from '../types/user-types.js';
+import {
+  useServerCall,
+  useDispatchActionPromise,
+} from '../utils/action-utils.js';
 
 const notFriendNotice = 'not friend';
 
@@ -169,4 +180,37 @@
   );
 }
 
-export { getPotentialMemberItems, notFriendNotice };
+function useSearchMessages(): (
+  query: string,
+  threadID: string,
+  onResultsReceived: (
+    messages: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>,
+    endReached: boolean,
+  ) => mixed,
+  cursor?: string,
+) => void {
+  const callSearchMessages = useServerCall(searchMessages);
+  const dispatchActionPromise = useDispatchActionPromise();
+
+  return React.useCallback(
+    (query, threadID, onResultsReceived, cursor) => {
+      const searchMessagesPromise = (async () => {
+        if (query === '') {
+          onResultsReceived([], true);
+          return;
+        }
+        const { messages, endReached } = await callSearchMessages({
+          query,
+          threadID,
+          cursor,
+        });
+        onResultsReceived(messages, endReached);
+      })();
+
+      dispatchActionPromise(searchMessagesActionTypes, searchMessagesPromise);
+    },
+    [callSearchMessages, dispatchActionPromise],
+  );
+}
+
+export { getPotentialMemberItems, notFriendNotice, useSearchMessages };