diff --git a/web/modals/search/message-search-modal.react.js b/web/modals/search/message-search-modal.react.js
--- a/web/modals/search/message-search-modal.react.js
+++ b/web/modals/search/message-search-modal.react.js
@@ -26,66 +26,72 @@
 function MessageSearchModal(props: ContentProps): React.Node {
   const { threadInfo } = props;
 
-  const [lastID, setLastID] = React.useState();
-  const [searchResults, setSearchResults] = React.useState([]);
-  const [endReached, setEndReached] = React.useState(false);
-
-  const { getQuery, setQuery, clearQuery } = useMessageSearchContext();
+  const {
+    getQuery,
+    setQuery,
+    clearQuery,
+    getSearchResults,
+    appendSearchResult,
+    getEndReached,
+    setEndReached,
+  } = useMessageSearchContext();
+
+  const loading = React.useRef(false);
+
+  const searchResults = React.useMemo(
+    () => getSearchResults(threadInfo.id),
+    [getSearchResults, threadInfo.id],
+  );
 
-  const query = React.useMemo(
-    () => getQuery(threadInfo.id),
-    [getQuery, threadInfo.id],
+  const endReached = React.useMemo(
+    () => getEndReached(threadInfo.id),
+    [getEndReached, threadInfo.id],
   );
 
-  const appendSearchResults = React.useCallback(
+  const appendResults = React.useCallback(
     (newMessages: $ReadOnlyArray<RawMessageInfo>, end: boolean) => {
-      setSearchResults(oldMessages => [...oldMessages, ...newMessages]);
-      setEndReached(end);
+      appendSearchResult(newMessages, threadInfo.id);
+      if (end) {
+        setEndReached(threadInfo.id);
+      }
+      loading.current = false;
     },
-    [],
+    [appendSearchResult, setEndReached, threadInfo.id],
   );
 
-  React.useEffect(() => {
-    setSearchResults([]);
-    setLastID(undefined);
-    setEndReached(false);
-  }, [query]);
-
   const searchMessages = useSearchMessages();
 
-  React.useEffect(
-    () => searchMessages(query, threadInfo.id, appendSearchResults, lastID),
-    [appendSearchResults, lastID, query, searchMessages, threadInfo.id],
-  );
+  const [input, setInput] = React.useState(getQuery(threadInfo.id));
 
-  const modifiedItems = useParseSearchResults(threadInfo, searchResults);
+  const onPressSearch = React.useCallback(() => {
+    setQuery(input, threadInfo.id);
+    loading.current = true;
+    searchMessages(
+      getQuery(threadInfo.id),
+      threadInfo.id,
+      appendResults,
+      undefined,
+    );
+  }, [setQuery, input, searchMessages, getQuery, threadInfo.id, appendResults]);
 
-  const renderItem = React.useCallback(
-    item => (
-      <MessageResult
-        key={item.messageInfo.id}
-        item={item}
-        threadInfo={threadInfo}
-        scrollable={false}
-      />
-    ),
-    [threadInfo],
+  const onKeyDown = React.useCallback(
+    event => {
+      if (event.key === 'Enter') {
+        onPressSearch();
+      }
+    },
+    [onPressSearch],
   );
 
-  const messages = React.useMemo(
-    () => modifiedItems.map(item => renderItem(item)),
-    [modifiedItems, renderItem],
-  );
+  const modifiedItems = useParseSearchResults(threadInfo, searchResults);
 
-  const messageContainer = React.useRef(null);
+  const { clearTooltip } = useTooltipContext();
 
+  const messageContainer = React.useRef(null);
   const messageContainerRef = (msgContainer: ?HTMLDivElement) => {
     messageContainer.current = msgContainer;
-    messageContainer.current?.addEventListener('scroll', onScroll);
   };
 
-  const { clearTooltip } = useTooltipContext();
-
   const possiblyLoadMoreMessages = React.useCallback(() => {
     if (!messageContainer.current) {
       return;
@@ -95,23 +101,52 @@
     const { scrollTop, scrollHeight, clientHeight } = messageContainer.current;
     if (
       endReached ||
+      loading.current ||
       Math.abs(scrollTop) + clientHeight + loaderTopOffset < scrollHeight
     ) {
       return;
     }
-    setLastID(modifiedItems ? oldestMessageID(modifiedItems) : undefined);
-  }, [endReached, modifiedItems]);
+    loading.current = true;
+    const lastID = modifiedItems ? oldestMessageID(modifiedItems) : undefined;
+    searchMessages(
+      getQuery(threadInfo.id),
+      threadInfo.id,
+      appendResults,
+      lastID,
+    );
+  }, [
+    appendResults,
+    endReached,
+    getQuery,
+    modifiedItems,
+    searchMessages,
+    threadInfo.id,
+  ]);
 
   const onScroll = React.useCallback(() => {
-    if (!messageContainer.current) {
-      return;
-    }
     clearTooltip();
     possiblyLoadMoreMessages();
   }, [clearTooltip, possiblyLoadMoreMessages]);
 
+  const renderItem = React.useCallback(
+    item => (
+      <MessageResult
+        key={item.messageInfo.id}
+        item={item}
+        threadInfo={threadInfo}
+        scrollable={false}
+      />
+    ),
+    [threadInfo],
+  );
+
+  const messages = React.useMemo(
+    () => modifiedItems.map(item => renderItem(item)),
+    [modifiedItems, renderItem],
+  );
+
   const footer = React.useMemo(() => {
-    if (query === '') {
+    if (getQuery(threadInfo.id) === '') {
       return (
         <div className={css.footer}>Your search results will appear here</div>
       );
@@ -131,33 +166,17 @@
         No results. Please try using different keywords to refine your search
       </div>
     );
-  }, [query, endReached, modifiedItems.length]);
+  }, [getQuery, threadInfo.id, endReached, modifiedItems.length]);
 
-  const [input, setInput] = React.useState(query);
-
-  const onPressSearch = React.useCallback(
-    () => setQuery(input, threadInfo.id),
-    [setQuery, input, threadInfo.id],
-  );
+  const { uiName } = useResolvedThreadInfo(threadInfo);
+  const searchPlaceholder = `Searching in ${uiName}`;
+  const { popModal } = useModalContext();
 
   const clearQueryWrapper = React.useCallback(
     () => clearQuery(threadInfo.id),
     [clearQuery, threadInfo.id],
   );
 
-  const onKeyDown = React.useCallback(
-    event => {
-      if (event.key === 'Enter') {
-        onPressSearch();
-      }
-    },
-    [onPressSearch],
-  );
-
-  const { uiName } = useResolvedThreadInfo(threadInfo);
-  const searchPlaceholder = `Searching in ${uiName}`;
-  const { popModal } = useModalContext();
-
   return (
     <Modal name="Search Message" onClose={popModal} size="large">
       <div className={css.container}>
@@ -177,7 +196,11 @@
             Search
           </Button>
         </div>
-        <div className={css.content} ref={messageContainerRef}>
+        <div
+          className={css.content}
+          ref={messageContainerRef}
+          onScroll={onScroll}
+        >
           {messages}
           {footer}
         </div>