diff --git a/lib/shared/search-utils.js b/lib/shared/search-utils.js
index 9afbaeff8..be0be578a 100644
--- a/lib/shared/search-utils.js
+++ b/lib/shared/search-utils.js
@@ -1,172 +1,175 @@
 // @flow
 
 import genesis from '../facts/genesis';
 import { userRelationshipStatus } from '../types/relationship-types';
 import {
   type ThreadInfo,
   type ThreadType,
   threadTypes,
   threadPermissions,
 } from '../types/thread-types';
 import type { AccountUserInfo, UserListItem } from '../types/user-types';
 import SearchIndex from './search-index';
 import {
   userIsMember,
   threadMemberHasPermission,
   getContainingThreadID,
 } from './thread-utils';
 
 const notFriendNotice = 'not friend';
 
 function getPotentialMemberItems(
   text: string,
   userInfos: { +[id: string]: AccountUserInfo },
   searchIndex: SearchIndex,
   excludeUserIDs: $ReadOnlyArray<string>,
   inputParentThreadInfo: ?ThreadInfo,
   inputCommunityThreadInfo: ?ThreadInfo,
   threadType: ?ThreadType,
 ): UserListItem[] {
   const communityThreadInfo =
     inputCommunityThreadInfo && inputCommunityThreadInfo.id !== genesis.id
       ? inputCommunityThreadInfo
       : null;
   const parentThreadInfo =
     inputParentThreadInfo && inputParentThreadInfo.id !== genesis.id
       ? inputParentThreadInfo
       : null;
 
   const containgThreadID = threadType
     ? getContainingThreadID(parentThreadInfo, threadType)
     : null;
 
   let containingThreadInfo = null;
   if (containgThreadID === parentThreadInfo?.id) {
     containingThreadInfo = parentThreadInfo;
   } else if (containgThreadID === communityThreadInfo?.id) {
     containingThreadInfo = communityThreadInfo;
   }
 
   let results = [];
   const appendUserInfo = (userInfo: AccountUserInfo) => {
     const { id } = userInfo;
     if (excludeUserIDs.includes(id)) {
       return;
     }
     if (
       communityThreadInfo &&
       !threadMemberHasPermission(
         communityThreadInfo,
         id,
         threadPermissions.KNOW_OF,
       )
     ) {
       return;
     }
     results.push({
       ...userInfo,
       isMemberOfParentThread: userIsMember(parentThreadInfo, id),
       isMemberOfContainingThread: userIsMember(containingThreadInfo, id),
     });
   };
   if (text === '') {
     for (const id in userInfos) {
       appendUserInfo(userInfos[id]);
     }
   } else {
     const ids = searchIndex.getSearchResults(text);
     for (const id of ids) {
       appendUserInfo(userInfos[id]);
     }
   }
 
   const blockedRelationshipsStatuses = new Set([
     userRelationshipStatus.BLOCKED_BY_VIEWER,
     userRelationshipStatus.BLOCKED_VIEWER,
     userRelationshipStatus.BOTH_BLOCKED,
   ]);
 
   if (text === '') {
     results = results.filter(userInfo =>
       containingThreadInfo
         ? userInfo.isMemberOfContainingThread &&
           !blockedRelationshipsStatuses.has(userInfo.relationshipStatus)
         : userInfo.relationshipStatus === userRelationshipStatus.FRIEND,
     );
   }
 
   const nonFriends = [];
   const blockedUsers = [];
-  const friendsAndContainingThreadMembers = [];
+  const friends = [];
+  const containingThreadMembers = [];
+  const parentThreadMembers = [];
 
   for (const userResult of results) {
     const relationshipStatus = userResult.relationshipStatus;
-    if (
-      userResult.isMemberOfContainingThread &&
-      !blockedRelationshipsStatuses.has(relationshipStatus)
-    ) {
-      friendsAndContainingThreadMembers.unshift(userResult);
-    } else if (relationshipStatus === userRelationshipStatus.FRIEND) {
-      friendsAndContainingThreadMembers.push(userResult);
-    } else if (blockedRelationshipsStatuses.has(relationshipStatus)) {
+    if (blockedRelationshipsStatuses.has(relationshipStatus)) {
       blockedUsers.push(userResult);
+    } else if (userResult.isMemberOfParentThread) {
+      parentThreadMembers.push(userResult);
+    } else if (userResult.isMemberOfContainingThread) {
+      containingThreadMembers.push(userResult);
+    } else if (relationshipStatus === userRelationshipStatus.FRIEND) {
+      friends.push(userResult);
     } else {
       nonFriends.push(userResult);
     }
   }
 
-  const sortedResults = friendsAndContainingThreadMembers
+  const sortedResults = parentThreadMembers
+    .concat(containingThreadMembers)
+    .concat(friends)
     .concat(nonFriends)
     .concat(blockedUsers);
 
   return sortedResults.map(
     ({
       isMemberOfContainingThread,
       isMemberOfParentThread,
       relationshipStatus,
       ...result
     }) => {
       let notice, alertText, alertTitle;
       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.';
       } 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';
         } else {
           notice = 'not in parent chat';
           alertTitle = 'Not in parent chat';
           alertText = '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.';
       } else if (parentThreadInfo && !isMemberOfParentThread) {
         notice = 'not in parent chat';
       }
       if (notice) {
         result = { ...result, notice };
       }
       if (alertTitle) {
         result = { ...result, alertTitle, alertText };
       }
       return result;
     },
   );
 }
 
 export { getPotentialMemberItems, notFriendNotice };