diff --git a/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js b/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js
index 15248d49c..bbc8f8320 100644
--- a/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js
+++ b/lib/hooks/thread-search-hooks.js
@@ -1,84 +1,85 @@
 // @flow
 
 import * as React from 'react';
 
 import { searchUsers as searchUserCall } from '../actions/user-actions.js';
 import { useLegacyAshoatKeyserverCall } from '../keyserver-conn/legacy-keyserver-call.js';
 import { useGlobalThreadSearchIndex } from '../selectors/nav-selectors.js';
 import { usersWithPersonalThreadSelector } from '../selectors/user-selectors.js';
 import {
   useForwardLookupSearchText,
   useSearchUsers,
 } from '../shared/search-utils.js';
 import type { GlobalAccountUserInfo } from '../types/user-types.js';
 import { useSelector } from '../utils/redux-utils.js';
 import { usingCommServicesAccessToken } from '../utils/services-utils.js';
 
 type ThreadListSearchResult = {
   +threadSearchResults: $ReadOnlySet<string>,
   +usersSearchResults: $ReadOnlyArray<GlobalAccountUserInfo>,
 };
 
 function useThreadListSearch(
   searchText: string,
   viewerID: ?string,
 ): ThreadListSearchResult {
   const usersWithPersonalThread = useSelector(usersWithPersonalThreadSelector);
   const forwardLookupSearchText = useForwardLookupSearchText(searchText);
 
   const filterAndSetUserResults = React.useCallback(
     (userInfos: $ReadOnlyArray<GlobalAccountUserInfo>) => {
       const usersResults = userInfos.filter(
         info => !usersWithPersonalThread.has(info.id) && info.id !== viewerID,
       );
       setUsersSearchResults(usersResults);
     },
     [usersWithPersonalThread, viewerID],
   );
 
   const legacyCallSearchUsers = useLegacyAshoatKeyserverCall(searchUserCall);
   const legacySearchUsers = React.useCallback(
     async (usernamePrefix: string) => {
       if (usernamePrefix.length === 0) {
         filterAndSetUserResults([]);
+        return;
       }
 
       const { userInfos } = await legacyCallSearchUsers(usernamePrefix);
       filterAndSetUserResults(userInfos);
     },
     [filterAndSetUserResults, legacyCallSearchUsers],
   );
 
   const [threadSearchResults, setThreadSearchResults] = React.useState(
     new Set<string>(),
   );
   const [usersSearchResults, setUsersSearchResults] = React.useState<
     $ReadOnlyArray<GlobalAccountUserInfo>,
   >([]);
   const threadSearchIndex = useGlobalThreadSearchIndex();
   React.useEffect(() => {
     void (async () => {
       const results = threadSearchIndex.getSearchResults(searchText);
       setThreadSearchResults(new Set<string>(results));
       if (!usingCommServicesAccessToken) {
         await legacySearchUsers(forwardLookupSearchText);
       }
     })();
   }, [
     searchText,
     forwardLookupSearchText,
     threadSearchIndex,
     legacySearchUsers,
   ]);
 
   const identitySearchUsers = useSearchUsers(forwardLookupSearchText);
   React.useEffect(() => {
     if (usingCommServicesAccessToken) {
       filterAndSetUserResults(identitySearchUsers);
     }
   }, [filterAndSetUserResults, identitySearchUsers]);
 
   return { threadSearchResults, usersSearchResults };
 }
 
 export { useThreadListSearch };