diff --git a/src/controllers/api/accounts.ts b/src/controllers/api/accounts.ts
index d3d67820..18433f1f 100644
--- a/src/controllers/api/accounts.ts
+++ b/src/controllers/api/accounts.ts
@@ -119,6 +119,7 @@ const accountSearchQuerySchema = z.object({
 const accountSearchController: AppController = async (c) => {
   const { signal } = c.req.raw;
   const { limit } = c.get('pagination');
+
   const kysely = await Storages.kysely();
   const viewerPubkey = await c.get('signer')?.getPublicKey();
 
@@ -136,27 +137,22 @@ const accountSearchController: AppController = async (c) => {
 
   if (!event && lookup) {
     const pubkey = await lookupPubkey(lookup);
-    return c.json(pubkey ? [await accountFromPubkey(pubkey)] : []);
+    return c.json(pubkey ? [accountFromPubkey(pubkey)] : []);
   }
 
-  const followedPubkeys: Set<string> = viewerPubkey ? await getFollowedPubkeys(viewerPubkey) : new Set();
-  const pubkeys = Array.from(await getPubkeysBySearch(kysely, { q: query, limit, offset: 0, followedPubkeys }));
+  const events: NostrEvent[] = [];
 
-  let events = event ? [event] : await store.query([{ kinds: [0], authors: pubkeys, limit }], {
-    signal,
-  });
-
-  if (!event) {
-    events = pubkeys
-      .map((pubkey) => events.find((event) => event.pubkey === pubkey))
-      .filter((event) => !!event);
+  if (event) {
+    events.push(event);
+  } else {
+    const following = viewerPubkey ? await getFollowedPubkeys(viewerPubkey) : new Set<string>();
+    const authors = [...await getPubkeysBySearch(kysely, { q: query, limit, offset: 0, following })];
+    const profiles = await store.query([{ kinds: [0], authors, limit }], { signal });
+    events.push(...profiles);
   }
-  const accounts = await hydrateEvents({ events, store, signal }).then(
-    (events) =>
-      Promise.all(
-        events.map((event) => renderAccount(event)),
-      ),
-  );
+
+  const accounts = await hydrateEvents({ events, store, signal })
+    .then((events) => events.map((event) => renderAccount(event)));
 
   return c.json(accounts);
 };
diff --git a/src/utils/search.ts b/src/utils/search.ts
index 29ecefd9..1c608c99 100644
--- a/src/utils/search.ts
+++ b/src/utils/search.ts
@@ -5,30 +5,35 @@ import { DittoTables } from '@/db/DittoTables.ts';
 /** Get pubkeys whose name and NIP-05 is similar to 'q' */
 export async function getPubkeysBySearch(
   kysely: Kysely<DittoTables>,
-  opts: { q: string; limit: number; offset: number; followedPubkeys: Set<string> },
+  opts: { q: string; limit: number; offset: number; following: Set<string> },
 ): Promise<Set<string>> {
-  const { q, limit, followedPubkeys, offset } = opts;
+  const { q, limit, following, offset } = opts;
 
-  let query = kysely
+  const pubkeys = new Set<string>();
+
+  const query = kysely
     .selectFrom('author_stats')
-    .select((eb) => [
-      'pubkey',
-      'search',
-      eb.fn('word_similarity', [sql`${q}`, 'search']).as('sml'),
-    ])
-    .where(() => sql`${q} <% search`)
-    .orderBy(['followers_count desc'])
-    .orderBy(['sml desc', 'search'])
+    .select('pubkey')
+    .where('search', sql`%>`, q)
+    .orderBy('followers_count desc')
     .limit(limit)
     .offset(offset);
 
-  const pubkeys = new Set((await query.execute()).map(({ pubkey }) => pubkey));
+  if (following.size) {
+    const authorsQuery = query.where('pubkey', 'in', [...following]);
 
-  if (followedPubkeys.size > 0) {
-    query = query.where('pubkey', 'in', [...followedPubkeys]);
+    for (const { pubkey } of await authorsQuery.execute()) {
+      pubkeys.add(pubkey);
+    }
   }
 
-  const followingPubkeys = new Set((await query.execute()).map(({ pubkey }) => pubkey));
+  if (pubkeys.size >= limit) {
+    return pubkeys;
+  }
 
-  return new Set(Array.from(followingPubkeys.union(pubkeys)));
+  for (const { pubkey } of await query.execute()) {
+    pubkeys.add(pubkey);
+  }
+
+  return pubkeys;
 }