diff --git a/.eslintrc.json b/.eslintrc.json
index abbf2be9d3..386ef35f4d 100644
--- a/.eslintrc.json
+++ b/.eslintrc.json
@@ -102,6 +102,7 @@
         "Filter": false,
         "flatpickr": false,
         "pointer": false,
+        "search_util": false,
         "util": false,
         "rtl": false,
         "MessageListData": false,
diff --git a/frontend_tests/node_tests/subs.js b/frontend_tests/node_tests/subs.js
index 82c5f02367..d4de5e9b86 100644
--- a/frontend_tests/node_tests/subs.js
+++ b/frontend_tests/node_tests/subs.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@ global.stub_out_jquery();
 
 set_global('ui', {});
 zrequire('stream_data');
+zrequire('search_util');
+
 global.patch_builtin('window', {
     location: {
         hash: "#streams/1/announce",
diff --git a/static/js/bundles/app.js b/static/js/bundles/app.js
index 42b31dc1a7..88c85c3051 100644
--- a/static/js/bundles/app.js
+++ b/static/js/bundles/app.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ import "js/feature_flags.js";
 import "js/loading.js";
 import 'js/schema.js';
 import "js/util.js";
+import "js/search_util.js";
 import "js/keydown_util.js";
 import "js/lightbox_canvas.js";
 import "js/rtl.js";
diff --git a/static/js/search_util.js b/static/js/search_util.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8d65875af3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/static/js/search_util.js
@@ -0,0 +1,37 @@
+var search_util = (function () {
+
+var exports = {};
+
+exports.get_search_terms = function (input) {
+    var search_terms = input.toLowerCase().split(",").map(function (s) {
+        return s.trim();
+    });
+    return search_terms;
+};
+
+exports.vanilla_match = function (opts) {
+    /*
+        This is a pretty vanilla search criteria
+        where we see if any of our search terms
+        is in our value. When in doubt we should use
+        this for all Zulip filters, but we may
+        have more complicated use cases in some
+        places.
+
+        This is case insensitive.
+    */
+    var val = opts.val.toLowerCase();
+    return _.any(opts.search_terms, function (term) {
+        if (val.indexOf(term) !== -1) {
+            return true;
+        }
+    });
+};
+
+return exports;
+
+}());
+if (typeof module !== 'undefined') {
+    module.exports = search_util;
+}
+window.search_util = search_util;
diff --git a/static/js/subs.js b/static/js/subs.js
index 21c1d7bb46..ffd46337ab 100644
--- a/static/js/subs.js
+++ b/static/js/subs.js
@@ -318,19 +318,14 @@ function remove_temporarily_miscategorized_streams() {
 exports.remove_miscategorized_streams = remove_temporarily_miscategorized_streams;
 
 function stream_matches_query(query, sub, attr) {
-    var search_terms = query.input.toLowerCase().split(",").map(function (s) {
-        return s.trim();
+    var search_terms = search_util.get_search_terms(query.input);
+    var val = sub[attr];
+
+    var flag = search_util.vanilla_match({
+        val: val,
+        search_terms: search_terms,
     });
 
-    var flag = true;
-    flag = flag && (function () {
-        var sub_attr = sub[attr].toLowerCase();
-        return _.any(search_terms, function (o) {
-            if (sub_attr.indexOf(o) !== -1) {
-                return true;
-            }
-        });
-    }());
     flag = flag && (sub.subscribed || !query.subscribed_only ||
                     sub.data_temp_view === "true");
     return flag;
diff --git a/tools/test-js-with-node b/tools/test-js-with-node
index 199e235e28..3fece35da4 100755
--- a/tools/test-js-with-node
+++ b/tools/test-js-with-node
@@ -60,6 +60,7 @@ enforce_fully_covered = {
     'static/js/scroll_util.js',
     'static/js/search.js',
     'static/js/search_suggestion.js',
+    'static/js/search_util.js',
     # Removed because we're migrating code from uncovered other settings pages to here.
     # 'static/js/settings_ui.js',
     'static/js/settings_muting.js',