diff --git a/web/src/buddy_data.ts b/web/src/buddy_data.ts
index e071ed0074..572c6e8898 100644
--- a/web/src/buddy_data.ts
+++ b/web/src/buddy_data.ts
@@ -339,11 +339,8 @@ function filter_user_ids(user_filter_text: string, user_ids: number[]): number[]
     }
 
     // If a query is present in "Search people", we return matches.
-    let search_terms = user_filter_text.toLowerCase().split(/[,|]+/);
-    search_terms = search_terms.map((s) => s.trim());
-
     const persons = user_ids.map((user_id) => people.get_by_user_id(user_id));
-    return [...people.filter_people_by_search_terms(persons, search_terms)];
+    return [...people.filter_people_by_search_terms(persons, user_filter_text)];
 }
 
 function get_filtered_user_id_list(user_filter_text: string): number[] {
diff --git a/web/src/people.ts b/web/src/people.ts
index 8bba9f2096..b5cbde347a 100644
--- a/web/src/people.ts
+++ b/web/src/people.ts
@@ -1224,7 +1224,10 @@ export function build_person_matcher(query: string): (user: User) => boolean {
     };
 }
 
-export function filter_people_by_search_terms(users: User[], search_terms: string[]): Set<number> {
+export function filter_people_by_search_terms(users: User[], search_string: string): Set<number> {
+    let search_terms = search_string.toLowerCase().split(/[,|]+/);
+    search_terms = search_terms.map((s) => s.trim());
+
     const filtered_users = new Set<number>();
 
     // Build our matchers outside the loop to avoid some
diff --git a/web/tests/people.test.js b/web/tests/people.test.js
index 3ce2a67730..aebf366506 100644
--- a/web/tests/people.test.js
+++ b/web/tests/people.test.js
@@ -726,33 +726,33 @@ test_people("filtered_users", () => {
 
     const search_term = "a";
     const users = people.get_realm_users();
-    let filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, [search_term]);
+    let filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, search_term);
     assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 2);
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(ashton.user_id));
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(maria.user_id));
     assert.ok(!filtered_people.has(charles.user_id));
 
-    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, []);
-    assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 0);
+    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, "");
+    assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 7);
 
-    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, ["ltorv"]);
+    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, "ltorv");
     assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 1);
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(linus.user_id));
 
-    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, ["ch di", "maria"]);
+    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, "ch di, maria");
     assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 2);
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(charles.user_id));
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(maria.user_id));
 
     // Test filtering of names with diacritics
     // This should match Nöôáàh by ignoring diacritics, and also match Nooaah
-    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, ["noOa"]);
+    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, "noOa");
     assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 2);
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(noah.user_id));
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(plain_noah.user_id));
 
     // This should match ëmerson, but not emerson
-    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, ["ëm"]);
+    filtered_people = people.filter_people_by_search_terms(users, "ëm");
     assert.equal(filtered_people.size, 1);
     assert.ok(filtered_people.has(noah.user_id));
 });