diff --git a/core/message_area.js b/core/message_area.js
index 13751e65..a0806bc0 100644
--- a/core/message_area.js
+++ b/core/message_area.js
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ exports.changeMessageConference             = changeMessageConference;
 exports.changeMessageArea                   = changeMessageArea;
 exports.hasMessageConfAndAreaRead           = hasMessageConfAndAreaRead;
 exports.filterMessageAreaTagsByReadACS      = filterMessageAreaTagsByReadACS;
+exports.filterMessageListByReadACS          = filterMessageListByReadACS;
 exports.tempChangeMessageConfAndArea        = tempChangeMessageConfAndArea;
 exports.getMessageListForArea               = getMessageListForArea;
 exports.getNewMessageCountInAreaForUser     = getNewMessageCountInAreaForUser;
@@ -420,6 +421,29 @@ function filterMessageAreaTagsByReadACS(client, areaTags) {
     });
 }
 
+function filterMessageListByReadACS(client, messageList) {
+    //
+    //  Filter out messages belonging to conf/areas the user
+    //  doesn't have access to.
+    //
+
+    //  Keep a cache around for quick lookup.
+    const acsCache = new Map();    //  areaTag:boolean
+
+    return messageList.filter(msg => {
+        let cached = acsCache.get(msg.areaTag);
+        if(false === cached) {
+            return false;
+        }
+        if(true === cached) {
+            return true;
+        }
+        cached = hasMessageConfAndAreaRead(client, msg.areaTag);
+        acsCache.set(msg.areaTag, cached);
+        return cached;
+    });
+}
+
 function getNewMessageCountInAreaForUser(userId, areaTag, cb) {
     getMessageAreaLastReadId(userId, areaTag, (err, lastMessageId) => {
         lastMessageId = lastMessageId || 0;
diff --git a/core/message_base_search.js b/core/message_base_search.js
index 9684b8f0..859d2320 100644
--- a/core/message_base_search.js
+++ b/core/message_base_search.js
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ const {
     getSortedAvailMessageConferences,
     getAvailableMessageAreasByConfTag,
     getSortedAvailMessageAreasByConfTag,
+    hasMessageConfAndAreaRead,
+    filterMessageListByReadACS,
 }                                   = require('./message_area.js');
 const Errors                        = require('./enig_error.js').Errors;
 const Message                       = require('./message.js');
@@ -101,6 +103,14 @@ exports.getModule = class MessageBaseSearch extends MenuModule {
             limit           : 2048, //  :TODO: best way to handle this? we should probably let the user know if some results are returned
         };
 
+        const returnNoResults = () => {
+            return this.gotoMenu(
+                this.menuConfig.config.noResultsMenu || 'messageSearchNoResults',
+                { menuFlags : [ 'popParent' ] },
+                cb
+            );
+        };
+
         if(isAdvanced) {
             filter.toUserName   = value.toUserName;
             filter.fromUserName = value.fromUserName;
@@ -113,7 +123,11 @@ exports.getModule = class MessageBaseSearch extends MenuModule {
                     (area, areaTag) => areaTag
                 );
             } else if(value.areaTag) {
-                filter.areaTag = value.areaTag; //  specific conf + area
+                if(hasMessageConfAndAreaRead(this.client, value.areaTag)) {
+                    filter.areaTag = value.areaTag; //  specific conf + area
+                } else {
+                    return returnNoResults();
+                }
             }
         }
 
@@ -122,12 +136,14 @@ exports.getModule = class MessageBaseSearch extends MenuModule {
                 return cb(err);
             }
 
+            //  don't include results without ACS -- if the user searched by
+            //  explicit conf/area tag, we should have already filtered (above)
+            if(!value.confTag && !value.areaTag) {
+                messageList = filterMessageListByReadACS(this.client, messageList);
+            }
+
             if(0 === messageList.length) {
-                return this.gotoMenu(
-                    this.menuConfig.config.noResultsMenu || 'messageSearchNoResults',
-                    { menuFlags : [ 'popParent' ] },
-                    cb
-                );
+                return returnNoResults();
             }
 
             const menuOpts = {
diff --git a/core/my_messages.js b/core/my_messages.js
index 65a9335d..ed1d3fe1 100644
--- a/core/my_messages.js
+++ b/core/my_messages.js
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ const MenuModule    = require('./menu_module.js').MenuModule;
 const Message       = require('./message.js');
 const UserProps     = require('./user_property.js');
 const {
-    hasMessageConfAndAreaRead
+    filterMessageListByReadACS
 }                   = require('./message_area.js');
 
 exports.moduleInfo = {
@@ -34,25 +34,8 @@ exports.getModule = class MyMessagesModule extends MenuModule {
                 return this.prevMenu();
             }
 
-            //
-            //  We need to filter out messages belonging to conf/areas the user
-            //  doesn't have access to.
-            //
-            //  Keep a cache around for quick lookup.
-            //
-            const acsCache = new Map();    //  areaTag:boolean
-            this.messageList = messageList.filter(msg => {
-                let cached = acsCache.get(msg.areaTag);
-                if(false === cached) {
-                    return false;
-                }
-                if(true === cached) {
-                    return true;
-                }
-                cached = hasMessageConfAndAreaRead(this.client, msg.areaTag);
-                acsCache.set(msg.areaTag, cached);
-                return cached;
-            });
+            //  don't include results without ACS
+            this.messageList = filterMessageListByReadACS(this.client, messageList);
 
             this.finishedLoading();
         });