diff --git a/app/models/user_search.rb b/app/models/user_search.rb
index 5c71057b34a..dbf99a04203 100644
--- a/app/models/user_search.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_search.rb
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ class UserSearch
   end
 
   def scoped_users
-    users = User.where("active")
+    users = User.where(active: true, staged: false)
 
     unless @searching_user && @searching_user.staff?
       users = users.not_suspended
diff --git a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
index 48ee7beccda..2692f0314ad 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
@@ -5,15 +5,17 @@ describe UserSearch do
   let(:topic)     { Fabricate :topic }
   let(:topic2)    { Fabricate :topic }
   let(:topic3)    { Fabricate :topic }
+  let(:topic4)    { Fabricate :topic }
   let(:user1)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrb", name: "Michael Madsen", last_seen_at: 10.days.ago }
-  let(:user2)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblue",   name: "Eddie Code", last_seen_at: 9.days.ago  }
+  let(:user2)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblue",   name: "Eddie Code", last_seen_at: 9.days.ago }
   let(:user3)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrorange", name: "Tim Roth", last_seen_at: 8.days.ago }
   let(:user4)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrpink",   name: "Steve Buscemi",  last_seen_at: 7.days.ago }
   let(:user5)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrbrown",  name: "Quentin Tarantino", last_seen_at: 6.days.ago }
   let(:user6)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrwhite",  name: "Harvey Keitel",  last_seen_at: 5.days.ago }
-  let!(:inactive)  { Fabricate :user, username: "Ghost", active: false }
+  let!(:inactive) { Fabricate :user, username: "Ghost", active: false }
   let(:admin)     { Fabricate :admin, username: "theadmin" }
   let(:moderator) { Fabricate :moderator, username: "themod" }
+  let(:staged)    { Fabricate :staged }
 
   before do
     ActiveRecord::Base.observers.enable :all
@@ -24,6 +26,8 @@ describe UserSearch do
     Fabricate :post, user: user4, topic: topic
     Fabricate :post, user: user5, topic: topic3
     Fabricate :post, user: user6, topic: topic
+    Fabricate :post, user: staged, topic: topic4
+
     user6.update_attributes(suspended_at: 1.day.ago, suspended_till: 1.year.from_now)
   end
 
@@ -31,10 +35,9 @@ describe UserSearch do
     UserSearch.new(*args).search
   end
 
-  # this is a seriously expensive integration test, re-creating this entire test db is too expensive
-  # reuse
+  # this is a seriously expensive integration test,
+  # re-creating this entire test db is too expensive reuse
   it "operates correctly" do
-
     # normal search
     results = search_for(user1.name.split(" ").first)
     expect(results.size).to eq(1)
@@ -45,7 +48,7 @@ describe UserSearch do
     expect(results.size).to eq(1)
     expect(results.first).to eq(user1)
 
-    #  username
+    # username
     results = search_for(user4.username)
     expect(results.size).to eq(1)
     expect(results.first).to eq(user4)
@@ -70,7 +73,6 @@ describe UserSearch do
     results = search_for("mrb", searching_user: admin)
     expect(results.size).to eq(3)
 
-
     results = search_for("MR", searching_user: admin)
     expect(results.size).to eq(6)
 
@@ -81,7 +83,6 @@ describe UserSearch do
     results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic.id)
     expect(results.first).to eq(user1)
 
-
     results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic2.id)
     expect(results[1]).to eq(user2)
 
@@ -105,11 +106,15 @@ describe UserSearch do
     expect(results.size).to eq(0)
 
     # find an exact match first
-    results = search_for("mrB")
+    results = search_for(user1.username)
     expect(results.first.username).to eq(user1.username)
 
     # don't return inactive users
-    results = search_for("Ghost")
+    results = search_for(inactive.username)
+    expect(results).to be_blank
+
+    # don't return staged users
+    results = search_for(staged.username)
     expect(results).to be_blank
   end