diff --git a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
index d2fa2345cf1..33d9dcc47a5 100644
--- a/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/users_controller.rb
@@ -295,7 +295,7 @@ class UsersController < ApplicationController
     topic_id = params[:topic_id]
     topic_id = topic_id.to_i if topic_id
 
-    results = UserSearch.new(term, topic_id).search
+    results = UserSearch.new(term, topic_id: topic_id, searching_user: current_user).search
 
     user_fields = [:username, :use_uploaded_avatar, :upload_avatar_template, :uploaded_avatar_id]
     user_fields << :name if SiteSetting.enable_names?
diff --git a/app/models/user_search.rb b/app/models/user_search.rb
index 81050e511e8..df636e2a5e1 100644
--- a/app/models/user_search.rb
+++ b/app/models/user_search.rb
@@ -1,10 +1,11 @@
 # Searches for a user by username or full text or name (if enabled in SiteSettings)
 class UserSearch
 
-  def initialize(term, topic_id=nil)
+  def initialize(term, opts={})
     @term = term
     @term_like = "#{term.downcase}%"
-    @topic_id = topic_id
+    @topic_id = opts[:topic_id]
+    @searching_user = opts[:searching_user]
   end
 
   def search
@@ -31,6 +32,10 @@ class UserSearch
                    .order("CASE WHEN s.user_id IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END DESC")
     end
 
+    unless @searching_user && @searching_user.staff?
+      users = users.not_suspended
+    end
+
     users.order("CASE WHEN last_seen_at IS NULL THEN 0 ELSE 1 END DESC, last_seen_at DESC, username ASC")
          .limit(20)
   end
diff --git a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
index 2e73312d5db..37c3be95a5b 100644
--- a/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/models/user_search_spec.rb
@@ -2,15 +2,17 @@ require 'spec_helper'
 
 describe UserSearch do
 
-  let(:topic)  { Fabricate :topic }
-  let(:topic2) { Fabricate :topic }
-  let(:topic3) { Fabricate :topic }
-  let(:user1)  { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblonde", name: "Michael Madsen" }
-  let(:user2)  { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblue",   name: "Eddie Bunker" }
-  let(:user3)  { Fabricate :user, username: "mrorange", name: "Tim Roth" }
-  let(:user4)  { Fabricate :user, username: "mrpink",   name: "Steve Buscemi" }
-  let(:user5)  { Fabricate :user, username: "mrbrown",  name: "Quentin Tarantino" }
-  let(:user6)  { Fabricate :user, username: "mrwhite",  name: "Harvey Keitel" }
+  let(:topic)     { Fabricate :topic }
+  let(:topic2)    { Fabricate :topic }
+  let(:topic3)    { Fabricate :topic }
+  let(:user1)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblonde", name: "Michael Madsen" }
+  let(:user2)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrblue",   name: "Eddie Bunker" }
+  let(:user3)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrorange", name: "Tim Roth" }
+  let(:user4)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrpink",   name: "Steve Buscemi" }
+  let(:user5)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrbrown",  name: "Quentin Tarantino" }
+  let(:user6)     { Fabricate :user, username: "mrwhite",  name: "Harvey Keitel" }
+  let(:admin)     { Fabricate :admin, username: "theadmin" }
+  let(:moderator) { Fabricate :moderator, username: "themod" }
 
   before do
     Fabricate :post, user: user1, topic: topic
@@ -19,6 +21,7 @@ describe UserSearch do
     Fabricate :post, user: user4, topic: topic
     Fabricate :post, user: user5, topic: topic3
     Fabricate :post, user: user6, topic: topic
+    user6.update_attributes(suspended_at: 1.day.ago, suspended_till: 1.year.from_now)
   end
 
   def search_for(*args)
@@ -49,28 +52,36 @@ describe UserSearch do
     results.first.should == user4
 
     # substrings
+    # only staff members see suspended users in results
     results = search_for("mr")
-    results.size.should == 6
+    results.size.should == 5
+    results.should_not include(user6)
+    search_for("mr", searching_user: user1).size.should == 5
 
-    results = search_for("mrb")
+    results = search_for("mr", searching_user: admin)
+    results.size.should == 6
+    results.should include(user6)
+    search_for("mr", searching_user: moderator).size.should == 6
+
+    results = search_for("mrb", searching_user: admin)
     results.size.should == 3
 
 
-    results = search_for("MR")
+    results = search_for("MR", searching_user: admin)
     results.size.should == 6
 
-    results = search_for("MRB")
+    results = search_for("MRB", searching_user: admin)
     results.size.should == 3
 
     # topic priority
-    results = search_for("mrb", topic.id)
+    results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic.id)
     results.first.should == user1
 
 
-    results = search_for("mrb", topic2.id)
+    results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic2.id)
     results.first.should == user2
 
-    results = search_for("mrb", topic3.id)
+    results = search_for("mrb", topic_id: topic3.id)
     results.first.should == user5
 
     # When searching by name is enabled, it returns the record