diff --git a/app/views/people/index.html.haml b/app/views/people/index.html.haml
index 456df1b54..1c98153c3 100644
--- a/app/views/people/index.html.haml
+++ b/app/views/people/index.html.haml
@@ -8,9 +8,6 @@
 - content_for :head do
   = include_javascripts :people
   = javascript_include_tag 'contact-list'
-  - if @background_query.present?
-    :javascript
-        $(document).ready(function() { List.startSearchDelay('#{@background_query}') } );
 
 .span-24.last
   = search_header
@@ -22,7 +19,14 @@
   #people_stream.stream
     - if @hashes.empty?
       - if @background_query.present?
-        %p 
+
+        / this is gross, and should be extracted!
+        :javascript
+          $(document).ready( function() {
+            List.startSearchDelay('#{@background_query}')
+          } );
+
+        %p
           = t('.searching')
           = image_tag '/images/static-loader.png', :class => 'loader'
       - else
diff --git a/public/javascripts/contact-list.js b/public/javascripts/contact-list.js
index 9321dc4b0..2a5e0d684 100644
--- a/public/javascripts/contact-list.js
+++ b/public/javascripts/contact-list.js
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ var List = {
       });
     });
   },
+
   disconnectUser: function(contact_id){
     $.ajax({
         url: "/contacts/" + contact_id,
@@ -33,44 +34,48 @@ var List = {
         }
     });
   },
+
   runDelayedSearch: function( searchTerm ) {
-      $.ajax({
-        dataType: 'json',
-        url: '/people/refresh_search',
-        data: { q: searchTerm },
-        success: List.handleSearchRefresh
-      });
+    $.getJSON('/people/refresh_search',
+      { q: searchTerm },
+      List.handleSearchRefresh
+    );
   },
+
   handleSearchRefresh: function( data ) {
-    if ( data.search_count > 0 ) {
-      $("#people_stream.stream").html( data.search_html );
-    } else {
-      $("#people_stream.stream").html( "<p>" + Diaspora.I18n.t("people.not_found") + "</p>" );
-    }
+    var streamEl = $("#people_stream.stream");
+    var string = data.search_html || $("<p>", {
+        text : Diaspora.I18n.t("people.not_found")
+      });
+
+    streamEl.html(string);
   },
-  startSearchDelay: function ( theSearch ) {
+
+  startSearchDelay: function (theSearch) {
     setTimeout( "List.runDelayedSearch('" + theSearch + "')", 10000);
   }
 
 };
 
 $(document).ready(function() {
-  $('.added').live('ajax:loading', function() {
-    $(this).addClass('disabled');
-    $(this).fadeTo(200,0.4);
+  $('.added').bind('ajax:loading', function() {
+    var $this = $(this);
+
+    $this.addClass('disabled');
+    $this.fadeTo(200,0.4);
   });
 
-  $('.add').live('ajax:loading', function() {
-    $(this).addClass('disabled');
-    $(this).fadeTo(200,0.4);
-  });
+  $('.added').bind('hover',
+    function() {
+      var $this = $(this)
+      $this.addClass("remove");
+      $this.children("img").attr("src","/images/icons/monotone_close_exit_delete.png");
+    },
 
-  $('.added').live('mouseover', function() {
-    $(this).addClass("remove");
-    $(this).children("img").attr("src","/images/icons/monotone_close_exit_delete.png");
-  }).live('mouseout', function() {
-    $(this).removeClass("remove");
-    $(this).children("img").attr("src","/images/icons/monotone_check_yes.png");
+    function() {
+      var $this = $(this)
+      $this.removeClass("remove");
+      $this.children("img").attr("src","/images/icons/monotone_check_yes.png");
   });
 
   List.initialize();
diff --git a/spec/controllers/jasmine_fixtures/people_spec.rb b/spec/controllers/jasmine_fixtures/people_spec.rb
index 8216656ff..25d227ac9 100644
--- a/spec/controllers/jasmine_fixtures/people_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/controllers/jasmine_fixtures/people_spec.rb
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ describe PeopleController do
       get :index
       save_fixture(html_for("body"), "empty_people_search")
     end
+
     it "generates a jasmine fixture trying an external search", :fixture => true do
       get :index, :q => "sample@diaspor.us"
       save_fixture(html_for("body"), "pending_external_people_search")
diff --git a/spec/javascripts/search-spec.js b/spec/javascripts/search-spec.js
index 062d12814..7b30a320a 100644
--- a/spec/javascripts/search-spec.js
+++ b/spec/javascripts/search-spec.js
@@ -1,14 +1,12 @@
 /*   Copyright (c) 2010-2011, Diaspora Inc.  This file is
-*   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
-*   the COPYRIGHT file.
-*/
+ *   licensed under the Affero General Public License version 3 or later.  See
+ *   the COPYRIGHT file.
+ */
 
 describe("List", function() {
-
   describe("runDelayedSearch", function() {
-
     it('gets called on initialize', function(){
-      spyOn( List, 'startSearchDelay');
+      spyOn(List, 'startSearchDelay');
       spec.loadFixture('pending_external_people_search');
       expect(List.startSearchDelay).toHaveBeenCalled();
     });
@@ -22,7 +20,7 @@ describe("List", function() {
 
     it('inserts contact html', function(){
       List.handleSearchRefresh( { count:1, search_html: "<div class='testing_insert_div'>hello</div>" } );
-      expect($(".testing_insert_div").text().toEqual( "hello" ));
+      expect($(".testing_insert_div").text()).toEqual("hello");
     });
   });
 });