diff --git a/app/controllers/apis_controller.rb b/app/controllers/apis_controller.rb
index 803c3eb6d..0f242e725 100644
--- a/app/controllers/apis_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/apis_controller.rb
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ class ApisController < ActionController::Metal
   ##people
   def people_index
     set_defaults
-    people = Person.search(params[:q], nil).paginate(:page => params[:page], :per_page => params[:per_page], :order => "#{params[:order]} DESC")
+    people = Person.public_search(params[:q]).paginate(:page => params[:page], :per_page => params[:per_page], :order => "profiles.last_name ASC, profiles.first_name ASC")
     render :json => people.as_json
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/person.rb b/app/models/person.rb
index 94074ee50..182010b5c 100644
--- a/app/models/person.rb
+++ b/app/models/person.rb
@@ -43,9 +43,7 @@ class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
 
   scope :searchable, joins(:profile).where(:profiles => {:searchable => true})
 
-  def self.search(query, user)
-    return [] if query.to_s.blank? || query.to_s.length < 3
-
+  def self.search_query_string(query)
     where_clause = <<-SQL
       profiles.first_name LIKE ? OR
       profiles.last_name LIKE ? OR
@@ -65,18 +63,26 @@ class Person < ActiveRecord::Base
       tokens.concat([token, token, token])
       tokens.concat([up_token, up_token])
     end
-#SELECT `people`.* FROM people
-#  INNER JOIN `profiles` ON `profiles`.person_id = `people`.id
-#  LEFT OUTER JOIN `contacts` ON (`contacts`.user_id = #{user.id} AND `contacts`.person_id = `people`.id)
-#  WHERE `profiles`.searchable = true AND
-#  `profiles`.first_name LIKE '%Max%'
-#  ORDER BY `contacts`.user_id DESC
+    [sql, tokens] 
+  end
+  
+  def self.search(query, user)
+    return [] if query.to_s.blank? || query.to_s.length < 3
+
+    sql, tokens = self.search_query_string(query)
     Person.searchable.where(sql, *tokens).joins(
       "LEFT OUTER JOIN `contacts` ON `contacts`.user_id = #{user.id} AND `contacts`.person_id = `people`.id"
     ).joins("LEFT OUTER JOIN `requests` ON `requests`.recipient_id = #{user.person.id} AND `requests`.sender_id = `people`.id"
     ).order("contacts.user_id DESC", "requests.recipient_id DESC", "profiles.last_name ASC", "profiles.first_name ASC")
   end
 
+
+  def self.public_search(query, opts={})
+    return [] if query.to_s.blank? || query.to_s.length < 3
+    sql, tokens = self.search_query_string(query)
+    Person.searchable.where(sql, *tokens)
+  end
+
   def name(opts = {})
     @name ||= if profile.nil? || profile.first_name.nil? || profile.first_name.blank?
                 self.diaspora_handle