diff --git a/cypress/e2e/spotlight/spotlight.spec.ts b/cypress/e2e/spotlight/spotlight.spec.ts
index 507fc2d75fb..2274fe75dd0 100644
--- a/cypress/e2e/spotlight/spotlight.spec.ts
+++ b/cypress/e2e/spotlight/spotlight.spec.ts
@@ -345,8 +345,7 @@ describe("Spotlight", () => {
                 cy.spotlightFilter(Filter.People);
                 cy.spotlightSearch().clear().type(bot2Name);
                 cy.spotlightResults().should("have.length", 1);
-                cy.spotlightResults().eq(0).should("contain", bot2Name);
-                cy.spotlightResults().eq(0).click();
+                cy.spotlightResults().contains(bot2Name).click();
             })
             .then(() => {
                 cy.roomHeaderName().should("contain", bot2Name);
@@ -361,9 +360,7 @@ describe("Spotlight", () => {
         cy.openSpotlightDialog().within(() => {
             cy.spotlightFilter(Filter.People);
             cy.spotlightSearch().clear().type(bot2Name);
-            cy.spotlightResults().should("have.length", 1);
-            cy.spotlightResults().eq(0).should("contain", bot2Name);
-            cy.spotlightResults().eq(0).click();
+            cy.spotlightResults().contains(bot2Name).click();
         });
 
         // Send first message to actually start DM
@@ -390,11 +387,10 @@ describe("Spotlight", () => {
                     cy.spotlightFilter(Filter.People);
                     cy.spotlightSearch().clear().type(bot1.getUserId());
                     cy.wait(1000); // wait for the dialog code to settle
-                    cy.spotlightResults().should("have.length", 2);
                     cy.contains(
                         ".mx_SpotlightDialog_section.mx_SpotlightDialog_results .mx_SpotlightDialog_option",
                         groupDm.name,
-                    );
+                    ).should("exist");
                 });
 
                 // Search for ByteBot by id, should return group DM and user
@@ -402,11 +398,10 @@ describe("Spotlight", () => {
                     cy.spotlightFilter(Filter.People);
                     cy.spotlightSearch().clear().type(bot2.getUserId());
                     cy.wait(1000); // wait for the dialog code to settle
-                    cy.spotlightResults().should("have.length", 2);
                     cy.contains(
                         ".mx_SpotlightDialog_section.mx_SpotlightDialog_results .mx_SpotlightDialog_option",
                         groupDm.name,
-                    );
+                    ).should("exist");
                 });
             });
     });
@@ -436,9 +431,7 @@ describe("Spotlight", () => {
             .within(() => {
                 cy.spotlightFilter(Filter.People);
                 cy.spotlightSearch().clear().type(bot2Name);
-                cy.wait(3000); // wait for the dialog code to settle
-                cy.spotlightResults().should("have.length", 1);
-                cy.spotlightResults().eq(0).should("contain", bot2Name);
+                cy.spotlightResults().should("contain", bot2Name);
                 cy.get(".mx_SpotlightDialog_startGroupChat").should("contain", "Start a group chat");
                 cy.get(".mx_SpotlightDialog_startGroupChat").click();
             })
diff --git a/src/components/views/dialogs/spotlight/SpotlightDialog.tsx b/src/components/views/dialogs/spotlight/SpotlightDialog.tsx
index b5baa4e2534..6d3cc56f333 100644
--- a/src/components/views/dialogs/spotlight/SpotlightDialog.tsx
+++ b/src/components/views/dialogs/spotlight/SpotlightDialog.tsx
@@ -399,7 +399,8 @@ const SpotlightDialog: React.FC<IProps> = ({ initialText = "", initialFilter = n
                     )
                         return; // bail, does not match query
                 } else if (isMemberResult(entry)) {
-                    if (!entry.query?.some((q) => q.includes(lcQuery))) return; // bail, does not match query
+                    // Do not filter users as we rely on the server to filter them for us.
+                    // The server may filter based on fields we do not have access to, e.g. e-mail addresses.
                 } else if (isPublicRoomResult(entry)) {
                     if (!entry.query?.some((q) => q.includes(lcQuery))) return; // bail, does not match query
                 } else {
diff --git a/test/components/views/dialogs/SpotlightDialog-test.tsx b/test/components/views/dialogs/SpotlightDialog-test.tsx
index 28572253092..d842ecb727a 100644
--- a/test/components/views/dialogs/SpotlightDialog-test.tsx
+++ b/test/components/views/dialogs/SpotlightDialog-test.tsx
@@ -338,6 +338,27 @@ describe("Spotlight Dialog", () => {
         });
     });
 
+    it("should not filter out users sent by the server", async () => {
+        mocked(mockedClient.searchUserDirectory).mockResolvedValue({
+            results: [
+                { user_id: "@user1:server", display_name: "User Alpha", avatar_url: "mxc://1/avatar" },
+                { user_id: "@user2:server", display_name: "User Beta", avatar_url: "mxc://2/avatar" },
+            ],
+            limited: false,
+        });
+
+        render(<SpotlightDialog initialFilter={Filter.People} initialText="Alpha" onFinished={() => null} />);
+        // search is debounced
+        jest.advanceTimersByTime(200);
+        await flushPromisesWithFakeTimers();
+
+        const content = document.querySelector("#mx_SpotlightDialog_content")!;
+        const options = content.querySelectorAll("li.mx_SpotlightDialog_option");
+        expect(options.length).toBeGreaterThanOrEqual(2);
+        expect(options[0]).toHaveTextContent("User Alpha");
+        expect(options[1]).toHaveTextContent("User Beta");
+    });
+
     it("should start a DM when clicking a person", async () => {
         render(
             <SpotlightDialog