diff --git a/include/ajax.orgs.php b/include/ajax.orgs.php
index ccdd3597cd1ce52a0a84c1cef46471b23318077c..9c2a2b207c11ba72e8b6c7fa259670d0b4b6a0d7 100644
--- a/include/ajax.orgs.php
+++ b/include/ajax.orgs.php
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ class OrgsAjaxAPI extends AjaxController {
         $q = $_REQUEST['q'];
         $limit = isset($_REQUEST['limit']) ? (int) $_REQUEST['limit']:25;
 
-        if (strlen($q) < 3)
+        if (strlen(Format::searchable($q)) < 3)
             return $this->encode(array());
 
         $orgs = Organization::objects()
diff --git a/include/ajax.tickets.php b/include/ajax.tickets.php
index 9e8bce892bc6230dff7c9cfb920f2d26198e3ca4..ec2886613d8eca88e1e40748360074484a6ce715 100644
--- a/include/ajax.tickets.php
+++ b/include/ajax.tickets.php
@@ -53,7 +53,7 @@ class TicketsAjaxAPI extends AjaxController {
 
         $q = $_REQUEST['q'];
 
-        if (strlen($q) < 3)
+        if (strlen(Format::searchable($q)) < 3)
             return $this->encode(array());
 
         global $ost;
diff --git a/include/ajax.users.php b/include/ajax.users.php
index 07fc02f7917db0501cd0b949face1bd3042ddfc2..c4e32cc9155e963911511ee081f9d3bd39712fcf 100644
--- a/include/ajax.users.php
+++ b/include/ajax.users.php
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ class UsersAjaxAPI extends AjaxController {
         $emails=array();
         $matches = array();
 
-        if (strlen($q) < 3)
+        if (strlen(Format::searchable($q)) < 3)
             return $this->encode(array());
 
         if (!$type || !strcasecmp($type, 'remote')) {