diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/search.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/search.js.es6
index 24c327a01..4efcd31dc 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/search.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/controllers/search.js.es6
@@ -4,13 +4,23 @@ var _dontSearch = false;
 
 export default Em.Controller.extend(Discourse.Presence, {
 
+  contextType: function(key, value){
+    if(arguments.length > 1) {
+      // a bit hacky, consider cleaning this up, need to work through all observers though
+      var context = $.extend({}, this.get('searchContext'));
+      context.type = value;
+      this.set('searchContext', context);
+    }
+    return this.get('searchContext.type');
+  }.property('searchContext'),
+
   contextChanged: function(){
     if (this.get('searchContextEnabled')) {
       _dontSearch = true;
       this.set('searchContextEnabled', false);
       _dontSearch = false;
     }
-  }.observes("searchContext"),
+  }.observes('searchContext'),
 
   searchContextDescription: function(){
     var ctx = this.get('searchContext');
@@ -22,6 +32,8 @@ export default Em.Controller.extend(Discourse.Presence, {
           return I18n.t('search.context.user', {username: Em.get(ctx, 'user.username')});
         case 'category':
           return I18n.t('search.context.category', {category: Em.get(ctx, 'category.name')});
+        case 'private_messages':
+          return I18n.t('search.context.private_messages');
       }
     }
   }.property('searchContext'),
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/build-user-topic-list-route.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/build-user-topic-list-route.js.es6
index a65533f9e..ae1ff7ba3 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/build-user-topic-list-route.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/discourse/routes/build-user-topic-list-route.js.es6
@@ -25,7 +25,12 @@ export default function (viewName, path) {
         showParticipants: true
       });
 
-      this.controllerFor('user').set("pmView", viewName);
+      this.controllerFor('user').set('pmView', viewName);
+      this.controllerFor('search').set('contextType', 'private_messages');
+    },
+
+    deactivate: function(){
+      this.controllerFor('search').set('contextType', 'user');
     }
   });
 }
diff --git a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
index 9103e4ebf..f78087a4f 100644
--- a/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/search_controller.rb
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ require_dependency 'search'
 class SearchController < ApplicationController
 
   def self.valid_context_types
-    %w{user topic category}
+    %w{user topic category private_messages}
   end
 
   def query
@@ -21,16 +21,19 @@ class SearchController < ApplicationController
       raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:search_context) unless SearchController.valid_context_types.include?(search_context[:type])
       raise Discourse::InvalidParameters.new(:search_context) if search_context[:id].blank?
 
-      klass = search_context[:type].classify.constantize
-
       # A user is found by username
       context_obj = nil
-      if search_context[:type] == 'user'
-        context_obj = klass.find_by(username_lower: params[:search_context][:id].downcase)
+      if ['user','private_messages'].include? search_context[:type]
+        context_obj = User.find_by(username_lower: params[:search_context][:id].downcase)
       else
+        klass = search_context[:type].classify.constantize
         context_obj = klass.find_by(id: params[:search_context][:id])
       end
 
+      if search_context[:type] == 'private_messages'
+        search_args[:type_filter] = 'private_messages'
+      end
+
       guardian.ensure_can_see!(context_obj)
       search_args[:search_context] = context_obj
     end
diff --git a/config/locales/client.en.yml b/config/locales/client.en.yml
index 450b54858..069dbee3a 100644
--- a/config/locales/client.en.yml
+++ b/config/locales/client.en.yml
@@ -769,6 +769,7 @@ en:
         user: "Search posts by @{{username}}"
         category: "Search the \"{{category}}\" category"
         topic: "Search this topic"
+        private_messages: "Search private messages"
 
     site_map: "go to another topic list or category"
     go_back: 'go back'
diff --git a/lib/search.rb b/lib/search.rb
index 2330ddc69..6bb407812 100644
--- a/lib/search.rb
+++ b/lib/search.rb
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class Search
   end
 
   def self.facets
-    %w(topic category user)
+    %w(topic category user private_messages)
   end
 
   def self.long_locale
@@ -277,10 +277,20 @@ class Search
     def posts_query(limit, opts=nil)
       opts ||= {}
       posts = Post
-                  .joins(:post_search_data, {:topic => :category})
+                  .joins(:post_search_data, :topic)
+                  .joins("LEFT JOIN categories ON categories.id = topics.category_id")
                   .where("topics.deleted_at" => nil)
                   .where("topics.visible")
-                  .where("topics.archetype <> ?", Archetype.private_message)
+
+      if opts[:private_messages]
+         posts = posts.where("topics.archetype =  ?", Archetype.private_message)
+
+         unless @guardian.is_admin?
+            posts = posts.where("topics.id IN (SELECT topic_id FROM topic_allowed_users WHERE user_id = ?)", @guardian.user.id)
+         end
+      else
+         posts = posts.where("topics.archetype <> ?", Archetype.private_message)
+      end
 
       if @search_context.present? && @search_context.is_a?(Topic)
         posts = posts.joins('JOIN users u ON u.id = posts.user_id')
@@ -336,7 +346,13 @@ class Search
       if @search_context.present?
 
         if @search_context.is_a?(User)
-          posts = posts.where("posts.user_id = #{@search_context.id}")
+
+          if opts[:private_messages]
+            posts = posts.where("topics.id IN (SELECT topic_id FROM topic_allowed_users WHERE user_id = ?)", @search_context.id)
+          else
+            posts = posts.where("posts.user_id = #{@search_context.id}")
+          end
+
         elsif @search_context.is_a?(Category)
           posts = posts.where("topics.category_id = #{@search_context.id}")
         elsif @search_context.is_a?(Topic)
@@ -407,9 +423,10 @@ class Search
       end
     end
 
-    def aggregate_search
+    def aggregate_search(opts = {})
 
-      post_sql = posts_query(@limit, aggregate_search: true)
+      post_sql = posts_query(@limit, aggregate_search: true,
+                                     private_messages: opts[:private_messages])
         .select('topics.id', 'min(post_number) post_number')
         .group('topics.id')
         .to_sql
@@ -417,6 +434,10 @@ class Search
       # double wrapping so we get correct row numbers
       post_sql = "SELECT *, row_number() over() row_number FROM (#{post_sql}) xxx"
 
+      # p Topic.exec_sql(post_sql).to_a
+      # puts post_sql
+      # p Topic.exec_sql("SELECT topic_id FROM topic_allowed_users WHERE user_id = 2").to_a
+
       posts = Post.includes(:topic => :category)
                   .joins("JOIN (#{post_sql}) x ON x.id = posts.topic_id AND x.post_number = posts.post_number")
                   .order('row_number')
@@ -426,6 +447,12 @@ class Search
       end
     end
 
+    def private_messages_search
+      raise Discourse::InvalidAccess.new("anonymous can not search PMs") unless @guardian.user
+
+      aggregate_search(private_messages: true)
+    end
+
     def topic_search
       if @search_context.is_a?(Topic)
         posts = posts_query(@limit).where('posts.topic_id = ?', @search_context.id).includes(:topic => :category)
diff --git a/spec/components/search_spec.rb b/spec/components/search_spec.rb
index a80d64831..1c62078d5 100644
--- a/spec/components/search_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/components/search_spec.rb
@@ -96,6 +96,59 @@ describe Search do
     end
   end
 
+  context 'private messages' do
+
+    let(:topic) {
+      Fabricate(:topic,
+                  category_id: nil,
+                  archetype: 'private_message')
+    }
+
+    let(:post) { Fabricate(:post, topic: topic) }
+    let(:reply) { Fabricate(:post, topic: topic,
+                                   raw: 'hello from mars, we just landed') }
+
+
+
+    it 'searches correctly' do
+
+       expect do
+         Search.execute('mars', type_filter: 'private_messages')
+       end.to raise_error(Discourse::InvalidAccess)
+
+       TopicAllowedUser.create!(user_id: reply.user_id, topic_id: topic.id)
+       TopicAllowedUser.create!(user_id: post.user_id, topic_id: topic.id)
+
+
+       results = Search.execute('mars',
+                                type_filter: 'private_messages',
+                                guardian: Guardian.new(reply.user))
+
+       results.posts.length.should == 1
+
+       # does not leak out
+       results = Search.execute('mars',
+                                type_filter: 'private_messages',
+                                guardian: Guardian.new(Fabricate(:user)))
+
+       results.posts.length.should == 0
+
+       Fabricate(:topic, category_id: nil, archetype: 'private_message')
+       Fabricate(:post, topic: topic, raw: 'another secret pm from mars, testing')
+
+
+       # admin can search everything with correct context
+       results = Search.execute('mars',
+                                type_filter: 'private_messages',
+                                search_context: post.user,
+                                guardian: Guardian.new(Fabricate(:admin)))
+
+       results.posts.length.should == 1
+
+    end
+
+  end
+
   context 'topics' do
     let(:post) { Fabricate(:post) }
     let(:topic) { post.topic}