diff --git a/api/js/etemplate/Et2Select/Et2SelectAccount.ts b/api/js/etemplate/Et2Select/Et2SelectAccount.ts
index f9ec6ec657..e12714ac1d 100644
--- a/api/js/etemplate/Et2Select/Et2SelectAccount.ts
+++ b/api/js/etemplate/Et2Select/Et2SelectAccount.ts
@@ -32,15 +32,25 @@ export class Et2SelectAccount extends Et2Select
 	constructor()
 	{
 		super();
-		
-		this.searchUrl = "EGroupware\\Api\\Etemplate\\Widget\\Taglist::ajax_search";
 
+		// currently only account_selection "Primary group and search" needs the search,
+		// all other types have the accounts fully local
+		if (this.egw().preference('account_selection', 'common') === 'primary_group')
+		{
+			this.searchUrl = "EGroupware\\Api\\Etemplate\\Widget\\Taglist::ajax_search";
+		}
+		else	// always allow local search
+		{
+			this.search = true;
+		}
+		this.searchOptions = { type: 'account', account_type: 'accounts' };
 		this.__accountType = 'accounts';
 	}
 
 	set accountType(type : AccountType)
 	{
 		this.__accountType = type;
+		this.searchOptions.account_type = type;
 
 		super.select_options = this.select_options;
 	}
diff --git a/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Taglist.php b/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Taglist.php
index 57426a7ac5..93c3f2f643 100644
--- a/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Taglist.php
+++ b/api/src/Etemplate/Widget/Taglist.php
@@ -63,38 +63,33 @@ class Taglist extends Etemplate\Widget
 	 * Find entries that match query parameter (from link system) and format them
 	 * as the widget expects, a list of {id: ..., label: ...} objects
 	 */
-	public static function ajax_search($search_text, $search_options = [])
+	public static function ajax_search($search_text=null, array $search_options = [])
 	{
 		$app = $_REQUEST['app'];
 		$type = $_REQUEST['type'];
-		$query = $_REQUEST['query'];
-		$options = array();
-		$links = array();
-		if($type == "account")
+		$query = $search_text ?? $_REQUEST['query'];
+		$options = $search_options;
+		$results = [];
+		if (empty($query))
 		{
-			// Only search if a query was provided - don't search for all accounts
-			if($query)
+			// do NOT search without a query
+		}
+		elseif($type === "account")
+		{
+			$options['account_type'] = $_REQUEST['account_type'];
+			$options['tag_list'] = true;
+			$results = Api\Accounts::link_query($query, $options);
+		}
+		else
+		{
+			foreach(Api\Link::query($app, $query, $options) as $id => $name)
 			{
-				$options['account_type'] = $_REQUEST['account_type'];
-				$links = Api\Accounts::link_query($query, $options);
+				$results[] = ['value' => $id, 'label' => $name];
 			}
 		}
-		elseif($query) // Only search if there's a query, avoid searching for all
-		{
-			$links = Api\Link::query($app, $query, $options);
-		}
-		$results = array();
-		foreach($links as $id => $name)
-		{
-			$results[] = array('id' => $id, 'label' => $name);
-		}
-
-		usort($results, function ($a, $b) use ($query) {
-			$a_label = is_array($a["label"]) ? $a["label"]["label"] : $a["label"];
-			$b_label = is_array($b["label"]) ? $b["label"]["label"] : $b["label"];
-
-		    similar_text($query, $a_label, $percent_a);
-		    similar_text($query, $b_label, $percent_b);
+		usort($results, static function ($a, $b) use ($query) {
+		    similar_text($query, $a["label"], $percent_a);
+		    similar_text($query, $b["label"], $percent_b);
 		    return $percent_a === $percent_b ? 0 : ($percent_a > $percent_b ? -1 : 1);
 		});
 
diff --git a/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php b/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php
index 5eccbc6702..c074417d61 100644
--- a/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php
+++ b/mail/inc/class.mail_compose.inc.php
@@ -3689,7 +3689,7 @@ class mail_compose
 					$completeMailString = call_user_func_array('imap_rfc822_write_address', $args);
 					if(!empty($email) && in_array($completeMailString ,$results) === false) {
 						$results[] = array(
-							'id'=>$completeMailString,
+							'value' => $completeMailString,
 							'label' => $completeMailString,
 							// Add just name for nice display, with title for hover
 							'name' => $contact['n_fn'],