diff --git a/api/src/Contacts/Storage.php b/api/src/Contacts/Storage.php
index fea7d25822..e5243b67e9 100755
--- a/api/src/Contacts/Storage.php
+++ b/api/src/Contacts/Storage.php
@@ -272,10 +272,6 @@ class Storage
 
 			// remove some columns, absolutly not necessary to search in sql
 			$this->columns_to_search = array_diff(array_values($this->somain->db_cols),$this->sql_cols_not_to_search);
-			if ($this->customfields)	// add custom fields, if configured
-			{
-				$this->columns_to_search[] = Sql::EXTRA_TABLE.'.'.Sql::EXTRA_VALUE;
-			}
 		}
 		if ($this->user)
 		{
diff --git a/api/src/Storage.php b/api/src/Storage.php
index 93d5cac8c0..f018bb3983 100644
--- a/api/src/Storage.php
+++ b/api/src/Storage.php
@@ -406,6 +406,34 @@ class Storage extends Storage\Base
 		return $this->total;
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Return criteria array for a given search pattern
+	 *
+	 * Reimplemented to handle search in custom-fields by ORing with a sub-query
+	 * returning all auto-ids of custom-fields matching the search-criteria
+	 *
+	 * @param string $_pattern search pattern incl. * or ? as wildcard, if no wildcards used we append and prepend one!
+	 * @param string &$wildcard ='' on return wildcard char to use, if pattern does not already contain wildcards!
+	 * @param string &$op ='AND' on return boolean operation to use, if pattern does not start with ! we use OR else AND
+	 * @param string $extra_col =null extra column to search
+	 * @param array $search_cols =array() List of columns to search.  If not provided, all columns in $this->db_cols will be considered
+	 * @return array or column => value pairs
+	 */
+	public function search2criteria($_pattern,&$wildcard='',&$op='AND',$extra_col=null, $search_cols = array())
+	{
+		$pattern = $wildcard.$_pattern.$wildcard;
+
+		$criteria = parent::search2criteria($_pattern, $wildcard, $op, $extra_col, $search_cols);
+
+		$criteria[0] = '('.$criteria[0].' OR '.
+			$this->table_name.'.'.$this->autoinc_id.' IN (SELECT '.$this->autoinc_id.
+			' FROM '.$this->extra_table.' WHERE '.$this->extra_value.' '.
+			$this->db->capabilities[Db::CAPABILITY_CASE_INSENSITIV_LIKE].' '.
+			$GLOBALS['egw']->db->quote($pattern).'))';
+
+		return $criteria;
+	}
+
 	/**
 	 * searches db for rows matching searchcriteria
 	 *
@@ -440,10 +468,12 @@ class Storage extends Storage\Base
 		{
 			$only_keys = $this->table_name.'.*';
 		}
-		// if string given as criteria --> search in all (or $this->columns_to_search) columns including custom fields
+		$extra_join_added = $join && strpos($join, $this->extra_join) !== false;
 		if ($criteria && is_string($criteria))
 		{
-			$criteria = $this->search2criteria($criteria,$wildcard,$op);
+			$extra_join_added = true;	// we have NOT added the join, as we use a sub-query and therefore not need it
+
+			$criteria = $this->search2criteria($criteria, $wildcard, $op);
 		}
 		if ($criteria && is_array($criteria))
 		{
@@ -471,7 +501,6 @@ class Storage extends Storage\Base
 				unset($criteria[$this->autoinc_id]);
 			}
 			// replace ambiguous column with (an exact match of) table_name.column
-			$extra_join_added = $join && strpos($join, $this->extra_join) !== false;
 			foreach($criteria as $name => $val)
 			{
 				// only add extra_join, if we really need it
@@ -711,24 +740,6 @@ class Storage extends Storage\Base
 		return parent::search($criteria,$only_keys,$order_by,$extra_cols,$wildcard,$empty,$op,$start,$filter,$join,$need_full_no_count);
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Get a default list of columns to search
-	 *
-	 * Reimplemented to search custom fields by default.
-	 *
-	 * @return array of column names
-	 */
-	protected function get_default_search_columns()
-	{
-		$cols = parent::get_default_search_columns();
-		if ($this->customfields && !isset($this->columns_to_search))
-		{
-			$cols[] = $this->extra_table.'.'.$this->extra_value;
-		}
-		//error_log(__METHOD__."() this->columns_to_search=".array2string($this->columns_to_search).' returning '.array2string($cols));
-		return $cols;
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Function to test if $field is a custom field: check for the prefix
 	 *
diff --git a/calendar/inc/class.calendar_so.inc.php b/calendar/inc/class.calendar_so.inc.php
index 86b1a64d38..8b0a628917 100644
--- a/calendar/inc/class.calendar_so.inc.php
+++ b/calendar/inc/class.calendar_so.inc.php
@@ -761,17 +761,8 @@ class calendar_so
 		{
 			$columns = array('cal_title','cal_description','cal_location');
 
-			$wildcard = $op = null;
-			if(!is_null($params['cfs']))
-			{
-				$custom = Api\Storage\Customfields::get('calendar');
-				if($custom)
-				{
-					$columns[] = 'cal_extra_value';
-					$join .= " LEFT JOIN {$this->extra_table} ON {$this->extra_table}.cal_id = {$this->cal_table}.cal_id ";
-				}
-			}
-			$so_sql = new Api\Storage\Base('calendar', $this->cal_table, $this->db);
+			$wildcard = '%'; $op = null;
+			$so_sql = new Api\Storage('calendar', $this->cal_table, $this->extra_table, '', 'cal_extra_name', 'cal_extra_value', 'cal_id', $this->db);
 			$where = $so_sql->search2criteria($params['query'], $wildcard, $op, null, $columns);
 
 			// Searching - restrict private to own or private grant
diff --git a/infolog/inc/class.infolog_so.inc.php b/infolog/inc/class.infolog_so.inc.php
index d37de7d0f7..b4fd42fa85 100644
--- a/infolog/inc/class.infolog_so.inc.php
+++ b/infolog/inc/class.infolog_so.inc.php
@@ -904,20 +904,16 @@ class infolog_so
 		if ($query['query']) $query['search'] = $query['query'];	// allow both names
 		if ($query['search'])			  // we search in _from, _subject, _des and _extra_value for $query
 		{
-			$columns = array('info_from','info_location','info_subject','info_extra_value');
+			$columns = array('info_from','info_location','info_subject');
 			// at the moment MaxDB 7.5 cant cast nor search text columns, it's suppost to change in 7.6
 			if ($this->db->capabilities['like_on_text']) $columns[] = 'info_des';
 
-			$wildcard = $op = null;
-			$so_sql = new Api\Storage\Base('infolog', $this->info_table, $this->db);
+			$wildcard = '%'; $op = null;
+			$so_sql = new Api\Storage('infolog', $this->info_table, $this->extra_table, '', 'info_extra_name', 'info_extra_value', 'info_id', $this->db);
 			$so_sql->table_name = 'main';
 			$search = $so_sql->search2criteria($query['search'], $wildcard, $op, null, $columns);
 			$sql_query = 'AND ('.(is_numeric($query['search']) ? 'main.info_id='.(int)$query['search'].' OR ' : '').
 				implode($op, $search) .')';
-
-			$join = ($cfcolfilter>0 ? '':'LEFT')." JOIN $this->extra_table ON main.info_id=$this->extra_table.info_id ";
-			// mssql and others cant use DISTICT if text columns (info_des) are involved
-			$distinct = $this->db->capabilities['distinct_on_text'] ? 'DISTINCT' : '';
 		}
 		$join .= " LEFT JOIN $this->users_table ON main.info_id=$this->users_table.info_id";
 		if (strpos($query['filter'], '+deleted') === false)