diff --git a/admin/themes/default/js/user_list.js b/admin/themes/default/js/user_list.js
index 1f3c12037..5fba10527 100644
--- a/admin/themes/default/js/user_list.js
+++ b/admin/themes/default/js/user_list.js
@@ -1519,7 +1519,9 @@ function update_user_list() {
         per_page: per_page,
         exclude: [guest_id]
     }
-    update_data["filter"] = "%" + $("#user_search").val() + "%";
+    if ($("#user_search").val().length != 0) {
+      update_data["filter"] = $("#user_search").val();
+    }
     if ($("#advanced-filter-container").css("display") !== "none") {
         update_data["status"] = $(".advanced-filter-select[name=filter_status]").val();
         update_data["group_id"] = $(".advanced-filter-select[name=filter_group]").val();
diff --git a/include/ws_functions/pwg.users.php b/include/ws_functions/pwg.users.php
index 62ec8759e..70b6ed4ec 100644
--- a/include/ws_functions/pwg.users.php
+++ b/include/ws_functions/pwg.users.php
@@ -44,16 +44,16 @@ function ws_users_getList($params, &$service)
   $filtered_groups = array();
   if (!empty($params['filter']))
   {
-    $filter_query = 'SELECT id FROM '. GROUPS_TABLE .' WHERE name LIKE \''. $params['filter'] . '\';';
+    $filter_query = 'SELECT id FROM `'. GROUPS_TABLE .'` WHERE name LIKE \'%'. $params['filter'] . '%\';';
     $filtered_groups_res = pwg_query($filter_query);
     while ($row = pwg_db_fetch_assoc($filtered_groups_res))
     {
       $filtered_groups[] = $row['id'];
     }
-    $filter_where_clause = '('.'u.'.$conf['user_fields']['username'].' LIKE \''.
-    pwg_db_real_escape_string($params['filter']).'\' OR '
-    .'u.'.$conf['user_fields']['email'].' LIKE \''.
-    pwg_db_real_escape_string($params['filter']).'\'';
+    $filter_where_clause = '('.'u.'.$conf['user_fields']['username'].' LIKE \'%'.
+    pwg_db_real_escape_string($params['filter']).'%\' OR '
+    .'u.'.$conf['user_fields']['email'].' LIKE \'%'.
+    pwg_db_real_escape_string($params['filter']).'%\'';
 
     if (!empty($filtered_groups)) {
       $filter_where_clause .= 'OR ug.group_id IN ('. implode(',', $filtered_groups).')';