diff --git a/lib/handlers/on-search.js b/lib/handlers/on-search.js
index 0fa25e8d..7ac1a76a 100644
--- a/lib/handlers/on-search.js
+++ b/lib/handlers/on-search.js
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 const db = require('../db');
+const tools = require('../tools');
 
 /**
  * Returns an array of matching UID values
@@ -93,9 +94,7 @@ module.exports = server => (path, options, session, callback) => {
                             if (term.value.length !== session.selected.uidList.length) {
                                 // not 1:*
                                 parent.push({
-                                    uid: {
-                                        [!ne ? '$in' : '$nin']: term.value
-                                    }
+                                    uid: tools.checkRangeQuery(term.value, ne)
                                 });
                             } else if (ne) {
                                 parent.push({
diff --git a/lib/tools.js b/lib/tools.js
index 650dad7d..a8884d4b 100644
--- a/lib/tools.js
+++ b/lib/tools.js
@@ -2,28 +2,37 @@
 
 const punycode = require('punycode');
 
-function checkRangeQuery(uids) {
+function checkRangeQuery(uids, ne) {
     // check if uids is a straight continous array and if such then return a range query,
     // otherwise retrun a $in query
 
     if (uids.length === 1) {
         return {
-            $eq: uids[0]
+            [!ne ? '$eq' : '$ne']: uids[0]
         };
     }
 
     for (let i = 1, len = uids.length; i < len; i++) {
         if (uids[i] !== uids[i - 1] + 1) {
             return {
-                $in: uids
+                [!ne ? '$in' : '$nin']: uids
             };
         }
     }
 
-    return {
-        $gte: uids[0],
-        $lte: uids[uids.length - 1]
-    };
+    if (!ne) {
+        return {
+            $gte: uids[0],
+            $lte: uids[uids.length - 1]
+        };
+    } else {
+        return {
+            $not: {
+                $gte: uids[0],
+                $lte: uids[uids.length - 1]
+            }
+        };
+    }
 }
 
 function normalizeAddress(address, withNames) {