diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/providers/SearchProvider.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/providers/SearchProvider.tsx
index f639036..02244b0 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/providers/SearchProvider.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/providers/SearchProvider.tsx
@@ -5,6 +5,7 @@ import { ConversationMap } from '../util/types';
 import User from '@nirvana/core/models/user.model';
 import useAuth from './AuthProvider';
 import { useDebounce } from 'react-use';
+import { userSearch } from '../api/NirvanaApi';
 
 interface ISearchContext {
   searchUsers?: (searchQuery: string) => void;
@@ -42,11 +43,8 @@ export function SearchProvider({ children }: { children: React.ReactNode }) {
   const [, cancel] = useDebounce(
     async () => {
       if (searchQuery) {
-        // let results = await firestoreSearchUsers(searchQuery);
-        // results = results.filter((userResult) => userResult. user._id);
-
-        const results = [];
-        setUserResultsResults(results);
+        const results = await userSearch(searchQuery);
+        setUserResultsResults(results.users ?? []);
 
         console.warn('searched users', results);
       }
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/subcomponents/UserDetailRow.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/subcomponents/UserDetailRow.tsx
index 21d86c0..d08b1bc 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/subcomponents/UserDetailRow.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/subcomponents/UserDetailRow.tsx
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ export default function UserDetailRow({
 
       <Stack>
         <Typography variant="subtitle2" color="info" gutterBottom={false}>
-          {user.givenName}
+          {user.name}
         </Typography>
         <Typography variant={'overline'}>{user.email}</Typography>
       </Stack>
diff --git a/packages/desktop/src/tree/NewConversationDialog.tsx b/packages/desktop/src/tree/NewConversationDialog.tsx
index 1a63eeb..adc14f0 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/src/tree/NewConversationDialog.tsx
+++ b/packages/desktop/src/tree/NewConversationDialog.tsx
@@ -79,7 +79,7 @@ export default function NewConversationDialog() {
 
   const [isSubmitting, setIsSubmitting] = useState<boolean>(false);
 
-  const handleSubmitLocal = useCallback(async () => {
+  const handleSubmit = useCallback(async () => {
     if (selectedUsers.length === 0) {
       toast.error('Must select a person!');
       return;
@@ -147,7 +147,9 @@ export default function NewConversationDialog() {
             value={selectedUsers}
             onChange={handleChangeSelections}
             filterSelectedOptions
-            isOptionEqualToValue={(optionUser, valueUser) => optionUser._id.equals(valueUser._id)}
+            isOptionEqualToValue={(optionUser, valueUser) =>
+              optionUser._id.toString() === valueUser._id.toString()
+            }
             filterOptions={(options) => options}
             inputValue={searchQuery}
             renderInput={(params) => (
@@ -177,7 +179,7 @@ export default function NewConversationDialog() {
               Cancel
             </Button>
             <Button
-              onClick={handleSubmitLocal}
+              onClick={handleSubmit}
               disabled={selectedUsers.length === 0 || isSubmitting}
               variant={'contained'}
               color="primary"
diff --git a/packages/desktop/tsconfig.json b/packages/desktop/tsconfig.json
index e422748..ea5cde8 100644
--- a/packages/desktop/tsconfig.json
+++ b/packages/desktop/tsconfig.json
@@ -15,5 +15,7 @@
     },
     "jsx": "react-jsx"
   },
-  "include": ["src/**/*"]
+  "include": ["src/**/*"],
+
+  "exclude": ["**.js"]
 }