diff --git a/src/app/qml/ManualUserDialog.qml b/src/app/qml/ManualUserDialog.qml
index 54a4f2e3f..54410a740 100644
--- a/src/app/qml/ManualUserDialog.qml
+++ b/src/app/qml/ManualUserDialog.qml
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ Kirigami.Dialog {
     /**
      * @brief Thrown when a user is selected.
      */
-    signal userSelected
+    signal userSelected(string userId)
 
     title: i18nc("@title", "User ID")
 
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ Kirigami.Dialog {
             text: i18n("OK")
             icon.name: "dialog-ok"
             onTriggered: {
-                root.connection.requestDirectChat(userIdText.text);
+                root.userSelected(userIdText.text)
                 root.accept();
             }
         }
diff --git a/src/app/qml/UserSearchPage.qml b/src/app/qml/UserSearchPage.qml
index 155ae1bd3..bea027af4 100644
--- a/src/app/qml/UserSearchPage.qml
+++ b/src/app/qml/UserSearchPage.qml
@@ -106,6 +106,9 @@ SearchPage {
             dialog.accepted.connect(() => {
                 root.closeDialog();
             });
+            dialog.userSelected.connect(userId => {
+                root.connection.requestDirectChat(userId);
+            });
             dialog.open();
         }
     }
diff --git a/src/libneochat/qml/InviteUserPage.qml b/src/libneochat/qml/InviteUserPage.qml
index adbaecdf7..35f3c4fe3 100644
--- a/src/libneochat/qml/InviteUserPage.qml
+++ b/src/libneochat/qml/InviteUserPage.qml
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ SearchPage {
     searchFieldPlaceholder: i18nc("@info:placeholder", "Find a user…")
     noResultPlaceholderMessage: i18nc("@info:placeholder", "No users found")
 
+    noSearchPlaceholderMessage: i18nc("@placeholder", "Enter text to start searching for users")
+
     headerTrailing: QQC2.Button {
         icon.name: "list-add"
         display: QQC2.Button.IconOnly
@@ -37,6 +39,15 @@ SearchPage {
         onClicked: root.room.inviteToRoom(root.model.searchText);
     }
 
+    noSearchHelpfulAction: noResultHelpfulAction
+
+    noResultHelpfulAction: Kirigami.Action {
+        icon.name: "list-add-user"
+        text: i18nc("@action:button", "Enter a User ID")
+        onTriggered: _private.openManualUserDialog()
+        tooltip: text
+    }
+
     model: UserDirectoryListModel {
         id: userDictListModel
 
@@ -87,4 +98,26 @@ SearchPage {
             }
         }
     }
+
+    Component {
+        id: manualUserDialog
+        ManualUserDialog {}
+    }
+
+    QtObject {
+        id: _private
+        function openManualUserDialog(): void {
+            let dialog = manualUserDialog.createObject(this, {
+                connection: root.connection
+            });
+            dialog.parent = root.Window.window.overlay;
+            dialog.accepted.connect(() => {
+                root.closeDialog();
+            });
+            dialog.userSelected.connect(userId => {
+                root.room.inviteToRoom(userId)
+            });
+            dialog.open();
+        }
+    }
 }