diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/controllers/projects.coffee.erb b/app/assets/javascripts/controllers/projects.coffee.erb
index b9a2f2131..37ccea804 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/controllers/projects.coffee.erb
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/controllers/projects.coffee.erb
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 #  - $state (Ui-Router) [ 'app.public.projects_show', 'app.public.projects_list' ]
 ##
 class ProjectsController
-  constructor: ($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document)->
+  constructor: ($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, Diacritics)->
 
     ## Retrieve the list of machines from the server
     Machine.query().$promise.then (data)->
@@ -140,6 +140,17 @@ class ProjectsController
         $scope.project.project_steps_attributes.splice(index, 1)
 
 
+    $scope.autoCompleteName = (nameLookup) ->
+      unless nameLookup
+        return
+      asciiName = Diacritics.remove(nameLookup)
+
+      Member.search { query: asciiName }, (users) ->
+        $scope.matchingMembers = users
+      , (error)->
+        console.error(error)
+
+
 
 ##
 #  Controller used on projects listing page
@@ -275,8 +286,8 @@ Application.Controllers.controller "ProjectsController", ["$scope", "$state", 'P
 ##
 # Controller used in the project creation page
 ##
-Application.Controllers.controller "NewProjectController", ["$scope", "$state", 'Project', 'Machine', 'Member', 'Component', 'Theme', 'Licence', '$document', 'CSRF'
-, ($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, CSRF) ->
+Application.Controllers.controller "NewProjectController", ["$scope", "$state", 'Project', 'Machine', 'Member', 'Component', 'Theme', 'Licence', '$document', 'CSRF', 'Diacritics'
+, ($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, CSRF, Diacritics) ->
   CSRF.setMetaTags()
 
   ## API URL where the form will be posted
@@ -290,16 +301,10 @@ Application.Controllers.controller "NewProjectController", ["$scope", "$state",
     project_steps_attributes: []
     project_caos_attributes: []
 
-  ## Other members list (project collaborators)
-  Member.query().$promise.then (data)->
-    $scope.members = data.filter (m) ->
-      m.id != $scope.currentUser.id
-    .map (d) ->
-      id: d.id
-      name: d.name
+  $scope.matchingMembers = []
 
   ## Using the ProjectsController
-  new ProjectsController($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document)
+  new ProjectsController($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, Diacritics)
 ]
 
 
@@ -307,8 +312,8 @@ Application.Controllers.controller "NewProjectController", ["$scope", "$state",
 ##
 # Controller used in the project edition page
 ##
-Application.Controllers.controller "EditProjectController", ["$scope", "$state", '$stateParams', 'Project', 'Machine', 'Member', 'Component', 'Theme', 'Licence', '$document', 'CSRF', 'projectPromise'
-, ($scope, $state, $stateParams, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, CSRF, projectPromise) ->
+Application.Controllers.controller "EditProjectController", ["$scope", "$state", '$stateParams', 'Project', 'Machine', 'Member', 'Component', 'Theme', 'Licence', '$document', 'CSRF', 'projectPromise', 'Diacritics'
+, ($scope, $state, $stateParams, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, CSRF, projectPromise, Diacritics) ->
   CSRF.setMetaTags()
 
   ## API URL where the form will be posted
@@ -320,16 +325,10 @@ Application.Controllers.controller "EditProjectController", ["$scope", "$state",
   ## Retrieve the project's details, if an error occured, redirect the user to the projects list page
   $scope.project = projectPromise
 
-  ## Other members list (project collaborators)
-  Member.query().$promise.then (data)->
-    $scope.members = data.filter (m) ->
-      m.id != $scope.project.author_id
-    .map (d) ->
-      id: d.id
-      name: d.name
+  $scope.matchingMembers = []
 
-  ## Using the ProjectsController
-  new ProjectsController($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document)
+    ## Using the ProjectsController
+  new ProjectsController($scope, $state, Project, Machine, Member, Component, Theme, Licence, $document, Diacritics)
 ]
 
 
diff --git a/app/assets/templates/projects/_form.html.erb b/app/assets/templates/projects/_form.html.erb
index 4dbecba73..4279ca290 100644
--- a/app/assets/templates/projects/_form.html.erb
+++ b/app/assets/templates/projects/_form.html.erb
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@
                 <span ng-bind="$item.name"></span>
                 <input type="hidden" name="project[user_ids][]" value="{{$item.id}}" />
             </ui-select-match>
-            <ui-select-choices repeat="m.id as m in (members | filter: $select.search)">
+            <ui-select-choices repeat="m in matchingMembers" refresh="autoCompleteName($select.search)" refresh-delay="300">
                 <span ng-bind-html="m.name | highlight: $select.search"></span>
             </ui-select-choices>
         </ui-select>
diff --git a/app/controllers/api/members_controller.rb b/app/controllers/api/members_controller.rb
index 3a31cbcb7..048b37815 100644
--- a/app/controllers/api/members_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/api/members_controller.rb
@@ -180,7 +180,6 @@ class API::MembersController < API::ApiController
   end
 
   def search
-    authorize User
 
     if params[:subscription]
       subscription = (params[:subscription] === 'true')
@@ -191,10 +190,16 @@ class API::MembersController < API::ApiController
                .where("users.is_active = 'true' AND roles.name = 'member'")
                .where("lower(f_unaccent(profiles.first_name)) LIKE ('%' || lower(f_unaccent(:search)) || '%') OR lower(f_unaccent(profiles.last_name)) LIKE ('%' || lower(f_unaccent(:search)) || '%')", search: params[:query])
 
-    if params[:subscription] === 'true'
-      @members = @members.where('subscriptions.id IS NOT NULL AND subscriptions.expired_at >= :now', now: Date.today.to_s)
-    elsif params[:subscription] === 'false'
-      @members = @members.where('subscriptions.id IS NULL OR subscriptions.expired_at < :now',  now: Date.today.to_s)
+    if current_user.is_member?
+      # non-admin can only retrieve users with "public profiles"
+      @members = @members.where("users.is_allow_contact = 'true'")
+    else
+      # only admins have the ability to filter by subscription
+      if params[:subscription] === 'true'
+        @members = @members.where('subscriptions.id IS NOT NULL AND subscriptions.expired_at >= :now', now: Date.today.to_s)
+      elsif params[:subscription] === 'false'
+        @members = @members.where('subscriptions.id IS NULL OR subscriptions.expired_at < :now',  now: Date.today.to_s)
+      end
     end
 
     @members
diff --git a/app/policies/user_policy.rb b/app/policies/user_policy.rb
index ec73201f9..f56c3de95 100644
--- a/app/policies/user_policy.rb
+++ b/app/policies/user_policy.rb
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ class UserPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
       if user.is_admin?
         scope.includes(:group, :training_credits, :machine_credits, :subscriptions => [:plan => [:credits]], :profile => [:user_avatar]).joins(:roles).where("users.is_active = 'true' AND roles.name = 'member'").order('users.created_at desc')
       else
-        scope.includes(:group, :training_credits, :machine_credits, :profile => [:user_avatar]).joins(:roles).where("users.is_active = 'true' AND roles.name = 'member'").where(is_allow_contact: true).order('users.created_at desc')
+        scope.includes(:profile => [:user_avatar]).joins(:roles).where("users.is_active = 'true' AND roles.name = 'member'").where(is_allow_contact: true).order('users.created_at desc')
       end
     end
   end
@@ -33,7 +33,4 @@ class UserPolicy < ApplicationPolicy
     user.is_admin?
   end
 
-  def search?
-    user.is_admin?
-  end
 end