diff --git a/synapse/handlers/search.py b/synapse/handlers/search.py
index 71182a8fe0..49b786dadb 100644
--- a/synapse/handlers/search.py
+++ b/synapse/handlers/search.py
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ class SearchHandler(BaseHandler):
         super(SearchHandler, self).__init__(hs)
 
     @defer.inlineCallbacks
-    def _filter_events_for_client(self, user_id, room_id, events):
+    def _filter_events_for_client(self, user_id, events):
         event_id_to_state = yield self.store.get_state_for_events(
             frozenset(e.event_id for e in events),
             types=(
@@ -139,16 +139,20 @@ class SearchHandler(BaseHandler):
         # TODO(paul): work out why because I really don't think it should
         room_ids = set(r.room_id for r in rooms)
 
-        res = yield self.store.search_msgs(room_ids, constraints)
+        rank_map, event_map = yield self.store.search_msgs(room_ids, constraints)
+
+        allowed_events = yield self._filter_events_for_client(
+            user.to_string(), event_map.values()
+        )
 
         time_now = self.clock.time_msec()
 
         results = {
-            r["result"].event_id: {
-                "rank": r["rank"],
-                "result": serialize_event(r["result"], time_now)
+            e.event_id: {
+                "rank": rank_map[e.event_id],
+                "result": serialize_event(e, time_now)
             }
-            for r in res
+            for e in allowed_events
         }
 
         logger.info("returning: %r", results)
diff --git a/synapse/storage/search.py b/synapse/storage/search.py
index e66b5f9edc..238df38440 100644
--- a/synapse/storage/search.py
+++ b/synapse/storage/search.py
@@ -70,11 +70,11 @@ class SearchStore(SQLBaseStore):
             for ev in events
         }
 
-        defer.returnValue([
+        defer.returnValue((
             {
-                "rank": r["rank"],
-                "result": event_map[r["event_id"]]
-            }
-            for r in results
-            if r["event_id"] in event_map
-        ])
+                r["event_id"]: r["rank"]
+                for r in results
+                if r["event_id"] in event_map
+            },
+            event_map
+        ))