diff --git a/src/Entities.js b/src/Entities.js
index 5a666b1493..ac3c976797 100644
--- a/src/Entities.js
+++ b/src/Entities.js
@@ -108,6 +108,15 @@ class UserEntity extends Entity {
 
 
 module.exports = {
+    newEntity: function(jsx, matchFn) {
+        var entity = new Entity();
+        entity.getJsx = function() {
+            return jsx;
+        };
+        entity.matches = matchFn;
+        return entity;
+    },
+
     /**
      * @param {RoomMember[]} members
      * @return {Entity[]}
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
index 9172d43a24..7990b71bd7 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/MemberList.js
@@ -311,6 +311,24 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
     },
 
     onSearchQueryChanged: function(input) {
+        var EntityTile = sdk.getComponent("rooms.EntityTile");
+
+        var label;
+        if (input[0] === "@") {
+            label = input;
+        }
+        else {
+            label = "Email: " + input;
+        }
+
+        this._emailEntity = new Entities.newEntity(
+            <EntityTile key="dynamic_invite_tile" suppressOnHover={true} showInviteButton={true}
+            presenceState="online" onClick={this.onInvite.bind(this, input)} name={label} />,
+            function(query) {
+                return true; // always show this
+            }
+        );
+
         this.setState({
             searchQuery: input
         });
@@ -369,12 +387,19 @@ module.exports = React.createClass({
             );
         } else {
             var SearchableEntityList = sdk.getComponent("rooms.SearchableEntityList");
-            
+            var entities = Entities.fromUsers(this.userList || [], true, this.onInvite);
+
+            // Add an "Email: foo@bar.com" tile as the first tile
+            if (this._emailEntity) {
+                entities.unshift(this._emailEntity);
+            }
+
+
             return (
                 <SearchableEntityList searchPlaceholderText={"Invite / Search"}
                     onSubmit={this.onInvite}
                     onQueryChanged={this.onSearchQueryChanged}
-                    entities={Entities.fromUsers(this.userList || [], true, this.onInvite)} />
+                    entities={entities} />
             );
         }
     },
diff --git a/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js b/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js
index efaebfd655..b2e20f23db 100644
--- a/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js
+++ b/src/components/views/rooms/SearchableEntityList.js
@@ -46,10 +46,17 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
     getInitialState: function() {
         return {
             query: "",
-            results: this.getSearchResults("")
+            results: this.getSearchResults("", this.props.entities)
         };
     },
 
+    componentWillReceiveProps: function(newProps) {
+        // recalculate the search results in case we got new entities
+        this.setState({
+            results: this.getSearchResults(this.state.query, newProps.entities)
+        });
+    },
+
     componentWillUnmount: function() {
         // pretend the query box was blanked out else filters could still be
         // applied to other components which rely on onQueryChanged.
@@ -63,7 +70,7 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
     setQuery: function(input) {
         this.setState({
             query: input,
-            results: this.getSearchResults(input)
+            results: this.getSearchResults(input, this.props.entities)
         });
     },
 
@@ -71,9 +78,15 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
         var q = ev.target.value;
         this.setState({
             query: q,
-            results: this.getSearchResults(q)
+            results: this.getSearchResults(q, this.props.entities)
+        }, () => {
+            // invoke the callback AFTER we've flushed the new state. We need to
+            // do this because onQueryChanged can result in new props being passed
+            // to this component, which will then try to recalculate the search
+            // list. If we do this without flushing, we'll recalc with the last
+            // search term and not the current one!
+            this.props.onQueryChanged(q);
         });
-        this.props.onQueryChanged(q);
     },
 
     onQuerySubmit: function(ev) {
@@ -81,11 +94,11 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
         this.props.onSubmit(this.state.query);
     },
 
-    getSearchResults: function(query) {
+    getSearchResults: function(query, entities) {
         if (!query || query.length === 0) {
-            return this.props.emptyQueryShowsAll ? this.props.entities : []
+            return this.props.emptyQueryShowsAll ? entities : []
         }
-        return this.props.entities.filter(function(e) {
+        return entities.filter(function(e) {
             return e.matches(query);
         });
     },
@@ -95,7 +108,7 @@ var SearchableEntityList = React.createClass({
 
         if (this.props.showInputBox) {
             inputBox = (
-                <form onSubmit={this.onQuerySubmit}>
+                <form onSubmit={this.onQuerySubmit} autoComplete="off">
                     <input className="mx_SearchableEntityList_query" id="mx_SearchableEntityList_query" type="text"
                         onChange={this.onQueryChanged} value={this.state.query}
                         placeholder={this.props.searchPlaceholderText} />