diff --git a/src/command/cmd_ac.c b/src/command/cmd_ac.c
index cf283d905..bec819a06 100644
--- a/src/command/cmd_ac.c
+++ b/src/command/cmd_ac.c
@@ -2084,7 +2084,7 @@ _cmd_ac_complete_params(ProfWin* window, const char* const input, gboolean previ
         // Remove quote character before and after names when doing autocomplete
         char* unquoted = strip_arg_quotes(input);
         for (int i = 0; i < ARRAY_SIZE(contact_choices); i++) {
-            result = autocomplete_param_with_func(unquoted, contact_choices[i], roster_contact_autocomplete, previous, NULL);
+            result = autocomplete_param_with_func(unquoted, contact_choices[i], roster_contact_autocomplete_substring, previous, NULL);
             if (result) {
                 free(unquoted);
                 return result;
diff --git a/src/tools/autocomplete.c b/src/tools/autocomplete.c
index ebbce5e3a..8afc31062 100644
--- a/src/tools/autocomplete.c
+++ b/src/tools/autocomplete.c
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ struct autocomplete_t
     gchar* search_str;
 };
 
-static gchar* _search(Autocomplete ac, GList* curr, gboolean quote, search_direction direction);
+static gchar* _search(Autocomplete ac, GList* curr, gboolean quote, search_direction direction, gboolean substring);
 
 Autocomplete
 autocomplete_new(void)
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ autocomplete_contains(Autocomplete ac, const char* value)
 }
 
 gchar*
-autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote, gboolean previous)
+_autocomplete_complete_internal(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote, gboolean previous, gboolean substring)
 {
     gchar* found = NULL;
 
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote,
         }
 
         ac->search_str = strdup(search_str);
-        found = _search(ac, ac->items, quote, NEXT);
+        found = _search(ac, ac->items, quote, NEXT, substring);
 
         return found;
 
@@ -274,13 +274,13 @@ autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote,
     } else {
         if (previous) {
             // search from here-1 to beginning
-            found = _search(ac, g_list_previous(ac->last_found), quote, PREVIOUS);
+            found = _search(ac, g_list_previous(ac->last_found), quote, PREVIOUS, substring);
             if (found) {
                 return found;
             }
         } else {
             // search from here+1 to end
-            found = _search(ac, g_list_next(ac->last_found), quote, NEXT);
+            found = _search(ac, g_list_next(ac->last_found), quote, NEXT, substring);
             if (found) {
                 return found;
             }
@@ -288,13 +288,13 @@ autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote,
 
         if (previous) {
             // search from end
-            found = _search(ac, g_list_last(ac->items), quote, PREVIOUS);
+            found = _search(ac, g_list_last(ac->items), quote, PREVIOUS, substring);
             if (found) {
                 return found;
             }
         } else {
             // search from beginning
-            found = _search(ac, ac->items, quote, NEXT);
+            found = _search(ac, ac->items, quote, NEXT, substring);
             if (found) {
                 return found;
             }
@@ -307,6 +307,18 @@ autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote,
     }
 }
 
+gchar*
+autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote, gboolean previous)
+{
+    return _autocomplete_complete_internal(ac, search_str, quote, previous, FALSE);
+}
+
+gchar*
+autocomplete_complete_substring(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote, gboolean previous)
+{
+    return _autocomplete_complete_internal(ac, search_str, quote, previous, TRUE);
+}
+
 // autocomplete_func func is used -> autocomplete_param_with_func
 // Autocomplete ac, gboolean quote are used -> autocomplete_param_with_ac
 static char*
@@ -399,7 +411,7 @@ autocomplete_remove_older_than_max_reverse(Autocomplete ac, int maxsize)
 }
 
 static gchar*
-_search(Autocomplete ac, GList* curr, gboolean quote, search_direction direction)
+_search(Autocomplete ac, GList* curr, gboolean quote, search_direction direction, gboolean substring)
 {
     auto_gchar gchar* search_str_ascii = g_str_to_ascii(ac->search_str, NULL);
     auto_gchar gchar* search_str_lower = g_ascii_strdown(search_str_ascii, -1);
@@ -408,9 +420,18 @@ _search(Autocomplete ac, GList* curr, gboolean quote, search_direction direction
         auto_gchar gchar* curr_ascii = g_str_to_ascii(curr->data, NULL);
         auto_gchar gchar* curr_lower = g_ascii_strdown(curr_ascii, -1);
 
-        // match found
-        if (strncmp(curr_lower, search_str_lower, strlen(search_str_lower)) == 0) {
+        gboolean found = FALSE;
 
+        if (!substring && (strncmp(curr_lower, search_str_lower, strlen(search_str_lower)) == 0)) {
+            // if we want to start from beginning (prefix)
+            found = TRUE;
+        } else if (substring && (strstr(curr_lower, search_str_lower) != 0)) {
+            // if we only are looking for a substring
+            found = TRUE;
+        }
+
+        // match found
+        if (found) {
             // set pointer to last found
             ac->last_found = curr;
 
diff --git a/src/tools/autocomplete.h b/src/tools/autocomplete.h
index 851dbc0df..3a492cac8 100644
--- a/src/tools/autocomplete.h
+++ b/src/tools/autocomplete.h
@@ -59,6 +59,8 @@ void autocomplete_add_unsorted(Autocomplete ac, const char* item, const gboolean
 
 // find the next item prefixed with search string
 gchar* autocomplete_complete(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote, gboolean previous);
+// find the next item containing search string
+gchar* autocomplete_complete_substring(Autocomplete ac, const gchar* search_str, gboolean quote, gboolean previous);
 
 GList* autocomplete_create_list(Autocomplete ac);
 gint autocomplete_length(Autocomplete ac);
diff --git a/src/xmpp/roster_list.c b/src/xmpp/roster_list.c
index 40b8210d4..d1cf9fafd 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/roster_list.c
+++ b/src/xmpp/roster_list.c
@@ -517,6 +517,14 @@ roster_contact_autocomplete(const char* const search_str, gboolean previous, voi
     return autocomplete_complete(roster->name_ac, search_str, TRUE, previous);
 }
 
+char*
+roster_contact_autocomplete_substring(const char* const search_str, gboolean previous, void* context)
+{
+    assert(roster != NULL);
+
+    return autocomplete_complete_substring(roster->name_ac, search_str, TRUE, previous);
+}
+
 char*
 roster_fulljid_autocomplete(const char* const search_str, gboolean previous, void* context)
 {
diff --git a/src/xmpp/roster_list.h b/src/xmpp/roster_list.h
index be29bd69f..02e9ae3ff 100644
--- a/src/xmpp/roster_list.h
+++ b/src/xmpp/roster_list.h
@@ -64,6 +64,7 @@ GSList* roster_get_contacts(roster_ord_t order);
 GSList* roster_get_contacts_online(void);
 gboolean roster_has_pending_subscriptions(void);
 char* roster_contact_autocomplete(const char* const search_str, gboolean previous, void* context);
+char* roster_contact_autocomplete_substring(const char* const search_str, gboolean previous, void* context);
 char* roster_fulljid_autocomplete(const char* const search_str, gboolean previous, void* context);
 GSList* roster_get_group(const char* const group, roster_ord_t order);
 GList* roster_get_groups(void);