diff --git a/test/client-old/spec/controllers/inventoryCtrlSpec.js b/test/client-old/spec/controllers/inventoryCtrlSpec.js
index 955b6f4f0c..5639fb6dc5 100644
--- a/test/client-old/spec/controllers/inventoryCtrlSpec.js
+++ b/test/client-old/spec/controllers/inventoryCtrlSpec.js
@@ -450,4 +450,84 @@ describe('Inventory Controller', function() {
       expect(scope.hasAllTimeTravelerItemsOfType('mounts')).to.eql(true);
     }));
   });
+
+  describe('Gear search filter', function() {
+    var wrap = function(text) {
+      return {'text': function() {return text;}};
+    }
+
+    var toText = function(list) {
+      return _.map(list, function(ele) { return ele.text(); });
+    }
+
+    var gearByClass, gearByType;
+
+    beforeEach(function() {
+      scope.$digest();
+      gearByClass = {'raw': [wrap('kale'), wrap('sashimi')],
+                     'cooked': [wrap('chicken'), wrap('potato')]};
+
+      gearByType = {'veg': [wrap('kale'), wrap('potato')],
+                    'not': [wrap('chicken'), wrap('sashimi')]};
+      scope.gearByClass = gearByClass;
+      scope.gearByType = gearByType;
+      scope.equipmentFilterQuery.query = 'a';
+    });
+
+    it('filters nothing if equipmentQuery is nothing', function() {
+      scope.equipmentFilterQuery.query = '';
+      scope.$digest();
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['raw'])).to.eql(['kale', 'sashimi']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['cooked'])).to.eql(['chicken', 'potato']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['veg'])).to.eql(['kale', 'potato']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['not'])).to.eql(['chicken', 'sashimi']);
+    });
+
+    it('filters out gear if class gear changes', function() {
+      scope.$digest();
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['raw'])).to.eql(['kale', 'sashimi']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['cooked'])).to.eql(['potato']);
+
+      scope.gearByClass['raw'].push(wrap('zucchini'));
+      scope.gearByClass['cooked'].push(wrap('pizza'));
+      scope.$digest();
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['raw'])).to.eql(['kale', 'sashimi']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['cooked'])).to.eql(['potato', 'pizza']);
+    });
+
+    it('filters out gear if typed gear changes', function() {
+      scope.$digest();
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['veg'])).to.eql(['kale', 'potato']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['not'])).to.eql(['sashimi']);
+
+      scope.gearByType['veg'].push(wrap('zucchini'));
+      scope.gearByType['not'].push(wrap('pizza'));
+
+      scope.$digest();
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['veg'])).to.eql(['kale', 'potato']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['not'])).to.eql(['sashimi', 'pizza']);
+    });
+
+    it('filters out gear if filter query changes', function() {
+      scope.equipmentFilterQuery.query = 'c';
+      scope.$digest();
+
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['raw'])).to.eql([]);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByClass['cooked'])).to.eql(['chicken']);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['veg'])).to.eql([]);
+      expect(toText(scope.filteredGearByType['not'])).to.eql(['chicken']);
+    });
+
+    it('returns the right filtered gear', function() {
+      var equipment = [wrap('spicy tuna'), wrap('dragon'), wrap('rainbow'), wrap('caterpillar')];
+      expect(toText(scope.equipmentSearch(equipment, 'ra'))).to.eql(['dragon', 'rainbow']);
+    });
+
+    it('returns the right filtered gear if the source gear has unicode', function() {
+      // blue hat, red hat, red shield
+      var equipment = [wrap('藍色軟帽'), wrap('紅色軟帽'), wrap('紅色盾牌')];
+      // searching for 'red' gives red hat, red shield
+      expect(toText(scope.equipmentSearch(equipment, '紅色'))).to.eql(['紅色軟帽', '紅色盾牌']);
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/website/client-old/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js b/website/client-old/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js
index 4bbf57e06b..d7175a5832 100644
--- a/website/client-old/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js
+++ b/website/client-old/js/controllers/inventoryCtrl.js
@@ -8,6 +8,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("InventoryCtrl",
 
     $scope.selectedEgg = null; // {index: 1, name: "Tiger", value: 5}
     $scope.selectedPotion = null; // {index: 5, name: "Red", value: 3}
+    $scope.equipmentFilterQuery = {'query': ''};
 
     _updateDropAnimalCount(user.items);
 
@@ -85,7 +86,7 @@ habitrpg.controller("InventoryCtrl",
       })
     }, true);
 
-    var equipmentSearch = function(equipment, term) {
+    $scope.equipmentSearch = function(equipment, term) {
       if (!equipment) return;
       if (!angular.isString(term) || term.length == 0) {
         return equipment;
@@ -101,25 +102,33 @@ habitrpg.controller("InventoryCtrl",
       return result;
     };
 
-    $scope.$watchGroup(['gearByClass', 'gearByType', 'user.equipmentQuery'], function(updatedVals) {
-      var gearByClass = updatedVals[0];
-      var gearByType = updatedVals[1];
-      var equipmentQuery = updatedVals[2];
+    $scope.updateEquipment = function(gearByClass, gearByType, equipmentQuery) {
       $scope.filteredGearByClass = {};
       $scope.filteredGearByType = {};
-      angular.forEach(gearByClass, function(value, key) {
-        var searchResult = equipmentSearch(value, equipmentQuery);
+      _.forEach(gearByClass, function(value, key) {
+        var searchResult = $scope.equipmentSearch(value, equipmentQuery);
         if (searchResult.length > 0) {
           $scope.filteredGearByClass[key] = searchResult;
         }
       });
-      angular.forEach(gearByType, function(value, key) {
-        var searchResult = equipmentSearch(value, equipmentQuery);
+      _.forEach(gearByType, function(value, key) {
+        var searchResult = $scope.equipmentSearch(value, equipmentQuery);
         if (searchResult.length > 0) {
           $scope.filteredGearByType[key] = searchResult;
         }
       });
-    });
+    }
+
+    $scope.$watch(function(){
+        return ['gearByClass', 'gearByType', 'equipmentFilterQuery'].map(angular.bind($scope, $scope.$eval));
+      }, function(updatedVals) {
+        var gearByClass = updatedVals[0];
+        var gearByType = updatedVals[1];
+        var equipmentFilterQuery = updatedVals[2];
+        $scope.updateEquipment(gearByClass, gearByType, equipmentFilterQuery.query);
+      }, true);
+
+    $scope.updateEquipment($scope.gearByClass, $scope.gearByType, $scope.equipmentFilterQuery.query);
 
     $scope.chooseEgg = function(egg){
       if ($scope.selectedEgg && $scope.selectedEgg.key == egg) {
@@ -456,12 +465,12 @@ habitrpg.controller("InventoryCtrl",
     }
   }
 ]);
-
 habitrpg.controller("InventorySearchCtrl",
-  ['$scope', 'User',
-  function($scope, User) {
+  ['$scope',
+  function($scope) {
+    $scope.equipmentFilterQuery.query = '';
     $scope.updateEquipmentQuery = function() {
-      User.user.equipmentQuery = $scope.equipmentQuery;
+      $scope.equipmentFilterQuery.query = $scope.equipmentQuery;
     }
   }
 ]);