diff --git a/src/backend/backend.py b/src/backend/backend.py
index 5ba71ab6..1b8f4303 100644
--- a/src/backend/backend.py
+++ b/src/backend/backend.py
@@ -314,6 +314,9 @@ class Backend:
 
 
     async def set_substring_filter(self, model_id: SyncId, value: str) -> None:
+        if isinstance(model_id, list):  # QML can't pass tuples
+            model_id = tuple(model_id)
+
         model = Model.proxies[model_id]
 
         if not isinstance(model, FieldSubstringFilter):
diff --git a/src/backend/models/model_store.py b/src/backend/models/model_store.py
index 9fd1d881..ff7f72d1 100644
--- a/src/backend/models/model_store.py
+++ b/src/backend/models/model_store.py
@@ -2,10 +2,11 @@
 
 from collections import UserDict
 from dataclasses import dataclass, field
-from typing import Dict
+from typing import Dict, Type
 
 from . import SyncId
 from .model import Model
+from .special_models import FilteredMembers
 
 
 @dataclass(frozen=True)
@@ -23,7 +24,16 @@ class ModelStore(UserDict):
     def __missing__(self, key: SyncId) -> Model:
         """When accessing a non-existent model, create and return it."""
 
-        model          = Model(sync_id=key)
+        is_tuple = isinstance(key, tuple)
+
+        model: Model
+
+        if is_tuple and len(key) == 3 and key[2] == "filtered_members":
+            model = FilteredMembers(user_id=key[0], room_id=key[1])
+        else:
+            model = Model(sync_id=key)
+        print( key, model)
+
         self.data[key] = model
         return model
 
@@ -35,3 +45,10 @@ class ModelStore(UserDict):
             type(self).__name__,
             "\n    ".join(sorted(str(v) for v in self.values())),
         )
+
+
+    async def ensure_exists_from_qml(self, sync_id: SyncId) -> None:
+        if isinstance(sync_id, list):  # QML can't pass tuples
+            sync_id = tuple(sync_id)
+
+        self[sync_id]  # will call __missing__ if needed
diff --git a/src/backend/models/special_models.py b/src/backend/models/special_models.py
index 567876f7..7c788945 100644
--- a/src/backend/models/special_models.py
+++ b/src/backend/models/special_models.py
@@ -37,3 +37,16 @@ class MatchingAccounts(ModelFilter):
             (r for r in self.all_rooms.values() if r.for_account == item.id),
             False,
         )
+
+
+class FilteredMembers(FieldSubstringFilter):
+    def __init__(self, user_id: str, room_id: str) -> None:
+        self.user_id = user_id
+        self.room_id = room_id
+        sync_id      = (user_id, room_id, "filtered_members")
+
+        super().__init__(sync_id=sync_id, fields=("display_name",))
+
+
+    def accept_source(self, source: Model) -> bool:
+        return source.sync_id == (self.user_id, self.room_id, "members")
diff --git a/src/gui/ModelStore.qml b/src/gui/ModelStore.qml
index 0b4a6154..d9fe1c34 100644
--- a/src/gui/ModelStore.qml
+++ b/src/gui/ModelStore.qml
@@ -38,9 +38,12 @@ QtObject {
     function get(...modelId) {
         if (modelId.length === 1) modelId = modelId[0]
 
-        if (! privates.store[modelId])
+        if (! privates.store[modelId]) {
+            privates.py.callCoro("models.ensure_exists_from_qml", [modelId])
+
             privates.store[modelId] =
                 privates.model.createObject(this, {modelId})
+        }
 
         return privates.store[modelId]
     }
diff --git a/src/gui/Pages/Chat/RoomPane/MemberView.qml b/src/gui/Pages/Chat/RoomPane/MemberView.qml
index c28930f8..f5f7e119 100644
--- a/src/gui/Pages/Chat/RoomPane/MemberView.qml
+++ b/src/gui/Pages/Chat/RoomPane/MemberView.qml
@@ -7,28 +7,25 @@ import "../../../Base"
 
 HColumnLayout {
     readonly property alias keybindFocusItem: filterField
-
+    readonly property var modelSyncId:
+        [chat.userId, chat.roomId, "filtered_members"]
 
     HListView {
         id: memberList
         clip: true
         add: null  // See the XXX comment in HListView.qml
 
-        model: HStringFilterModel {
-            sourceModel: ModelStore.get(chat.userId, chat.roomId, "members")
-            field: "display_name"
-            filter: filterField.text
+        model: ModelStore.get(modelSyncId)
 
-            delegate: MemberDelegate {
-                id: member
-                width: memberList.width
-                ListView.onAdd: ParallelAnimation {
-                    HNumberAnimation {
-                        target: member; property: "opacity"; from: 0; to: 1;
-                    }
-                    HNumberAnimation {
-                        target: member; property: "scale"; from: 0; to: 1;
-                    }
+        delegate: MemberDelegate {
+            id: member
+            width: memberList.width
+            ListView.onAdd: ParallelAnimation {
+                HNumberAnimation {
+                    target: member; property: "opacity"; from: 0; to: 1;
+                }
+                HNumberAnimation {
+                    target: member; property: "scale"; from: 0; to: 1;
                 }
             }
         }
@@ -70,6 +67,9 @@ HColumnLayout {
                 // declared normally
                 Component.onCompleted: placeholderText = qsTr("Filter members")
 
+                onTextChanged:
+                    py.callCoro("set_substring_filter", [modelSyncId, text])
+
                 Behavior on opacity { HNumberAnimation {} }
             }