diff --git a/packages/rocketchat-api/package.js b/packages/rocketchat-api/package.js
index d1a8958f6e611..347eff9d96c79 100644
--- a/packages/rocketchat-api/package.js
+++ b/packages/rocketchat-api/package.js
@@ -44,5 +44,4 @@ Package.onUse(function(api) {
 	api.addFiles('server/v1/settings.js', 'server');
 	api.addFiles('server/v1/stats.js', 'server');
 	api.addFiles('server/v1/users.js', 'server');
-	api.addFiles('server/v1/spotlight.js', 'server');
 });
diff --git a/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/misc.js b/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/misc.js
index dcc9df411f2f5..3937078483b5f 100644
--- a/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/misc.js
+++ b/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/misc.js
@@ -146,6 +146,22 @@ RocketChat.API.v1.addRoute('shield.svg', { authRequired: false }, {
 	}
 });
 
+RocketChat.API.v1.addRoute('spotlight', { authRequired: true }, {
+	get() {
+		check(this.queryParams, {
+			query: String
+		});
+
+		const { query } = this.queryParams;
+
+		const result = Meteor.runAsUser(this.userId, () =>
+			Meteor.call('spotlight', query)
+		);
+
+		return RocketChat.API.v1.success(result);
+	}
+});
+
 RocketChat.API.v1.addRoute('directory', { authRequired: true }, {
 	get() {
 		const { offset, count } = this.getPaginationItems();
diff --git a/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/spotlight.js b/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/spotlight.js
deleted file mode 100644
index 9dbea532fa11d..0000000000000
--- a/packages/rocketchat-api/server/v1/spotlight.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,27 +0,0 @@
-/**
-	This API returns the result of a query of rooms
-	and users, using Meteor's Spotlight method.
-
-	Method: GET
-	Route: api/v1/spotlight
-	Query params:
-		- query: The term to be searched.
- */
-RocketChat.API.v1.addRoute('spotlight', { authRequired: true }, {
-	get() {
-		check(this.queryParams, {
-			query: String
-		});
-
-		const { query } = this.queryParams;
-
-		const result = Meteor.runAsUser(this.userId, () =>
-			Meteor.call('spotlight', query, null, {
-				rooms: true,
-				users: true
-			})
-		);
-
-		return RocketChat.API.v1.success(result);
-	}
-});
diff --git a/packages/rocketchat-ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js b/packages/rocketchat-ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js
index 69b85a75bc26a..536bbd4deb301 100644
--- a/packages/rocketchat-ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js
+++ b/packages/rocketchat-ui-sidenav/client/toolbar.js
@@ -149,14 +149,15 @@ Template.toolbar.helpers({
 					query._id = query.rid;
 					delete query.rid;
 				}
-
-				if (filterText[0] === '#') {
+				const searchForChannels = filterText[0] === '#';
+				const searchForDMs = filterText[0] === '@';
+				if (searchForChannels) {
 					filterText = filterText.slice(1);
 					type.users = false;
 					query.t = 'c';
 				}
 
-				if (filterText[0] === '@') {
+				if (searchForDMs) {
 					filterText = filterText.slice(1);
 					type.rooms = false;
 					query.t = 'd';
diff --git a/server/publications/spotlight.js b/server/publications/spotlight.js
index 2514bb2a7107f..85708e9f73695 100644
--- a/server/publications/spotlight.js
+++ b/server/publications/spotlight.js
@@ -13,6 +13,16 @@ function fetchRooms(userId, rooms) {
 
 Meteor.methods({
 	spotlight(text, usernames, type = {users: true, rooms: true}, rid) {
+		const searchForChannels = text[0] === '#';
+		const searchForDMs = text[0] === '@';
+		if (searchForChannels) {
+			type.users = false;
+			text = text.slice(1);
+		}
+		if (searchForDMs) {
+			type.rooms = false;
+			text = text.slice(1);
+		}
 		const regex = new RegExp(s.trim(s.escapeRegExp(text)), 'i');
 		const result = {
 			users: [],
diff --git a/tests/end-to-end/api/00-miscellaneous.js b/tests/end-to-end/api/00-miscellaneous.js
index 4c29c369ba7f2..b239bbce2c125 100644
--- a/tests/end-to-end/api/00-miscellaneous.js
+++ b/tests/end-to-end/api/00-miscellaneous.js
@@ -2,8 +2,8 @@
 /* globals expect */
 /* eslint no-unused-vars: 0 */
 
-import {getCredentials, api, login, request, credentials} from '../../data/api-data.js';
-import {adminEmail, adminUsername, adminPassword, password} from '../../data/user.js';
+import { getCredentials, api, login, request, credentials } from '../../data/api-data.js';
+import { adminEmail, adminUsername, adminPassword, password } from '../../data/user.js';
 import supertest from 'supertest';
 
 describe('miscellaneous', function() {
@@ -73,7 +73,6 @@ describe('miscellaneous', function() {
 			.end(done);
 	});
 
-
 	describe('/directory', () => {
 		let user;
 		let testChannel;
@@ -82,7 +81,7 @@ describe('miscellaneous', function() {
 			const email = `${ username }@rocket.chat`;
 			request.post(api('users.create'))
 				.set(credentials)
-				.send({email, name: username, username, password})
+				.send({ email, name: username, username, password })
 				.end((err, res) => {
 					user = res.body.user;
 					done();
@@ -165,6 +164,102 @@ describe('miscellaneous', function() {
 				})
 				.end(done);
 		});
+	});
+	describe('[/spotlight]', () => {
+		let user;
+		before((done) => {
+			const username = `user.test.${ Date.now() }`;
+			const email = `${ username }@rocket.chat`;
+			request.post(api('users.create'))
+				.set(credentials)
+				.send({ email, name: username, username, password })
+				.end((err, res) => {
+					user = res.body.user;
+					done();
+				});
+		});
 
+		let userCredentials;
+		let testChannel;
+		before((done) => {
+			request.post(api('login'))
+				.send({
+					user: user.username,
+					password
+				})
+				.expect('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+				.expect(200)
+				.expect((res) => {
+					userCredentials = {};
+					userCredentials['X-Auth-Token'] = res.body.data.authToken;
+					userCredentials['X-User-Id'] = res.body.data.userId;
+				})
+				.end(done);
+		});
+		after(done => {
+			request.post(api('users.delete')).set(credentials).send({
+				userId: user._id
+			}).end(done);
+			user = undefined;
+		});
+		it('create an channel', (done) => {
+			request.post(api('channels.create'))
+				.set(userCredentials)
+				.send({
+					name: `channel.test.${ Date.now() }`
+				})
+				.end((err, res) => {
+					testChannel = res.body.channel;
+					done();
+				});
+		});
+		it('should fail when does not have query param', (done) => {
+			request.get(api('spotlight'))
+				.set(credentials)
+				.expect('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+				.expect(400)
+				.expect((res) => {
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('success', false);
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('error');
+				})
+				.end(done);
+		});
+		it('should return object inside users array when search by a valid user', (done) => {
+			request.get(api('spotlight'))
+				.query({
+					query: `@${ adminUsername }`
+				})
+				.set(credentials)
+				.expect('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+				.expect(200)
+				.expect((res) => {
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('success', true);
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('users').and.to.be.an('array');
+					expect(res.body.users[0]).to.have.property('_id');
+					expect(res.body.users[0]).to.have.property('name');
+					expect(res.body.users[0]).to.have.property('username');
+					expect(res.body.users[0]).to.have.property('status');
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('rooms').and.to.be.an('array');
+				})
+				.end(done);
+		});
+		it('must return the object inside the room array when searching for a valid room and that user is not a member of it', (done) => {
+			request.get(api('spotlight'))
+				.query({
+					query: `#${ testChannel.name }`
+				})
+				.set(credentials)
+				.expect('Content-Type', 'application/json')
+				.expect(200)
+				.expect((res) => {
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('success', true);
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('users').and.to.be.an('array');
+					expect(res.body).to.have.property('rooms').and.to.be.an('array');
+					expect(res.body.rooms[0]).to.have.property('_id');
+					expect(res.body.rooms[0]).to.have.property('name');
+					expect(res.body.rooms[0]).to.have.property('t');
+				})
+				.end(done);
+		});
 	});
 });
diff --git a/tests/end-to-end/api/11-spotlight.js b/tests/end-to-end/api/11-spotlight.js
deleted file mode 100644
index fcd9ca1a488f2..0000000000000
--- a/tests/end-to-end/api/11-spotlight.js
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,40 +0,0 @@
-/* eslint-env mocha */
-/* globals expect */
-
-import {getCredentials, api, request, credentials } from '../../data/api-data.js';
-
-describe('[Spotlight]', function() {
-	this.retries(0);
-
-	before(done => getCredentials(done));
-
-	describe('[/spotlight]', () => {
-		it('should fail when does not have query param', (done) => {
-			request.get(api('spotlight'))
-				.set(credentials)
-				.expect('Content-Type', 'application/json')
-				.expect(400)
-				.expect((res) => {
-					expect(res.body).to.have.property('success', false);
-					expect(res.body).to.have.property('error');
-				})
-				.end(done);
-		});
-
-		it('should return objects for a valid query param', (done) => {
-			request.get(api('spotlight'))
-				.query({
-					query: 'foobar'
-				})
-				.set(credentials)
-				.expect('Content-Type', 'application/json')
-				.expect(200)
-				.expect((res) => {
-					expect(res.body).to.have.property('success', true);
-					expect(res.body).to.have.property('users').that.have.lengthOf(0);
-					expect(res.body).to.have.property('rooms').that.have.lengthOf(0);
-				})
-				.end(done);
-		});
-	});
-});