diff --git a/app/models/application_model.rb b/app/models/application_model.rb
index c3d267e5f..cc60a294f 100644
--- a/app/models/application_model.rb
+++ b/app/models/application_model.rb
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ class ApplicationModel < ActiveRecord::Base
   include ApplicationModel::HasExternalSync
   include ApplicationModel::ChecksImport
   include ApplicationModel::CanTouchReferences
+  include ApplicationModel::CanQueryCaseInsensitiveWhereOrSql
 
   self.abstract_class = true
 end
diff --git a/app/models/application_model/can_query_case_insensitive_where_or_sql.rb b/app/models/application_model/can_query_case_insensitive_where_or_sql.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5f40757c8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/app/models/application_model/can_query_case_insensitive_where_or_sql.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,43 @@
+# Copyright (C) 2012-2016 Zammad Foundation, http://zammad-foundation.org/
+module ApplicationModel::CanQueryCaseInsensitiveWhereOrSql
+  extend ActiveSupport::Concern
+
+  included do
+
+    # Builds a case insenstive WHERE ... OR ... SQL query.
+    #
+    # @see .or_cis
+    #
+    # @example
+    #  Organization.where_or_cis(%i[name note], "%zammad%").to_sql
+    #  #=> "SELECT `organizations`.* FROM `organizations` WHERE (`organizations`.`name` LIKE '%zammad%' OR `organizations`.`note` LIKE '%zammad%')"
+    #
+    # @return [ActiveRecord::Relation] the ActiveRecord relation that can be combined or executed
+    scope :where_or_cis, ->(*args) { where(or_cis(*args)) }
+  end
+
+  # methods defined here are going to extend the class, not the instance of it
+  class_methods do
+
+    # Builds a case insenstive OR SQL grouping. This comes in handy for join queries.
+    # For direct WHERE queries prefer .where_or_cis scope.
+    #
+    # @param [Array] attributes the attributes that should get queried case insensitive.
+    # @param [String] query the SQL query that should be used for each given attribute.
+    #
+    # @example
+    #  Organization.joins(:users).where(User.or_cis(%i[firstname lastname email], "%#{query}%"))
+    #
+    # @return [Arel::Nodes::Grouping] can be passed to ActiveRecord queries
+    def or_cis(attributes, query)
+      # use Arel to create an Array of case insenstive
+      # LIKE queries based on the current DB adapter
+      cis_matches = attributes.map do |attribute|
+        arel_table[attribute].matches(query)
+      end
+
+      # return the by OR joined Arel queries
+      cis_matches.inject(:or)
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/app/models/organization/search.rb b/app/models/organization/search.rb
index 27fc92b50..08d38dd65 100644
--- a/app/models/organization/search.rb
+++ b/app/models/organization/search.rb
@@ -77,9 +77,11 @@ returns
         # fallback do sql query
         # - stip out * we already search for *query* -
         query.delete! '*'
-        organizations = Organization.where(
-          'name LIKE ? OR note LIKE ?', "%#{query}%", "%#{query}%"
-        ).order('name').offset(offset).limit(limit).to_a
+        organizations = Organization.where_or_cis(%i[name note], "%#{query}%")
+                                    .order('name')
+                                    .offset(offset)
+                                    .limit(limit)
+                                    .to_a
 
         # use result independent of size if an explicit offset is given
         # this is the case for e.g. paginated searches
@@ -87,9 +89,11 @@ returns
         return organizations if organizations.length > 3
 
         # if only a few organizations are found, search for names of users
-        organizations_by_user = Organization.select('DISTINCT(organizations.id), organizations.name').joins('LEFT OUTER JOIN users ON users.organization_id = organizations.id').where(
-          'users.firstname LIKE ? or users.lastname LIKE ? or users.email LIKE ?', "%#{query}%", "%#{query}%", "%#{query}%"
-        ).order('organizations.name').limit(limit)
+        organizations_by_user = Organization.select('DISTINCT(organizations.id), organizations.name')
+                                            .joins('LEFT OUTER JOIN users ON users.organization_id = organizations.id')
+                                            .where(User.or_cis(%i[firstname lastname email], "%#{query}%"))
+                                            .order('organizations.name')
+                                            .limit(limit)
 
         organizations_by_user.each do |organization_by_user|
 
diff --git a/spec/models/organization_spec.rb b/spec/models/organization_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..7cd92fbb2
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/models/organization_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+require 'rails_helper'
+
+RSpec.describe Organization do
+
+  context '.where_or_cis' do
+
+    it 'finds instance by querying multiple attributes case insensitive' do
+      # search for Zammad Foundation
+      organizations = described_class.where_or_cis(%i[name note], '%zammad%')
+      expect(organizations).not_to be_blank
+    end
+  end
+end