diff --git a/config/config.exs b/config/config.exs
index 44d0666c..f15398df 100644
--- a/config/config.exs
+++ b/config/config.exs
@@ -212,7 +212,8 @@ config :mobilizon, :activitypub,
   # One day
   actor_stale_period: 3_600 * 48,
   actor_key_rotation_delay: 3_600 * 48,
-  sign_object_fetches: true
+  sign_object_fetches: true,
+  stale_actor_search_exclusion_after: 3_600 * 24 * 7
 
 config :mobilizon, Mobilizon.Service.Geospatial, service: Mobilizon.Service.Geospatial.Nominatim
 
diff --git a/lib/graphql/api/search.ex b/lib/graphql/api/search.ex
index 799f1234..3b002b6f 100644
--- a/lib/graphql/api/search.ex
+++ b/lib/graphql/api/search.ex
@@ -49,7 +49,8 @@ defmodule Mobilizon.GraphQL.API.Search do
               location: Map.get(args, :location),
               minimum_visibility: Map.get(args, :minimum_visibility, :public),
               current_actor_id: Map.get(args, :current_actor_id),
-              exclude_my_groups: Map.get(args, :exclude_my_groups, false)
+              exclude_my_groups: Map.get(args, :exclude_my_groups, false),
+              exclude_stale_actors: true
             ],
             page,
             limit
diff --git a/lib/mobilizon/actors/actors.ex b/lib/mobilizon/actors/actors.ex
index 9058ec48..cbf854ff 100644
--- a/lib/mobilizon/actors/actors.ex
+++ b/lib/mobilizon/actors/actors.ex
@@ -461,6 +461,7 @@ defmodule Mobilizon.Actors do
       ) do
     term
     |> build_actors_by_username_or_name_page_query(options)
+    |> maybe_exclude_stale_actors(Keyword.get(options, :exclude_stale_actors, false))
     |> maybe_exclude_my_groups(
       Keyword.get(options, :exclude_my_groups, false),
       Keyword.get(options, :current_actor_id)
@@ -477,6 +478,17 @@ defmodule Mobilizon.Actors do
 
   defp maybe_exclude_my_groups(query, _, _), do: query
 
+  @spec maybe_exclude_stale_actors(Ecto.Queryable.t(), boolean()) :: Ecto.Query.t()
+  defp maybe_exclude_stale_actors(query, true) do
+    actor_stale_period =
+      Application.get_env(:mobilizon, :activitypub)[:stale_actor_search_exclusion_after]
+
+    stale_date = DateTime.utc_now() |> DateTime.add(-actor_stale_period)
+    where(query, [a], is_nil(a.domain) or a.last_refreshed_at >= ^stale_date)
+  end
+
+  defp maybe_exclude_stale_actors(query, false), do: query
+
   @spec build_actors_by_username_or_name_page_query(
           String.t(),
           Keyword.t()
diff --git a/test/graphql/api/search_test.exs b/test/graphql/api/search_test.exs
index 62016294..7ef11646 100644
--- a/test/graphql/api/search_test.exs
+++ b/test/graphql/api/search_test.exs
@@ -53,7 +53,8 @@ defmodule Mobilizon.GraphQL.API.SearchTest do
             location: nil,
             minimum_visibility: :public,
             current_actor_id: nil,
-            exclude_my_groups: false
+            exclude_my_groups: false,
+            exclude_stale_actors: true
           ],
           1,
           10