diff --git a/src/common/BaseAnnotator.ts b/src/common/BaseAnnotator.ts
index 4e6f4159b..d04700b0e 100644
--- a/src/common/BaseAnnotator.ts
+++ b/src/common/BaseAnnotator.ts
@@ -152,7 +152,6 @@ export default class BaseAnnotator extends EventEmitter {
     protected hydrate(): void {
         // Redux dispatch method signature doesn't seem to like async actions
         this.store.dispatch<any>(store.fetchAnnotationsAction()); // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
-        this.store.dispatch<any>(store.fetchCollaboratorsAction()); // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/no-explicit-any
     }
 
     protected handleInitialized(): void {
diff --git a/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyField.tsx b/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyField.tsx
index 3c6984ef6..11fb15e30 100644
--- a/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyField.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyField.tsx
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 import * as React from 'react';
 import classnames from 'classnames';
+import debounce from 'lodash/debounce';
 import {
     addMention,
     getActiveMentionForEditorState,
 } from 'box-ui-elements/es/components/form-elements/draft-js-mention-selector/utils';
-import fuzzySearch from 'box-ui-elements/es/utils/fuzzySearch';
 import { DraftHandleValue, Editor, EditorState } from 'draft-js';
 import PopupList from '../Popups/PopupList';
 import { Collaborator } from '../../@types';
+import { DEFAULT_COLLAB_DEBOUNCE } from '../../constants';
 import { VirtualElement } from '../Popups/Popper';
 import './ReplyField.scss';
 
@@ -28,6 +29,7 @@ export type Props = {
     onChange: (editorState: EditorState) => void;
     placeholder?: string;
     setCursorPosition: (cursorPosition: number) => void;
+    updateCollaborators: (searchStr: string) => void;
 };
 
 export type State = {
@@ -42,6 +44,18 @@ export default class ReplyField extends React.Component<Props, State> {
 
     state: State = { activeItemIndex: 0, popupReference: null };
 
+    updateCollaborators = debounce((editorState: EditorState): void => {
+        const { updateCollaborators } = this.props;
+
+        const activeMention = getActiveMentionForEditorState(editorState);
+        const trimmedQuery = activeMention?.mentionString.trim();
+        if (!trimmedQuery) {
+            return;
+        }
+
+        updateCollaborators(trimmedQuery);
+    }, DEFAULT_COLLAB_DEBOUNCE);
+
     componentDidUpdate({ editorState: prevEditorState }: Props): void {
         const { editorState } = this.props;
 
@@ -54,33 +68,6 @@ export default class ReplyField extends React.Component<Props, State> {
         this.saveCursorPosition();
     }
 
-    getCollaborators = (): Collaborator[] => {
-        const { collaborators, editorState } = this.props;
-
-        const activeMention = getActiveMentionForEditorState(editorState);
-        if (!activeMention) {
-            return [];
-        }
-
-        const trimmedQuery = activeMention.mentionString.trim();
-        // fuzzySearch doesn't match anything if query length is less than 2
-        // Compared to empty list, full list has a better user experience
-        if (trimmedQuery.length < 2) {
-            return collaborators;
-        }
-
-        return collaborators.filter(({ item }) => {
-            if (!item) {
-                return false;
-            }
-
-            const isNameMatch = fuzzySearch(trimmedQuery, item.name, 0);
-            const isEmailMatch = 'email' in item && fuzzySearch(trimmedQuery, item.email, 0);
-
-            return isNameMatch || isEmailMatch;
-        });
-    };
-
     getVirtualElement = (activeMention: Mention): VirtualElement | null => {
         const selection = window.getSelection();
         if (!selection?.focusNode) {
@@ -133,14 +120,14 @@ export default class ReplyField extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     handleChange = (nextEditorState: EditorState): void => {
         const { onChange } = this.props;
 
+        this.updateCollaborators(nextEditorState);
         onChange(nextEditorState);
     };
 
     handleSelect = (index: number): void => {
-        const { editorState } = this.props;
+        const { collaborators, editorState } = this.props;
 
         const activeMention = getActiveMentionForEditorState(editorState);
-        const collaborators = this.getCollaborators();
         const editorStateWithLink = addMention(editorState, activeMention, collaborators[index]);
 
         this.handleChange(editorStateWithLink);
@@ -161,8 +148,9 @@ export default class ReplyField extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     };
 
     handleArrow = (event: React.KeyboardEvent): number => {
+        const { collaborators } = this.props;
         const { popupReference } = this.state;
-        const { length } = this.getCollaborators();
+        const { length } = collaborators;
 
         if (!popupReference || !length) {
             return 0;
@@ -196,7 +184,7 @@ export default class ReplyField extends React.Component<Props, State> {
     };
 
     render(): JSX.Element {
-        const { className, editorState, isDisabled, placeholder, ...rest } = this.props;
+        const { className, collaborators, editorState, isDisabled, placeholder, ...rest } = this.props;
         const { activeItemIndex, popupReference } = this.state;
 
         return (
@@ -217,7 +205,7 @@ export default class ReplyField extends React.Component<Props, State> {
                 {popupReference && (
                     <PopupList
                         activeItemIndex={activeItemIndex}
-                        items={this.getCollaborators()}
+                        items={collaborators}
                         onActivate={this.setPopupListActiveItem}
                         onSelect={this.handleSelect}
                         reference={popupReference}
diff --git a/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyFieldContainer.tsx b/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyFieldContainer.tsx
index 99297225a..f17d2c360 100644
--- a/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyFieldContainer.tsx
+++ b/src/components/ReplyField/ReplyFieldContainer.tsx
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 import { connect } from 'react-redux';
-import { AppState, getCollaborators, getCreatorCursor, setCursorAction } from '../../store';
+import { AppState, fetchCollaboratorsAction, getCollaborators, getCreatorCursor, setCursorAction } from '../../store';
 import ReplyField from './ReplyField';
 import { Collaborator } from '../../@types';
 
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@ export const mapStateToProps = (state: AppState): Props => ({
 
 export const mapDispatchToProps = {
     setCursorPosition: setCursorAction,
+    updateCollaborators: fetchCollaboratorsAction,
 };
 
 export default connect(mapStateToProps, mapDispatchToProps)(ReplyField);
diff --git a/src/constants.js b/src/constants.js
index 25a7c6153..c595c1106 100644
--- a/src/constants.js
+++ b/src/constants.js
@@ -13,3 +13,5 @@ export const PLACEHOLDER_USER = {
     id: '0',
     email: '',
 };
+
+export const DEFAULT_COLLAB_DEBOUNCE = 500;
diff --git a/src/store/users/actions.ts b/src/store/users/actions.ts
index 5a8f826e2..404eb180d 100644
--- a/src/store/users/actions.ts
+++ b/src/store/users/actions.ts
@@ -4,9 +4,9 @@ import { AppThunkAPI } from '../types';
 import { Collaborator } from '../../@types';
 import { getFileId } from '../options';
 
-export const fetchCollaboratorsAction = createAsyncThunk<APICollection<Collaborator>, undefined, AppThunkAPI>(
+export const fetchCollaboratorsAction = createAsyncThunk<APICollection<Collaborator>, string, AppThunkAPI>(
     'FETCH_COLLABORATORS',
-    async (arg, { extra, getState, signal }) => {
+    async (searchStr, { extra, getState, signal }) => {
         // Create a new client for each request
         const client = extra.api.getCollaboratorsAPI();
         const state = getState();
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@ export const fetchCollaboratorsAction = createAsyncThunk<APICollection<Collabora
         // Wrap the client request in a promise to allow it to be returned and cancelled
         return new Promise<APICollection<Collaborator>>((resolve, reject) => {
             client.getFileCollaborators(fileId, resolve, reject, {
+                filter_term: searchStr, // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/camelcase
                 include_groups: false, // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/camelcase
                 include_uploader_collabs: false, // eslint-disable-line @typescript-eslint/camelcase
             });