diff --git a/client/src/app/gene/services/micro-tracks.service.ts b/client/src/app/gene/services/micro-tracks.service.ts
index 62968280..afe4fb4b 100644
--- a/client/src/app/gene/services/micro-tracks.service.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/gene/services/micro-tracks.service.ts
@@ -42,12 +42,10 @@ export class MicroTracksService extends HttpService {
       matched: String(params.matched),
       query: families,
     };
-    return this._makeRequest<{tracks: Track[]}>(serverID, 'microSearch', body).pipe(
-      map(({tracks}) => {
-        return tracks;
-      }),
-      catchError((error) => throwError(error)),
-    );
+    return this._makeRequest<{tracks: Track[]}>(serverID, 'microSearch', body)
+      .pipe(
+        map(({tracks}) => tracks),
+        catchError((error) => throwError(error)));
   }
 
   updateParams(params: QueryParams): void {
@@ -99,28 +97,4 @@ export class MicroTracksService extends HttpService {
       select(fromMicroTracks.getAlignedMicroTrackCluster(id))
     );
   }
-
-  // merges all the groups in the given array into a single group
-  private _mergeTracks(toMerge: Group[]): Group {
-    const merged: Group = Object.assign({}, toMerge[0]);
-    //merged.genes = toMerge[0].genes.slice();
-    //const seen = new Set(merged.genes.map((g) => g.id));
-    //for (let i = 1; i < toMerge.length; i++) {
-    //  for (const g of toMerge[i].genes) {
-    //    if (!seen.has(g.id)) {
-    //      seen.add(g.id);
-    //      merged.genes.push(g);
-    //    }
-    //  }
-    //}
-    return merged;
-  }
-
-  // removes the query from given MicroTracks if present
-  //private _removeQuery(query: Group, tracks: MicroTracks): void {
-    //const genes = new Set(query.genes.map((g) => g.id));
-    //tracks.groups = tracks.groups.filter((group) => {
-    //  return !group.genes.some((g) => genes.has(g.id));
-    //});
-  //}
 }
diff --git a/client/src/app/gene/store/effects/micro-tracks.effects.ts b/client/src/app/gene/store/effects/micro-tracks.effects.ts
index 34c35341..3e0308f0 100644
--- a/client/src/app/gene/store/effects/micro-tracks.effects.ts
+++ b/client/src/app/gene/store/effects/micro-tracks.effects.ts
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 // Angular
 import { Injectable } from '@angular/core';
 // store
-import { Action, Store } from '@ngrx/store';
+import { Store } from '@ngrx/store';
 import * as fromRoot from '@gcv/gene/store/reducers';
 import * as fromMicroTracks from '@gcv/gene/store/selectors/micro-tracks/';
 import * as fromRouter from '@gcv/gene/store/selectors/router/';
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ import { Effect, Actions, ofType } from '@ngrx/effects';
 import { combineLatest, of } from 'rxjs';
 import { catchError, map, switchMap, withLatestFrom } from 'rxjs/operators';
 import * as microTracksActions from '@gcv/gene/store/actions/micro-tracks.actions';
-import * as searchQueryTrackActions from '@gcv/gene/store/actions/search-query-track.actions';
 // app
 import { Track } from '@gcv/gene/models';
 import { ClusterMixin } from '@gcv/gene/models/mixins';
@@ -22,6 +21,16 @@ export class MicroTracksEffects {
               private microTracksService: MicroTracksService,
               private store: Store<fromRoot.State>) { }
 
+  // private
+
+  // returns true if any of the tracks overlap with the given track
+  private _tracksOverlap(track: Track, tracks: Track[]): boolean {
+    const genes = new Set(track.genes);
+    return tracks.some((t) => t.genes.some((g) => genes.has(g)));
+  }
+
+  // public
+
   // clear the store every time new parameters are emitted and search for tracks
   @Effect()
   clearTracks$ = this.store.select(fromRouter.getMicroQueryParams).pipe(
@@ -71,7 +80,12 @@ export class MicroTracksEffects {
   miroTracksSearch$ = this.actions$.pipe(
     ofType(microTracksActions.SEARCH),
     map((action: microTracksActions.Search) => action.payload),
-    switchMap(({cluster, families, source, params}) => {
+    withLatestFrom(
+      this.store.select(fromMicroTracks.getClusteredSelectedMicroTracks)),
+    switchMap(([{cluster, families, source, params}, clusteredTracks]) => {
+      const clusterTracks = clusteredTracks.filter((t: ClusterMixin) => {
+          return t.cluster === cluster;
+        });
       const mixin = (track: Track): (Track | ClusterMixin) => {
           track.source = source;
           const t = Object.create(track);
@@ -81,6 +95,7 @@ export class MicroTracksEffects {
       return this.microTracksService.microTracksSearch(families, params, source)
       .pipe(
         map((tracks) => {
+          tracks = tracks.filter((t) => !this._tracksOverlap(t, clusterTracks as Track[]));
           const payload = {cluster, source, tracks: tracks.map(mixin)};
           return new microTracksActions.SearchSuccess(payload);
         }),