diff --git a/src/components/clients/contact-picker-popover.tsx b/src/components/clients/contact-picker-popover.tsx
index 9717edc..e89d8fb 100644
--- a/src/components/clients/contact-picker-popover.tsx
+++ b/src/components/clients/contact-picker-popover.tsx
@@ -30,29 +30,44 @@ export function ContactPickerPopover({
   const [open, setOpen] = useState(false);
   const [q, setQ] = useState("");
   const [rows, setRows] = useState<PickResult[]>([]);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
 
   useEffect(() => {
     if (!open) return;
     setQ("");
-    supabase
-      .from("contacts")
-      .select("id, name, email, phone, title, company, contact_type")
-      .is("archived_at", null)
-      .order("name")
-      .limit(200)
-      .then(({ data }) => setRows((data ?? []) as PickResult[]));
   }, [open]);
 
-  const filtered = useMemo(() => {
-    const term = q.trim().toLowerCase();
-    if (!term) return rows;
-    return rows.filter(
-      (r) =>
-        r.name.toLowerCase().includes(term) ||
-        (r.company ?? "").toLowerCase().includes(term) ||
-        (r.email ?? "").toLowerCase().includes(term),
-    );
-  }, [rows, q]);
+  useEffect(() => {
+    if (!open) return;
+    let cancelled = false;
+    const term = q.trim();
+    setLoading(true);
+    const handle = setTimeout(async () => {
+      let query = supabase
+        .from("contacts")
+        .select("id, name, email, phone, title, company, contact_type")
+        .is("archived_at", null)
+        .order("name")
+        .limit(50);
+      if (term) {
+        const esc = term.replace(/[%,]/g, " ");
+        query = query.or(
+          `name.ilike.%${esc}%,company.ilike.%${esc}%,email.ilike.%${esc}%`,
+        );
+      }
+      const { data } = await query;
+      if (!cancelled) {
+        setRows((data ?? []) as PickResult[]);
+        setLoading(false);
+      }
+    }, 200);
+    return () => {
+      cancelled = true;
+      clearTimeout(handle);
+    };
+  }, [open, q]);
+
+  const filtered = rows;
 
   return (
     <Popover open={open} onOpenChange={setOpen}>