diff --git a/co-authors-plus.php b/co-authors-plus.php
index dde170db..0f7cfb30 100644
--- a/co-authors-plus.php
+++ b/co-authors-plus.php
@@ -1176,9 +1176,7 @@ public function search_authors( $search = '', $ignored_authors = array() ) {
 				),
 				'fields' => 'all_with_meta',
 			);
-		add_action( 'pre_user_query', array( $this, 'action_pre_user_query' ) );
 		$found_users = get_users( $args );
-		remove_action( 'pre_user_query', array( $this, 'action_pre_user_query' ) );
 
 		foreach ( $found_users as $found_user ) {
 			$term = $this->get_author_term( $found_user );
@@ -1223,17 +1221,6 @@ public function search_authors( $search = '', $ignored_authors = array() ) {
 		return (array) $found_users;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * Modify get_users() to search display_name instead of user_nicename
-	 */
-	function action_pre_user_query( $user_query ) {
-
-		if ( is_object( $user_query ) ) {
-			$user_query->query_where = str_replace( 'user_nicename LIKE', 'display_name LIKE', $user_query->query_where );
-		}
-
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Modify get_terms() to LIKE against the term description instead of the term name
 	 *