diff --git a/admin/themes/default/js/album_selector.js b/admin/themes/default/js/album_selector.js
index 6b9825916..9cc0b319d 100644
--- a/admin/themes/default/js/album_selector.js
+++ b/admin/themes/default/js/album_selector.js
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ function linked_albums_search(searchText) {
       cat_id: 0,
       recursive: true,
       fullname: true,
+      search: searchText,
     }
   } else {
     api_params = {
@@ -64,4 +65,4 @@ function linked_albums_search(searchText) {
       console.log(e.message);
     }
   })
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+}
diff --git a/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php b/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php
index 897d4d416..ae4f31a19 100644
--- a/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php
+++ b/include/ws_functions/pwg.categories.php
@@ -279,7 +279,16 @@ SELECT
   FROM '. CATEGORIES_TABLE .'
     '.$join_type.' JOIN '. USER_CACHE_CATEGORIES_TABLE .'
     ON id=cat_id AND user_id='.$join_user.'
-  WHERE '. implode("\n    AND ", $where) .'
+  WHERE '. implode("\n    AND ", $where);
+
+  if (isset($params["search"]) and $params['search'] != "")
+  {
+    $query .= '
+    AND name LIKE \'%'.pwg_db_real_escape_string($params["search"]).'%\'
+  LIMIT '.$conf["linked_album_search_limit"];
+  }
+
+  $query.= '
 ;';
   $result = pwg_query($query);
 
diff --git a/ws.php b/ws.php
index cbb8d683d..e3c2116cb 100644
--- a/ws.php
+++ b/ws.php
@@ -157,6 +157,7 @@ function ws_addDefaultMethods( $arr )
           'default' => IMG_THUMB,
           'info' => implode(',', array_keys(ImageStdParams::get_defined_type_map()))
           ),
+        'search' => array('default' => null),
         ),
       'Returns a list of categories.',
       $ws_functions_root . 'pwg.categories.php'