diff --git a/src/db.rs b/src/db.rs
index 3f3f54e..7eef380 100644
--- a/src/db.rs
+++ b/src/db.rs
@@ -388,7 +388,7 @@ fn query_from_filter(f: &ReqFilter) -> (String, Vec<Box<dyn ToSql>>) {
     // if the filter is malformed, don't return anything.
     if f.force_no_match {
         let empty_query =
-            "SELECT DISTINCT(e.content), e.created_at FROM event e LEFT JOIN tag t ON e.id=t.event_id WHERE 1=0"
+            "SELECT DISTINCT(e.content), e.created_at FROM event e WHERE 1=0"
             .to_owned();
         // query parameters for SQLite
         let empty_params: Vec<Box<dyn ToSql>> = vec![];
@@ -396,7 +396,7 @@ fn query_from_filter(f: &ReqFilter) -> (String, Vec<Box<dyn ToSql>>) {
     }
 
     let mut query =
-        "SELECT DISTINCT(e.content), e.created_at FROM event e LEFT JOIN tag t ON e.id=t.event_id "
+        "SELECT DISTINCT(e.content), e.created_at FROM event e  "
             .to_owned();
     // query parameters for SQLite
     let mut params: Vec<Box<dyn ToSql>> = vec![];
@@ -481,7 +481,8 @@ fn query_from_filter(f: &ReqFilter) -> (String, Vec<Box<dyn ToSql>>) {
             // create clauses with "?" params for each tag value being searched
             let str_clause = format!("value IN ({})", repeat_vars(str_vals.len()));
             let blob_clause = format!("value_hex IN ({})", repeat_vars(blob_vals.len()));
-            let tag_clause = format!("(name=? AND ({} OR {}))", str_clause, blob_clause);
+	    // find evidence of the target tag name/value existing for this event.
+            let tag_clause = format!("e.id IN (SELECT e.id FROM event e LEFT JOIN tag t on e.id=t.event_id WHERE hidden!=TRUE and (name=? AND ({} OR {})))", str_clause, blob_clause);
             // add the tag name as the first parameter
             params.push(Box::new(key.to_string()));
             // add all tag values that are plain strings as params