diff --git a/message/classes/output/messagearea/message_search_results.php b/message/classes/output/messagearea/message_search_results.php
deleted file mode 100644
index 85c47c04f80..00000000000
--- a/message/classes/output/messagearea/message_search_results.php
+++ /dev/null
@@ -1,65 +0,0 @@
-<?php
-// This file is part of Moodle - http://moodle.org/
-//
-// Moodle is free software: you can redistribute it and/or modify
-// it under the terms of the GNU General Public License as published by
-// the Free Software Foundation, either version 3 of the License, or
-// (at your option) any later version.
-//
-// Moodle is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
-// but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
-// MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
-// GNU General Public License for more details.
-//
-// You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
-// along with Moodle.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
-
-/**
- * Contains class used to display message search results.
- *
- * @package   core_message
- * @copyright 2016 Mark Nelson <markn@moodle.com>
- * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
- */
-
-namespace core_message\output\messagearea;
-
-defined('MOODLE_INTERNAL') || die();
-
-use renderable;
-use templatable;
-
-/**
- * Class used to display message search results.
- *
- * @package   core_message
- * @copyright 2016 Mark Nelson <markn@moodle.com>
- * @license   http://www.gnu.org/copyleft/gpl.html GNU GPL v3 or later
- */
-class message_search_results implements templatable, renderable {
-
-    /**
-     * @var array The list of contacts.
-     */
-    public $contacts;
-
-    /**
-     * Constructor.
-     *
-     * @param array $contacts
-     */
-    public function __construct($contacts) {
-        $this->contacts = $contacts;
-    }
-
-    public function export_for_template(\renderer_base $output) {
-        $data = new \stdClass();
-        $data->contacts = array();
-        foreach ($this->contacts as $contact) {
-            $contact = new contact($contact);
-            $data->contacts[] = $contact->export_for_template($output);
-        }
-
-        return $data;
-    }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/message/externallib.php b/message/externallib.php
index 588a4d4c2ba..253cd52c282 100644
--- a/message/externallib.php
+++ b/message/externallib.php
@@ -1538,7 +1538,7 @@ class core_message_external extends external_api {
      * @since 3.2
      */
     public static function data_for_messagearea_search_messages($userid, $search, $limitfrom = 0, $limitnum = 0) {
-        global $CFG, $PAGE, $USER;
+        global $CFG, $USER;
 
         // Check if messaging is enabled.
         if (empty($CFG->messaging)) {
@@ -1567,10 +1567,38 @@ class core_message_external extends external_api {
             $params['limitfrom'],
             $params['limitnum']
         );
-        $results = new \core_message\output\messagearea\message_search_results($messages);
 
-        $renderer = $PAGE->get_renderer('core_message');
-        return $results->export_for_template($renderer);
+        $data = new \stdClass();
+        $data->contacts = [];
+        foreach ($messages as $message) {
+            $contact = new \stdClass();
+            $contact->userid = $message->userid;
+            $contact->fullname = $message->fullname;
+            $contact->profileimageurl = $message->profileimageurl;
+            $contact->profileimageurlsmall = $message->profileimageurlsmall;
+            $contact->messageid = $message->messageid;
+            $contact->ismessaging = $message->ismessaging;
+            $contact->sentfromcurrentuser = false;
+            if ($message->lastmessage) {
+                if ($message->userid !== $message->useridfrom) {
+                    $contact->sentfromcurrentuser = true;
+                }
+                $contact->lastmessage = shorten_text($message->lastmessage, 60);
+            } else {
+                $contact->lastmessage = null;
+            }
+            $contact->lastmessagedate = $message->lastmessagedate;
+            $contact->showonlinestatus = is_null($message->isonline) ? false : true;
+            $contact->isonline = $message->isonline;
+            $contact->isblocked = $message->isblocked;
+            $contact->isread = $message->isread;
+            $contact->unreadcount = $message->unreadcount;
+            $contact->conversationid = $message->conversationid;
+
+            $data->contacts[] = $contact;
+        }
+
+        return $data;
     }
 
     /**