diff --git a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/PlatformSecurityContext.java b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/PlatformSecurityContext.java
index 9c99fb8e0..4e0053c78 100644
--- a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/PlatformSecurityContext.java
+++ b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/PlatformSecurityContext.java
@@ -12,4 +12,6 @@ public interface PlatformSecurityContext {
     AppUser authenticatedUser();
 
     void validateAccessRights(String resourceOfficeHierarchy);
+
+    String officeHierarcy();
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/SpringSecurityPlatformSecurityContext.java b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/SpringSecurityPlatformSecurityContext.java
index 2096725de..5e732562c 100644
--- a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/SpringSecurityPlatformSecurityContext.java
+++ b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/infrastructure/security/service/SpringSecurityPlatformSecurityContext.java
@@ -46,4 +46,9 @@ public class SpringSecurityPlatformSecurityContext implements PlatformSecurityCo
                 "The user doesn't have enough permissions to access the resource."); }
 
     }
+
+    @Override
+    public String officeHierarcy() {
+        return authenticatedUser().getOffice().getHierarchy();
+    }
 }
diff --git a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/client/service/ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl.java b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/client/service/ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl.java
index ce8e39e8f..01b1f8eea 100644
--- a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/client/service/ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl.java
+++ b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/client/service/ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl.java
@@ -93,14 +93,18 @@ public class ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl implements ClientReadPlatformService
     @Override
     public Page<ClientData> retrieveAll(final SearchParameters searchParameters) {
 
-        final AppUser currentUser = this.context.authenticatedUser();
-        final String hierarchy = currentUser.getOffice().getHierarchy();
-        final String hierarchySearchString = hierarchy + "%";
+        final String hierarchy = this.context.officeHierarcy();
+        String hierarchySearchString = hierarchy + "%";
+
+        if (searchParameters.isScopedByOfficeHierarchy()) {
+            this.context.validateAccessRights(searchParameters.getHierarchy());
+            hierarchySearchString = searchParameters.getHierarchy();
+        }
 
         final StringBuilder sqlBuilder = new StringBuilder(200);
         sqlBuilder.append("select SQL_CALC_FOUND_ROWS ");
         sqlBuilder.append(this.clientMapper.schema());
-        sqlBuilder.append(" where o.hierarchy like ? or transferToOffice.hierarchy like ?");
+        sqlBuilder.append(" where (o.hierarchy like ? or transferToOffice.hierarchy like ?) ");
 
         final String extraCriteria = buildSqlStringFromClientCriteria(searchParameters);
 
@@ -136,7 +140,6 @@ public class ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl implements ClientReadPlatformService
         final String displayName = searchParameters.getName();
         final String firstname = searchParameters.getFirstname();
         final String lastname = searchParameters.getLastname();
-        final String hierarchy = searchParameters.getHierarchy();
 
         String extraCriteria = "";
         if (sqlSearch != null) {
@@ -166,8 +169,8 @@ public class ClientReadPlatformServiceImpl implements ClientReadPlatformService
             extraCriteria += " and lastname like " + ApiParameterHelper.sqlEncodeString(lastname);
         }
 
-        if (hierarchy != null) {
-            extraCriteria += " and o.hierarchy like " + ApiParameterHelper.sqlEncodeString(hierarchy + "%");
+        if (searchParameters.isScopedByOfficeHierarchy()) {
+            extraCriteria += " and o.hierarchy like " + ApiParameterHelper.sqlEncodeString(searchParameters.getHierarchy() + "%");
         }
 
         if (StringUtils.isNotBlank(extraCriteria)) {
diff --git a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/group/service/SearchParameters.java b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/group/service/SearchParameters.java
index 11e4bde88..b41a4c373 100644
--- a/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/group/service/SearchParameters.java
+++ b/mifosng-provider/src/main/java/org/mifosplatform/portfolio/group/service/SearchParameters.java
@@ -112,6 +112,18 @@ public final class SearchParameters {
         return this.officeId != null && this.officeId != 0;
     }
 
+    public boolean isLimited() {
+        return this.limit != null && this.limit.intValue() > 0;
+    }
+
+    public boolean isOffset() {
+        return this.offset != null;
+    }
+
+    public boolean isScopedByOfficeHierarchy() {
+        return StringUtils.isNotBlank(this.hierarchy);
+    }
+
     public String getSqlSearch() {
         return this.sqlSearch;
     }
@@ -155,12 +167,4 @@ public final class SearchParameters {
     public String getSortOrder() {
         return this.sortOrder;
     }
-
-    public boolean isLimited() {
-        return this.limit != null && this.limit.intValue() > 0;
-    }
-
-    public boolean isOffset() {
-        return this.offset != null;
-    }
 }
\ No newline at end of file