diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiControllerBase.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiControllerBase.php
index 117d863e7..7b15c0c7f 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiControllerBase.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiControllerBase.php
@@ -39,6 +39,68 @@ use OPNsense\Auth\AuthenticationFactory;
  */
 class ApiControllerBase extends ControllerRoot
 {
+
+    /***
+     * Recordset (array in array) search wrapper
+     * @param string $path path to search, relative to this model
+     * @param array $fields fieldnames to search through in result
+     * @param string|null $defaultSort default sort field name
+     * @param null|function $filter_funct additional filter callable
+     * @param int $sort_flags sorting behavior
+     * @return array
+     */
+    protected function searchRecordsetBase(
+        $records,
+        $fields = null,
+        $defaultSort = null,
+        $filter_funct = null,
+        $sort_flags = SORT_NATURAL)
+    {
+        $itemsPerPage = intval($this->request->getPost('rowCount', 'int', 9999));
+        $currentPage = intval($this->request->getPost('current', 'int', 1));
+        $offset = ($currentPage - 1) * $itemsPerPage;
+        $entry_keys = array_keys($records);
+        $searchPhrase = (string)$this->request->getPost('searchPhrase', null, '');
+        $entry_keys = array_filter($entry_keys, function ($key) use ($searchPhrase, $filter_funct, $fields, $records) {
+            if (is_callable($filter_funct) && !$filter_funct($record)) {
+                // not applicable according to $filter_funct()
+                return false;
+            } elseif (!empty($searchPhrase)) {
+                foreach ($records[$key] as $itemkey => $itemval) {
+                    if (stripos($itemval, $searchPhrase) !== false && (empty($fields) || in_array($itemkey, $fields))) {
+                        return true;
+                    }
+                }
+                return false;
+            } else {
+                return true;
+            }
+        });
+        $formatted = array_map(function ($value) use (&$records) {
+            foreach ($records[$value] as $ekey => $evalue) {
+                $item[$ekey] = $evalue;
+            }
+            return $item;
+        }, array_slice($entry_keys, $offset, $itemsPerPage));
+
+        if ($this->request->hasPost('sort') && is_array($this->request->getPost('sort'))) {
+            $keys = array_keys($this->request->getPost('sort'));
+            $order = $this->request->getPost('sort')[$keys[0]];
+            $keys = array_column($formatted, $keys[0]);
+            array_multisort($keys, $order == 'asc' ? SORT_ASC : SORT_DESC, $sort_flags, $formatted);
+        } elseif (!empty($defaultSort)) {
+            $keys = array_column($formatted, $defaultSort);
+            array_multisort($keys, SORT_ASC, $sort_flags, $formatted);
+        }
+
+        return [
+           'total' => count($entry_keys),
+           'rowCount' => $itemsPerPage,
+           'current' => $currentPage,
+           'rows' => $formatted,
+        ];
+    }
+
     /**
      * parse raw json type content to POST data depending on content type
      * (only for api calls)
diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiMutableModelControllerBase.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiMutableModelControllerBase.php
index 1a87af759..9f05fe977 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiMutableModelControllerBase.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/Base/ApiMutableModelControllerBase.php
@@ -1,8 +1,8 @@
 <?php
 
 /*
+ * Copyright (C) 2016-2022 Deciso B.V.
  * Copyright (C) 2016 IT-assistans Sverige AB
- * Copyright (C) 2016 Deciso B.V.
  * Copyright (C) 2018 Fabian Franz
  * All rights reserved.
  *
diff --git a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/IPsec/Api/TunnelController.php b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/IPsec/Api/TunnelController.php
index 035b82e42..806798df1 100644
--- a/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/IPsec/Api/TunnelController.php
+++ b/src/opnsense/mvc/app/controllers/OPNsense/IPsec/Api/TunnelController.php
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 <?php
 
 /*
- * Copyright (C) 2021 Deciso B.V.
+ * Copyright (C) 2021-2022 Deciso B.V.
  * All rights reserved.
  *
  * Redistribution and use in source and binary forms, with or without
@@ -38,48 +38,6 @@ use OPNsense\Core\Config;
  */
 class TunnelController extends ApiControllerBase
 {
-    /***
-     * generic legacy search action, reads post variables for filters and page navigation.
-     */
-    private function search($records)
-    {
-        $itemsPerPage = intval($this->request->getPost('rowCount', 'int', 9999));
-        $currentPage = intval($this->request->getPost('current', 'int', 1));
-        $offset = ($currentPage - 1) * $itemsPerPage;
-        $entry_keys = array_keys($records);
-        if ($this->request->hasPost('searchPhrase') && $this->request->getPost('searchPhrase') !== '') {
-            $searchPhrase = (string)$this->request->getPost('searchPhrase');
-            $entry_keys = array_filter($entry_keys, function ($key) use ($searchPhrase, $records) {
-                foreach ($records[$key] as $itemval) {
-                    if (stripos($itemval, $searchPhrase) !== false) {
-                        return true;
-                    }
-                }
-                return false;
-            });
-        }
-        $formatted = array_map(function ($value) use (&$records) {
-            foreach ($records[$value] as $ekey => $evalue) {
-                $item[$ekey] = $evalue;
-            }
-            return $item;
-        }, array_slice($entry_keys, $offset, $itemsPerPage));
-
-        if ($this->request->hasPost('sort') && is_array($this->request->getPost('sort'))) {
-            $keys = array_keys($this->request->getPost('sort'));
-            $order = $this->request->getPost('sort')[$keys[0]];
-            $keys = array_column($formatted, $keys[0]);
-            array_multisort($keys, $order == 'asc' ? SORT_ASC : SORT_DESC, $formatted);
-        }
-
-        return [
-           'total' => count($entry_keys),
-           'rowCount' => $itemsPerPage,
-           'current' => $currentPage,
-           'rows' => $formatted,
-        ];
-    }
-
     /***
      * search phase 1 entries in legacy config returning a standard structure as we use in the mvc variant
      */
@@ -160,7 +118,7 @@ class TunnelController extends ApiControllerBase
                 $idx++;
             }
         }
-        return $this->search($items);
+        return $this->searchRecordsetBase($items);
     }
 
     /***
@@ -292,7 +250,7 @@ class TunnelController extends ApiControllerBase
                 $p2idx++;
             }
         }
-        return $this->search($items);
+        return $this->searchRecordsetBase($items);
     }
 
     /**