diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/app/search/page.tsx b/thoughts-frontend/app/search/page.tsx
index c794bbd..1414c0e 100644
--- a/thoughts-frontend/app/search/page.tsx
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/app/search/page.tsx
@@ -1,9 +1,12 @@
 import { cookies } from "next/headers";
-import { getMe, search, User } from "@/lib/api";
+import { getMe, search, lookupRemoteActor, User } from "@/lib/api";
 import { UserListCard } from "@/components/user-list-card";
+import { RemoteUserCard } from "@/components/remote-user-card";
 import { Tabs, TabsContent, TabsList, TabsTrigger } from "@/components/ui/tabs";
 import { ThoughtList } from "@/components/thought-list";
 
+const HANDLE_RE = /^@[\w.-]+@[\w.-]+\.\w+$/;
+
 interface SearchPageProps {
   searchParams: Promise<{ q?: string }>;
 }
@@ -24,8 +27,11 @@ export default async function SearchPage({ searchParams }: SearchPageProps) {
     );
   }
 
-  const [results, me] = await Promise.all([
-    search(query, token).catch(() => null),
+  const isHandle = HANDLE_RE.test(query);
+
+  const [results, remoteActor, me] = await Promise.all([
+    isHandle ? null : search(query, token).catch(() => null),
+    isHandle ? lookupRemoteActor(query, token).catch(() => null) : null,
     token ? getMe(token).catch(() => null) : null,
   ]);
 
@@ -45,7 +51,18 @@ export default async function SearchPage({ searchParams }: SearchPageProps) {
         </p>
       </header>
       <main>
-        {results ? (
+        {isHandle ? (
+          remoteActor ? (
+            <div className="space-y-4">
+              <h2 className="text-lg font-semibold">Remote user</h2>
+              <RemoteUserCard actor={remoteActor} />
+            </div>
+          ) : (
+            <p className="text-center text-muted-foreground pt-8">
+              No user found at {query}
+            </p>
+          )
+        ) : results ? (
           <Tabs defaultValue="thoughts" className="w-full">
             <TabsList>
               <TabsTrigger value="thoughts">
diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/components/remote-user-card.tsx b/thoughts-frontend/components/remote-user-card.tsx
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..332b608
--- /dev/null
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/components/remote-user-card.tsx
@@ -0,0 +1,57 @@
+"use client";
+
+import { useState } from "react";
+import { useAuth } from "@/hooks/use-auth";
+import { followRemoteUser, RemoteActor } from "@/lib/api";
+import { Button } from "@/components/ui/button";
+import { UserAvatar } from "@/components/user-avatar";
+import { toast } from "sonner";
+import { UserPlus } from "lucide-react";
+
+interface RemoteUserCardProps {
+  actor: RemoteActor;
+}
+
+export function RemoteUserCard({ actor }: RemoteUserCardProps) {
+  const [followed, setFollowed] = useState(false);
+  const [loading, setLoading] = useState(false);
+  const { token } = useAuth();
+
+  const handleFollow = async () => {
+    if (!token) {
+      toast.error("You must be logged in to follow users.");
+      return;
+    }
+    setLoading(true);
+    try {
+      await followRemoteUser(actor.handle, token);
+      setFollowed(true);
+      toast.success(`Follow request sent to ${actor.handle}`);
+    } catch {
+      toast.error("Failed to send follow request.");
+    } finally {
+      setLoading(false);
+    }
+  };
+
+  return (
+    <div className="flex items-center justify-between p-4 border rounded-lg">
+      <div className="flex items-center gap-3">
+        <UserAvatar src={actor.avatarUrl} alt={actor.displayName ?? actor.handle} />
+        <div>
+          <p className="font-medium">{actor.displayName ?? actor.handle}</p>
+          <p className="text-sm text-muted-foreground">{actor.handle}</p>
+        </div>
+      </div>
+      <Button
+        onClick={handleFollow}
+        disabled={loading || followed}
+        variant={followed ? "secondary" : "default"}
+        size="sm"
+      >
+        <UserPlus className="mr-2 h-4 w-4" />
+        {followed ? "Requested" : "Follow"}
+      </Button>
+    </div>
+  );
+}
diff --git a/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts b/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts
index da02dd2..d2c5359 100644
--- a/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts
+++ b/thoughts-frontend/lib/api.ts
@@ -15,6 +15,14 @@ export const UserSchema = z.object({
 
 export const MeSchema = UserSchema;
 
+export const RemoteActorSchema = z.object({
+  handle: z.string(),
+  displayName: z.string().nullable(),
+  avatarUrl: z.string().nullable(),
+  url: z.string(),
+});
+export type RemoteActor = z.infer<typeof RemoteActorSchema>;
+
 export const ThoughtSchema = z.object({
   id: z.string().uuid(),
   content: z.string(),
@@ -208,6 +216,22 @@ export const followUser = (username: string, token: string) =>
 export const unfollowUser = (username: string, token: string) =>
   apiFetch(`/users/${username}/follow`, { method: "DELETE" }, z.null(), token);
 
+export const lookupRemoteActor = (handle: string, token: string | null) =>
+  apiFetch(
+    `/federation/lookup?handle=${encodeURIComponent(handle)}`,
+    {},
+    RemoteActorSchema,
+    token
+  );
+
+export const followRemoteUser = (handle: string, token: string) =>
+  apiFetch(
+    `/federation/follow`,
+    { method: "POST", body: JSON.stringify({ handle }) },
+    z.null(),
+    token
+  );
+
 export const getAllUsers = (page: number = 1, pageSize: number = 20) =>
   apiFetch(
     `/users?page=${page}&per_page=${pageSize}`,