diff --git a/components/home/search/search-controller.js b/components/home/search/search-controller.js
index ad47f7bda..a44dcddb0 100644
--- a/components/home/search/search-controller.js
+++ b/components/home/search/search-controller.js
@@ -204,7 +204,7 @@ trackerCapture.controller('SearchController',function(
                         //Open TEI if unique and in same search scope and in selected org unit
                         if(gridData.rows.own.length ===1 && res.callingScope === res.resultScope && searchGroup.uniqueGroup){
                             $scope.searching = null;
-                            openTei(gridData.rows.own[0]);
+                            openTei(gridData.rows.own[0], [$scope.selectedOrgUnit.id]);
                             return;
                         }
                     } else if(rowsCnt > 0){
@@ -230,14 +230,18 @@ trackerCapture.controller('SearchController',function(
             }
         }
 
-        var openTei = function(tei, fromAudit){
+        var openTei = function(tei, programOwners, fromAudit){
             if($scope.searchingForRelatedTei) {
                 $rootScope.$broadcast('assignRelationshipTei', tei);
             } else {
-                $location.path('/dashboard').search({tei: tei.id,
-                    program: $scope.base.selectedProgramForSearch ? $scope.base.selectedProgramForSearch.id: null,
-                    ou: $scope.selectedOrgUnit.id, 
-                    fromAudit: fromAudit});
+                AccessUtils.withinUserHierarchy(programOwners[0].ownerOrgUnit).then(function(response) {
+                    $location.path('/dashboard').search({tei: tei.id,
+                        program: $scope.base.selectedProgramForSearch ? $scope.base.selectedProgramForSearch.id: null,
+                        ou: response ? programOwners[0].ownerOrgUnit : $scope.selectedOrgUnit.id,
+                        fromAudit: fromAudit});
+                }).catch(function(error) {
+                    console.log("error opening TEI from search modal: ", error);
+                });
             }
         }
 
@@ -385,7 +389,7 @@ trackerCapture.controller('SearchController',function(
                     $scope.openTei = function(tei){
                         if(internalService.base.selectedProgramForSearch && internalService.base.selectedProgramForSearch.id){
                             TEIService.getWithProgramData(tei.id, internalService.base.selectedProgramForSearch.id, internalService.base.optionSets, internalService.base.attributesById).then(function(resultTei){
-                                $modalInstance.close({ action: "OPENTEI", tei: tei, fromAudit: true});
+                                $modalInstance.close({ action: "OPENTEI", tei: tei, programOwners: resultTei.programOwners, fromAudit: true});
                             }, function(error){
                                 if(error && !error.auditDismissed && error.data && error.data.message){
                                     var headerText = $translate.instant('open_tei_error');
@@ -444,7 +448,7 @@ trackerCapture.controller('SearchController',function(
                 var def = $q.defer();
                 def.resolve();
                 if(res.action === "OPENTEI"){
-                    openTei(res.tei, res.fromAudit);
+                    openTei(res.tei, res.programOwners, res.fromAudit);
                 }else if(res.action === "OPENREGISTRATION")
                 {
                     var registrationPrefill = getRegistrationPrefill(searchGroup);
diff --git a/scripts/services.js b/scripts/services.js
index 11a79ff88..65751892b 100644
--- a/scripts/services.js
+++ b/scripts/services.js
@@ -3311,7 +3311,7 @@ i
         }
     }
 })
-.service('AccessUtils', function($q, TCStorageService){
+.service('AccessUtils', function($http, $q, TCStorageService){
 
     this.anyWritable = function(accessKeyValuePair){
         if(accessKeyValuePair){
@@ -3346,6 +3346,12 @@ i
         });
         return writable;
     }
+
+    this.withinUserHierarchy = function(ou) {
+        return $http.get(DHIS2URL + '/organisationUnits?withinUserHierarchy=true&fields=id&filter=id:eq:' + ou).then(function(response) {
+            return response.data.organisationUnits.length !== 0;
+        });
+    }
 })
 .service('TCOrgUnitService', function($q, $rootScope, TCStorageService, OrgUnitFactory){
     this.get = function(uid) {