diff --git a/clientapi/routing/directory_public.go b/clientapi/routing/directory_public.go
index fcf3f656d..bae7e49bb 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/directory_public.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/directory_public.go
@@ -27,6 +27,7 @@ import (
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/httputil"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/clientapi/jsonerror"
 	currentstateAPI "github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/currentstateserver/api"
+	"github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/internal/config"
 	roomserverAPI "github.com/matrix-org/dendrite/roomserver/api"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/gomatrixserverlib"
 	"github.com/matrix-org/util"
@@ -41,6 +42,7 @@ type PublicRoomReq struct {
 	Since  string `json:"since,omitempty"`
 	Limit  int16  `json:"limit,omitempty"`
 	Filter filter `json:"filter,omitempty"`
+	Server string `json:"server,omitempty"`
 }
 
 type filter struct {
@@ -51,11 +53,28 @@ type filter struct {
 func GetPostPublicRooms(
 	req *http.Request, rsAPI roomserverAPI.RoomserverInternalAPI, stateAPI currentstateAPI.CurrentStateInternalAPI,
 	extRoomsProvider api.ExtraPublicRoomsProvider,
+	federation *gomatrixserverlib.FederationClient,
+	cfg *config.ClientAPI,
 ) util.JSONResponse {
 	var request PublicRoomReq
 	if fillErr := fillPublicRoomsReq(req, &request); fillErr != nil {
 		return *fillErr
 	}
+
+	serverName := gomatrixserverlib.ServerName(request.Server)
+
+	if serverName != "" && serverName != cfg.Matrix.ServerName {
+		res, err := federation.GetPublicRooms(req.Context(), serverName, int(request.Limit), request.Since, false, "")
+		if err != nil {
+			util.GetLogger(req.Context()).WithError(err).Error("failed to get public rooms")
+			return jsonerror.InternalServerError()
+		}
+		return util.JSONResponse{
+			Code: http.StatusOK,
+			JSON: res,
+		}
+	}
+
 	response, err := publicRooms(req.Context(), request, rsAPI, stateAPI, extRoomsProvider)
 	if err != nil {
 		util.GetLogger(req.Context()).WithError(err).Errorf("failed to work out public rooms")
@@ -98,6 +117,8 @@ func publicRooms(ctx context.Context, request PublicRoomReq, rsAPI roomserverAPI
 
 	response.TotalRoomCountEstimate = len(rooms)
 
+	rooms = filterRooms(rooms, request.Filter.SearchTerms)
+
 	chunk, prev, next := sliceInto(rooms, offset, limit)
 	if prev >= 0 {
 		response.PrevBatch = "T" + strconv.Itoa(prev)
@@ -111,6 +132,25 @@ func publicRooms(ctx context.Context, request PublicRoomReq, rsAPI roomserverAPI
 	return &response, err
 }
 
+func filterRooms(rooms []gomatrixserverlib.PublicRoom, searchTerm string) []gomatrixserverlib.PublicRoom {
+	if searchTerm == "" {
+		return rooms
+	}
+
+	normalizedTerm := strings.ToLower(searchTerm)
+
+	result := make([]gomatrixserverlib.PublicRoom, 0)
+	for _, room := range rooms {
+		if strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(room.Name), normalizedTerm) ||
+			strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(room.Topic), normalizedTerm) ||
+			strings.Contains(strings.ToLower(room.CanonicalAlias), normalizedTerm) {
+			result = append(result, room)
+		}
+	}
+
+	return result
+}
+
 // fillPublicRoomsReq fills the Limit, Since and Filter attributes of a GET or POST request
 // on /publicRooms by parsing the incoming HTTP request
 // Filter is only filled for POST requests
@@ -134,11 +174,13 @@ func fillPublicRoomsReq(httpReq *http.Request, request *PublicRoomReq) *util.JSO
 		}
 		request.Limit = int16(limit)
 		request.Since = httpReq.FormValue("since")
+		request.Server = httpReq.FormValue("server")
 	} else {
 		resErr := httputil.UnmarshalJSONRequest(httpReq, request)
 		if resErr != nil {
 			return resErr
 		}
+		request.Server = httpReq.FormValue("server")
 	}
 
 	// strip the 'T' which is only required because when sytest does pagination tests it stops
diff --git a/clientapi/routing/routing.go b/clientapi/routing/routing.go
index f2494dc78..24343ee19 100644
--- a/clientapi/routing/routing.go
+++ b/clientapi/routing/routing.go
@@ -314,7 +314,7 @@ func Setup(
 	).Methods(http.MethodPut, http.MethodOptions)
 	r0mux.Handle("/publicRooms",
 		httputil.MakeExternalAPI("public_rooms", func(req *http.Request) util.JSONResponse {
-			return GetPostPublicRooms(req, rsAPI, stateAPI, extRoomsProvider)
+			return GetPostPublicRooms(req, rsAPI, stateAPI, extRoomsProvider, federation, cfg)
 		}),
 	).Methods(http.MethodGet, http.MethodPost, http.MethodOptions)
 
diff --git a/sytest-whitelist b/sytest-whitelist
index a17ed8407..7ce59fef6 100644
--- a/sytest-whitelist
+++ b/sytest-whitelist
@@ -457,3 +457,6 @@ Inbound /v1/send_leave rejects leaves from other servers
 Guest users can accept invites to private rooms over federation
 AS user (not ghost) can join room without registering
 If user leaves room, remote user changes device and rejoins we see update in /sync and /keys/changes
+Can search public room list
+Can get remote public room list
+Asking for a remote rooms list, but supplying the local server's name, returns the local rooms list