diff --git a/lib/WeBWorK/ContentGenerator/Instructor/UserList.pm b/lib/WeBWorK/ContentGenerator/Instructor/UserList.pm
index 2f0a9f9a0a..886f8df58d 100644
--- a/lib/WeBWorK/ContentGenerator/Instructor/UserList.pm
+++ b/lib/WeBWorK/ContentGenerator/Instructor/UserList.pm
@@ -287,10 +287,10 @@ sub filter_handler ($c) {
 		for my $userID (@{ $c->{allUserIDs} }) {
 			if ($field eq 'permission') {
 				push @matchingUserIDs, $userID
-					if ($permissionLabels{ $allUsers{$userID}{permission} } =~ /^$regex/i);
+					if $c->maketext($permissionLabels{ $allUsers{$userID}{permission} }) =~ /^$regex/i;
 			} elsif ($field eq 'status') {
 				push @matchingUserIDs, $userID
-					if ($ce->status_abbrev_to_name($allUsers{$userID}{status}) =~ /^$regex/i);
+					if $c->maketext($ce->status_abbrev_to_name($allUsers{$userID}{status})) =~ /^$regex/i;
 			} else {
 				push @matchingUserIDs, $userID if $allUsers{$userID}{$field} =~ /^$regex/i;
 			}
diff --git a/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm b/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm
index dd0a53f8e1..3dd7a90d3a 100644
--- a/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm
+++ b/lib/WeBWorK/Localize.pm
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ our %Lexicon = (
 		x('ta'),    x('professor'), x('admin'),         x('nobody')
 	],
 
-	'_STATUS' => [ x('Enrolled'), x('Audit'), x('Drop'), x('Proctor') ],
+	'_STATUS' => [ x('Enrolled'), x('Audit'), x('Drop'), x('Proctor'), x('Observer') ],
 );
 
 1;