diff --git a/cmd/metal-api/internal/datastore/ip.go b/cmd/metal-api/internal/datastore/ip.go
index 5c54649a3..758dd68dc 100644
--- a/cmd/metal-api/internal/datastore/ip.go
+++ b/cmd/metal-api/internal/datastore/ip.go
@@ -97,6 +97,22 @@ func (rs *RethinkStore) SearchIPs(q *IPSearchQuery, ips *metal.IPs) error {
 	return rs.searchEntities(q.generateTerm(rs), ips)
 }
 
+// FindIPsByProjects returns all ips of given projects.
+// FIXME no test present to check if the query actually works
+// according to https://stackoverflow.com/questions/44424377/rethinkdb-query-filter-against-multiple-values-for-single-key it should :-)
+func (rs *RethinkStore) FindIPsByProjects(projects []string) (metal.IPs, error) {
+	q := *rs.ipTable()
+	q = q.Filter(func(row r.Term) r.Term {
+		return row.Field("projectid").Contains(func(nw r.Term) r.Term {
+			return nw.Field("projectid").Contains(r.Expr(projects))
+		})
+	})
+
+	ips := make([]metal.IP, 0)
+	err := rs.searchEntities(&q, ips)
+	return ips, err
+}
+
 // ListIPs returns all ips.
 func (rs *RethinkStore) ListIPs() (metal.IPs, error) {
 	ips := make([]metal.IP, 0)
diff --git a/cmd/metal-api/internal/service/switch-service.go b/cmd/metal-api/internal/service/switch-service.go
index 8fea0f965..8c7ba6fef 100644
--- a/cmd/metal-api/internal/service/switch-service.go
+++ b/cmd/metal-api/internal/service/switch-service.go
@@ -997,9 +997,12 @@ func makeSwitchCons(s *metal.Switch) []v1.SwitchConnection {
 }
 
 func findSwitchReferencedEntities(s *metal.Switch, ds *datastore.RethinkStore) (*metal.Partition, metal.IPsMap, metal.Machines, *metal.SwitchStatus, error) {
-	var err error
-	var p *metal.Partition
-	var m metal.Machines
+	var (
+		err      error
+		p        *metal.Partition
+		ms       metal.Machines
+		projects []string
+	)
 
 	if s.PartitionID != "" {
 		p, err = ds.FindPartition(s.PartitionID)
@@ -1007,13 +1010,17 @@ func findSwitchReferencedEntities(s *metal.Switch, ds *datastore.RethinkStore) (
 			return nil, nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("switch %q references partition, but partition %q cannot be found in database: %w", s.ID, s.PartitionID, err)
 		}
 
-		err = ds.SearchMachines(&datastore.MachineSearchQuery{PartitionID: &s.PartitionID}, &m)
+		err = ds.SearchMachines(&datastore.MachineSearchQuery{PartitionID: &s.PartitionID}, &ms)
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("could not search machines of partition %q for switch %q: %w", s.PartitionID, s.ID, err)
 		}
 	}
 
-	ips, err := ds.ListIPs()
+	for project := range ms.ByProjectID() {
+		projects = append(projects, project)
+	}
+
+	ips, err := ds.FindIPsByProjects(projects)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("ips could not be listed: %w", err)
 	}
@@ -1023,7 +1030,7 @@ func findSwitchReferencedEntities(s *metal.Switch, ds *datastore.RethinkStore) (
 		return nil, nil, nil, nil, fmt.Errorf("switchStatus could not be listed: %w", err)
 	}
 
-	return p, ips.ByProjectID(), m, ss, nil
+	return p, ips.ByProjectID(), ms, ss, nil
 }
 
 func makeSwitchResponseList(ss metal.Switches, ds *datastore.RethinkStore) ([]*v1.SwitchResponse, error) {