diff --git a/spec/search/search.spec.js b/spec/search/search.spec.js
index 95544fb2a..c628ac2a0 100644
--- a/spec/search/search.spec.js
+++ b/spec/search/search.spec.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-const searchService = require('../../src/services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../../src/services/search/services/search');
 const BNote = require('../../src/becca/entities/bnote.js');
 const BBranch = require('../../src/becca/entities/bbranch.js');
 const SearchContext = require('../../src/services/search/search_context');
diff --git a/src/becca/entities/bnote.ts b/src/becca/entities/bnote.ts
index 9886e7ae6..bda904f5b 100644
--- a/src/becca/entities/bnote.ts
+++ b/src/becca/entities/bnote.ts
@@ -78,13 +78,13 @@ class BNote extends AbstractBeccaEntity<BNote> {
 
     // following attributes are filled during searching in the database
     /** size of the content in bytes */
-    private contentSize!: number | null;
+    contentSize!: number | null;
     /** size of the note content, attachment contents in bytes */
-    private contentAndAttachmentsSize!: number | null;
+    contentAndAttachmentsSize!: number | null;
     /** size of the note content, attachment contents and revision contents in bytes */
-    private contentAndAttachmentsAndRevisionsSize!: number | null;
+    contentAndAttachmentsAndRevisionsSize!: number | null;
     /** number of note revisions for this note */
-    private revisionCount!: number | null;
+    revisionCount!: number | null;
 
     constructor(row?: Partial<NoteRow>) {
         super();
diff --git a/src/etapi/notes.js b/src/etapi/notes.js
index 1ab0df248..ebb12910b 100644
--- a/src/etapi/notes.js
+++ b/src/etapi/notes.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const mappers = require('./mappers.js');
 const noteService = require('../services/notes');
 const TaskContext = require('../services/task_context');
 const v = require('./validators.js');
-const searchService = require('../services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../services/search/services/search');
 const SearchContext = require('../services/search/search_context');
 const zipExportService = require('../services/export/zip.js');
 const zipImportService = require('../services/import/zip.js');
diff --git a/src/routes/api/autocomplete.js b/src/routes/api/autocomplete.js
index 4d48709a0..9ed36f89e 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/autocomplete.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/autocomplete.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "use strict";
 
 const beccaService = require('../../becca/becca_service');
-const searchService = require('../../services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../../services/search/services/search');
 const log = require('../../services/log');
 const utils = require('../../services/utils');
 const cls = require('../../services/cls');
diff --git a/src/routes/api/options.js b/src/routes/api/options.js
index fd24422dc..88f72ae71 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/options.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/options.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 const optionService = require('../../services/options');
 const log = require('../../services/log');
-const searchService = require('../../services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../../services/search/services/search');
 const ValidationError = require('../../errors/validation_error');
 
 // options allowed to be updated directly in the Options dialog
diff --git a/src/routes/api/search.js b/src/routes/api/search.js
index f01093726..e4b9dec8f 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/search.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/search.js
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@
 
 const becca = require('../../becca/becca');
 const SearchContext = require('../../services/search/search_context');
-const searchService = require('../../services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../../services/search/services/search');
 const bulkActionService = require('../../services/bulk_actions.js');
 const cls = require('../../services/cls');
 const {formatAttrForSearch} = require('../../services/attribute_formatter');
diff --git a/src/routes/routes.js b/src/routes/routes.js
index 2f2bdcb7d..3291fe7e5 100644
--- a/src/routes/routes.js
+++ b/src/routes/routes.js
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ const attributesRoute = require('./api/attributes.js');
 const scriptRoute = require('./api/script.js');
 const senderRoute = require('./api/sender.js');
 const filesRoute = require('./api/files.js');
-const searchRoute = require('./api/search.js');
+const searchRoute = require('./api/search');
 const bulkActionRoute = require('./api/bulk_action.js');
 const specialNotesRoute = require('./api/special_notes.js');
 const noteMapRoute = require('./api/note_map.js');
diff --git a/src/services/attributes.js b/src/services/attributes.js
index fc527429c..a670ec731 100644
--- a/src/services/attributes.js
+++ b/src/services/attributes.js
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use strict";
 
-const searchService = require('./search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('./search/services/search');
 const sql = require('./sql');
 const becca = require('../becca/becca');
 const BAttribute = require('../becca/entities/battribute');
diff --git a/src/services/backend_script_api.js b/src/services/backend_script_api.js
index a09283478..592946ee1 100644
--- a/src/services/backend_script_api.js
+++ b/src/services/backend_script_api.js
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@ const dayjs = require('dayjs');
 const xml2js = require('xml2js');
 const cloningService = require('./cloning.js');
 const appInfo = require('./app_info');
-const searchService = require('./search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('./search/services/search');
 const SearchContext = require('./search/search_context');
 const becca = require('../becca/becca');
 const ws = require('./ws');
diff --git a/src/services/date_notes.js b/src/services/date_notes.js
index d5e5b38b6..afced2392 100644
--- a/src/services/date_notes.js
+++ b/src/services/date_notes.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const attributeService = require('./attributes.js');
 const dateUtils = require('./date_utils');
 const sql = require('./sql');
 const protectedSessionService = require('./protected_session');
-const searchService = require('../services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../services/search/services/search');
 const SearchContext = require('../services/search/search_context');
 const hoistedNoteService = require('./hoisted_note');
 
diff --git a/src/services/search/search_context.ts b/src/services/search/search_context.ts
index d9eb5945e..f7c1e2198 100644
--- a/src/services/search/search_context.ts
+++ b/src/services/search/search_context.ts
@@ -1,20 +1,7 @@
 "use strict";
 
 import hoistedNoteService = require('../hoisted_note');
-
-interface SearchParams {
-    fastSearch?: boolean;
-    includeArchivedNotes?: boolean;
-    includeHiddenNotes?: boolean;
-    ignoreHoistedNote?: boolean;
-    ancestorNoteId?: string;
-    ancestorDepth?: string;
-    orderBy?: string;
-    orderDirection?: string;
-    limit?: number;
-    debug?: boolean;
-    fuzzyAttributeSearch?: boolean;
-}
+import { SearchParams } from './services/types';
 
 class SearchContext {
     
@@ -26,9 +13,9 @@ class SearchContext {
     ancestorDepth?: string;
     orderBy?: string;
     orderDirection?: string;
-    limit?: number;
+    limit?: number | null;
     debug?: boolean;
-    debugInfo: string | null;
+    debugInfo: {} | null;
     fuzzyAttributeSearch: boolean;
     highlightedTokens: string[];
     originalQuery: string;
diff --git a/src/services/search/search_result.ts b/src/services/search/search_result.ts
index 61075910f..cd4e31e7a 100644
--- a/src/services/search/search_result.ts
+++ b/src/services/search/search_result.ts
@@ -4,13 +4,15 @@ import beccaService = require('../../becca/becca_service');
 import becca = require('../../becca/becca');
 
 class SearchResult {
-    private notePathArray: string[];
-    private notePathTitle: string;
-    private score?: number;
+    notePathArray: string[];
+    score: number;
+    notePathTitle: string;
+    highlightedNotePathTitle?: string;
 
     constructor(notePathArray: string[]) {
         this.notePathArray = notePathArray;
         this.notePathTitle = beccaService.getNoteTitleForPath(notePathArray);
+        this.score = 0;
     }
 
     get notePath() {
diff --git a/src/services/search/services/parse.ts b/src/services/search/services/parse.ts
index 2e24ed8ac..de943fdd2 100644
--- a/src/services/search/services/parse.ts
+++ b/src/services/search/services/parse.ts
@@ -448,13 +448,14 @@ function getExpression(tokens: TokenData[], searchContext: SearchContext, level
 
 function parse({fulltextTokens, expressionTokens, searchContext}: {
     fulltextTokens: TokenData[],
-    expressionTokens: TokenData[],
-    searchContext: SearchContext
+    expressionTokens: (TokenData | TokenData[])[],
+    searchContext: SearchContext,
+    originalQuery: string
 }) {
     let expression: Expression | undefined | null;
 
     try {
-        expression = getExpression(expressionTokens, searchContext);
+        expression = getExpression(expressionTokens as TokenData[], searchContext);
     }
     catch (e: any) {
         searchContext.addError(e.message);
@@ -475,7 +476,7 @@ function parse({fulltextTokens, expressionTokens, searchContext}: {
         exp = new OrderByAndLimitExp([{
             valueExtractor: new ValueExtractor(searchContext, ['note', searchContext.orderBy]),
             direction: searchContext.orderDirection
-        }], searchContext.limit);
+        }], searchContext.limit || undefined);
 
         (exp as any).subExpression = filterExp;
     }
diff --git a/src/services/search/services/search.js b/src/services/search/services/search.ts
similarity index 78%
rename from src/services/search/services/search.js
rename to src/services/search/services/search.ts
index 67b7d4f1f..c986b80bb 100644
--- a/src/services/search/services/search.js
+++ b/src/services/search/services/search.ts
@@ -1,22 +1,28 @@
 "use strict";
 
-const normalizeString = require("normalize-strings");
-const lex = require('./lex');
-const handleParens = require('./handle_parens');
-const parse = require('./parse');
-const SearchResult = require('../search_result');
-const SearchContext = require('../search_context');
-const becca = require('../../../becca/becca');
-const beccaService = require('../../../becca/becca_service');
-const utils = require('../../utils');
-const log = require('../../log');
-const hoistedNoteService = require('../../hoisted_note');
+import normalizeString = require("normalize-strings");
+import lex = require('./lex');
+import handleParens = require('./handle_parens');
+import parse = require('./parse');
+import SearchResult = require('../search_result');
+import SearchContext = require('../search_context');
+import becca = require('../../../becca/becca');
+import beccaService = require('../../../becca/becca_service');
+import utils = require('../../utils');
+import log = require('../../log');
+import hoistedNoteService = require('../../hoisted_note');
+import BNote = require("../../../becca/entities/bnote");
+import BAttribute = require("../../../becca/entities/battribute");
+import { SearchParams, TokenData } from "./types";
+import Expression = require("../expressions/expression");
+import sql = require("../../sql");
 
-function searchFromNote(note) {
-    let searchResultNoteIds, highlightedTokens;
+function searchFromNote(note: BNote) {
+    let searchResultNoteIds;
+    let highlightedTokens: string[];
 
     const searchScript = note.getRelationValue('searchScript');
-    const searchString = note.getLabelValue('searchString');
+    const searchString = note.getLabelValue('searchString') || "";
     let error = null;
 
     if (searchScript) {
@@ -25,12 +31,12 @@ function searchFromNote(note) {
     } else {
         const searchContext = new SearchContext({
             fastSearch: note.hasLabel('fastSearch'),
-            ancestorNoteId: note.getRelationValue('ancestor'),
-            ancestorDepth: note.getLabelValue('ancestorDepth'),
+            ancestorNoteId: note.getRelationValue('ancestor') || undefined,
+            ancestorDepth: note.getLabelValue('ancestorDepth') || undefined,
             includeArchivedNotes: note.hasLabel('includeArchivedNotes'),
-            orderBy: note.getLabelValue('orderBy'),
-            orderDirection: note.getLabelValue('orderDirection'),
-            limit: note.getLabelValue('limit'),
+            orderBy: note.getLabelValue('orderBy') || undefined,
+            orderDirection: note.getLabelValue('orderDirection') || undefined,
+            limit: parseInt(note.getLabelValue('limit') || "0", 10),
             debug: note.hasLabel('debug'),
             fuzzyAttributeSearch: false
         });
@@ -51,7 +57,7 @@ function searchFromNote(note) {
     };
 }
 
-function searchFromRelation(note, relationName) {
+function searchFromRelation(note: BNote, relationName: string) {
     const scriptNote = note.getRelationTarget(relationName);
 
     if (!scriptNote) {
@@ -90,18 +96,21 @@ function searchFromRelation(note, relationName) {
 }
 
 function loadNeededInfoFromDatabase() {
-    const sql = require('../../sql');
-
     /**
      * This complex structure is needed to calculate total occupied space by a note. Several object instances
      * (note, revisions, attachments) can point to a single blobId, and thus the blob size should count towards the total
      * only once.
      *
-     * @var {Object.<string, Object.<string, int>>} - noteId => { blobId => blobSize }
+     * noteId => { blobId => blobSize }
      */
-    const noteBlobs = {};
+    const noteBlobs: Record<string, Record<string, number>> = {};
 
-    const noteContentLengths = sql.getRows(`
+    type NoteContentLengthsRow = {
+        noteId: string;
+        blobId: string;
+        length: number;
+    };
+    const noteContentLengths = sql.getRows<NoteContentLengthsRow>(`
         SELECT 
             noteId, 
             blobId,
@@ -122,7 +131,12 @@ function loadNeededInfoFromDatabase() {
         noteBlobs[noteId] = { [blobId]: length };
     }
 
-    const attachmentContentLengths = sql.getRows(`
+    type AttachmentContentLengthsRow = {
+        noteId: string;
+        blobId: string;
+        length: number;
+    };
+    const attachmentContentLengths = sql.getRows<AttachmentContentLengthsRow>(`
         SELECT
             ownerId AS noteId,
             attachments.blobId,
@@ -151,7 +165,13 @@ function loadNeededInfoFromDatabase() {
         becca.notes[noteId].contentAndAttachmentsSize = Object.values(noteBlobs[noteId]).reduce((acc, size) => acc + size, 0);
     }
 
-    const revisionContentLengths = sql.getRows(`
+    type RevisionRow = {
+        noteId: string;
+        blobId: string;
+        length: number;
+        isNoteRevision: true;
+    };
+    const revisionContentLengths = sql.getRows<RevisionRow>(`
             SELECT 
                 noteId, 
                 revisions.blobId,
@@ -186,8 +206,11 @@ function loadNeededInfoFromDatabase() {
 
         noteBlobs[noteId][blobId] = length;
 
-        if (isNoteRevision) {
-            becca.notes[noteId].revisionCount++;
+        if (isNoteRevision) { 
+            const noteRevision = becca.notes[noteId];
+            if (noteRevision && noteRevision.revisionCount) {
+                noteRevision.revisionCount++;
+            }
         }
     }
 
@@ -196,20 +219,16 @@ function loadNeededInfoFromDatabase() {
     }
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {Expression} expression
- * @param {SearchContext} searchContext
- * @returns {SearchResult[]}
- */
-function findResultsWithExpression(expression, searchContext) {
+function findResultsWithExpression(expression: Expression, searchContext: SearchContext): SearchResult[] {
     if (searchContext.dbLoadNeeded) {
         loadNeededInfoFromDatabase();
     }
 
     const allNoteSet = becca.getAllNoteSet();
 
+    const noteIdToNotePath: Record<string, string[]> = {};
     const executionContext = {
-        noteIdToNotePath: {}
+        noteIdToNotePath
     };
 
     const noteSet = expression.execute(allNoteSet, executionContext, searchContext);
@@ -250,16 +269,16 @@ function findResultsWithExpression(expression, searchContext) {
     return searchResults;
 }
 
-function parseQueryToExpression(query, searchContext) {
+function parseQueryToExpression(query: string, searchContext: SearchContext) {
     const {fulltextQuery, fulltextTokens, expressionTokens} = lex(query);
     searchContext.fulltextQuery = fulltextQuery;
 
-    let structuredExpressionTokens;
+    let structuredExpressionTokens: (TokenData | TokenData[])[];
 
     try {
         structuredExpressionTokens = handleParens(expressionTokens);
     }
-    catch (e) {
+    catch (e: any) {
         structuredExpressionTokens = [];
         searchContext.addError(e.message);
     }
@@ -284,23 +303,13 @@ function parseQueryToExpression(query, searchContext) {
     return expression;
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {string} query
- * @param {object} params - see SearchContext
- * @returns {BNote[]}
- */
-function searchNotes(query, params = {}) {
+function searchNotes(query: string, params: SearchParams = {}): BNote[] {
     const searchResults = findResultsWithQuery(query, new SearchContext(params));
 
     return searchResults.map(sr => becca.notes[sr.noteId]);
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {string} query
- * @param {SearchContext} searchContext
- * @returns {SearchResult[]}
- */
-function findResultsWithQuery(query, searchContext) {
+function findResultsWithQuery(query: string, searchContext: SearchContext): SearchResult[] {
     query = query || "";
     searchContext.originalQuery = query;
 
@@ -313,18 +322,13 @@ function findResultsWithQuery(query, searchContext) {
     return findResultsWithExpression(expression, searchContext);
 }
 
-/**
- * @param {string} query
- * @param {SearchContext} searchContext
- * @returns {BNote|null}
- */
-function findFirstNoteWithQuery(query, searchContext) {
+function findFirstNoteWithQuery(query: string, searchContext: SearchContext): BNote | null {
     const searchResults = findResultsWithQuery(query, searchContext);
 
     return searchResults.length > 0 ? becca.notes[searchResults[0].noteId] : null;
 }
 
-function searchNotesForAutocomplete(query) {
+function searchNotesForAutocomplete(query: string) {
     const searchContext = new SearchContext({
         fastSearch: true,
         includeArchivedNotes: false,
@@ -351,7 +355,7 @@ function searchNotesForAutocomplete(query) {
     });
 }
 
-function highlightSearchResults(searchResults, highlightedTokens) {
+function highlightSearchResults(searchResults: SearchResult[], highlightedTokens: string[]) {
     highlightedTokens = Array.from(new Set(highlightedTokens));
 
     // we remove < signs because they can cause trouble in matching and overwriting existing highlighted chunks
@@ -387,7 +391,7 @@ function highlightSearchResults(searchResults, highlightedTokens) {
         }
     }
 
-    function wrapText(text, start, length, prefix, suffix) {
+    function wrapText(text: string, start: number, length: number, prefix: string, suffix: string) {
         return text.substring(0, start) + prefix + text.substr(start, length) + suffix + text.substring(start + length);
     }
 
@@ -403,6 +407,7 @@ function highlightSearchResults(searchResults, highlightedTokens) {
             let match;
 
             // Find all matches
+            if (!result.highlightedNotePathTitle) { continue; }
             while ((match = tokenRegex.exec(normalizeString(result.highlightedNotePathTitle))) !== null) {
                 result.highlightedNotePathTitle = wrapText(result.highlightedNotePathTitle, match.index, token.length, "{", "}");
 
@@ -413,6 +418,7 @@ function highlightSearchResults(searchResults, highlightedTokens) {
     }
 
     for (const result of searchResults) {
+        if (!result.highlightedNotePathTitle) { continue; }
         result.highlightedNotePathTitle = result.highlightedNotePathTitle
             .replace(/"/g, "<small>")
             .replace(/'/g, "</small>")
@@ -421,7 +427,7 @@ function highlightSearchResults(searchResults, highlightedTokens) {
     }
 }
 
-function formatAttribute(attr) {
+function formatAttribute(attr: BAttribute) {
     if (attr.type === 'relation') {
         return `~${utils.escapeHtml(attr.name)}=…`;
     }
@@ -438,7 +444,7 @@ function formatAttribute(attr) {
     }
 }
 
-module.exports = {
+export = {
     searchFromNote,
     searchNotesForAutocomplete,
     findResultsWithQuery,
diff --git a/src/services/search/services/types.ts b/src/services/search/services/types.ts
index c383bdc2d..09450f760 100644
--- a/src/services/search/services/types.ts
+++ b/src/services/search/services/types.ts
@@ -3,4 +3,18 @@ export interface TokenData {
     inQuotes?: boolean;
     startIndex?: number;
     endIndex?: number;
+}
+
+export interface SearchParams {
+    fastSearch?: boolean;
+    includeArchivedNotes?: boolean;
+    includeHiddenNotes?: boolean;
+    ignoreHoistedNote?: boolean;
+    ancestorNoteId?: string;
+    ancestorDepth?: string;
+    orderBy?: string;
+    orderDirection?: string;
+    limit?: number | null;
+    debug?: boolean;
+    fuzzyAttributeSearch?: boolean;
 }
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/services/special_notes.js b/src/services/special_notes.js
index f6e2af9ae..a600261c2 100644
--- a/src/services/special_notes.js
+++ b/src/services/special_notes.js
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ const noteService = require('./notes');
 const dateUtils = require('./date_utils');
 const log = require('./log');
 const hoistedNoteService = require('./hoisted_note');
-const searchService = require('./search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('./search/services/search');
 const SearchContext = require('./search/search_context');
 const {LBTPL_NOTE_LAUNCHER, LBTPL_CUSTOM_WIDGET, LBTPL_SPACER, LBTPL_SCRIPT} = require('./hidden_subtree');
 
diff --git a/src/share/routes.js b/src/share/routes.js
index 0e14fd6ca..4ad5a15c6 100644
--- a/src/share/routes.js
+++ b/src/share/routes.js
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ const shareRoot = require('./share_root.js');
 const contentRenderer = require('./content_renderer.js');
 const assetPath = require('../services/asset_path');
 const appPath = require('../services/app_path');
-const searchService = require('../services/search/services/search.js');
+const searchService = require('../services/search/services/search');
 const SearchContext = require('../services/search/search_context');
 const log = require('../services/log');
 
diff --git a/src/types.d.ts b/src/types.d.ts
index c4ccea844..602d291c4 100644
--- a/src/types.d.ts
+++ b/src/types.d.ts
@@ -11,4 +11,9 @@ declare module 'unescape' {
 declare module 'html2plaintext' {
     function html2plaintext(htmlText: string): string;
     export = html2plaintext;
+}
+
+declare module 'normalize-strings' {
+    function normalizeString(string: string): string;
+    export = normalizeString;
 }
\ No newline at end of file