diff --git a/src/public/javascripts/services/search_notes.js b/src/public/javascripts/services/search_notes.js
index ab28ba00f..c8d726b9c 100644
--- a/src/public/javascripts/services/search_notes.js
+++ b/src/public/javascripts/services/search_notes.js
@@ -80,12 +80,17 @@ async function doSearch(searchText) {
         return;
     }
 
-    const results = await server.get('search/' + encodeURIComponent(searchText));
+    const response = await server.get('search/' + encodeURIComponent(searchText));
+
+    if (!response.success) {
+        infoService.showError("Search failed.", 3000);
+        return;
+    }
 
     $searchResultsInner.empty();
     $searchResults.show();
 
-    for (const result of results) {
+    for (const result of response.results) {
         const link = $('<a>', {
             href: 'javascript:',
             text: result.title
diff --git a/src/routes/api/search.js b/src/routes/api/search.js
index f5267d6e6..c344841c6 100644
--- a/src/routes/api/search.js
+++ b/src/routes/api/search.js
@@ -9,7 +9,17 @@ const searchService = require('../../services/search');
 async function searchNotes(req) {
     const noteIds = await searchService.searchForNoteIds(req.params.searchString);
 
-    return noteIds.map(noteCacheService.getNotePath).filter(res => !!res);
+    try {
+        return {
+            success: true,
+            results: noteIds.map(noteCacheService.getNotePath).filter(res => !!res)
+        }
+    }
+    catch {
+        return {
+            success: false
+        }
+    }
 }
 
 async function searchFromNote(req) {
diff --git a/src/services/parse_filters.js b/src/services/parse_filters.js
index 0ae1bba17..17166b1fa 100644
--- a/src/services/parse_filters.js
+++ b/src/services/parse_filters.js
@@ -45,18 +45,20 @@ function calculateSmartValue(v) {
 module.exports = function (searchText) {
     // if the string doesn't start with attribute then we consider it as just standard full text search
     if (!searchText.trim().startsWith("@")) {
+        const sanitizedSearchText = searchText.replace(/[^\w ]+/g, "");
+
         return [
             {
                 relation: 'and',
                 name: 'text',
                 operator: '=',
-                value: searchText
+                value: sanitizedSearchText
             },
             {
                 relation: 'or',
                 name: 'noteId',
                 operator: '=',
-                value: searchText
+                value: sanitizedSearchText
             }
         ]
     }