diff --git a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.cpp b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.cpp
index ccf88cecc..c826c1db0 100644
--- a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.cpp
+++ b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.cpp
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 
 #include "core/Config.h"
 #include "core/Database.h"
-#include "core/EntrySearcher.h"
+#include "core/Tools.h"
 #include "gui/DatabaseTabWidget.h"
 #include "gui/DatabaseWidget.h"
 
@@ -233,24 +233,16 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
             }
         }
 
-        static QMap<QString, QString> attrKeyToField{
-            {EntryAttributes::TitleKey, QStringLiteral("title")},
-            {EntryAttributes::UserNameKey, QStringLiteral("user")},
-            {EntryAttributes::URLKey, QStringLiteral("url")},
-            {EntryAttributes::NotesKey, QStringLiteral("notes")},
-        };
-
-        QStringList terms;
+        QList<EntrySearcher::SearchTerm> terms;
         for (auto it = attributes.constBegin(); it != attributes.constEnd(); ++it) {
             if (it.key() == EntryAttributes::PasswordKey) {
                 continue;
             }
-            auto field = attrKeyToField.value(it.key(), QStringLiteral("_") + Item::encodeAttributeKey(it.key()));
-            terms << QStringLiteral(R"raw(+%1:"%2")raw").arg(field, it.value());
+            terms << attributeToTerm(it.key(), it.value());
         }
 
         QList<Item*> items;
-        const auto foundEntries = EntrySearcher().search(terms.join(' '), m_exposedGroup);
+        const auto foundEntries = EntrySearcher().search(terms, m_exposedGroup);
         items.reserve(foundEntries.size());
         for (const auto& entry : foundEntries) {
             items << m_entryToItem.value(entry);
@@ -258,6 +250,28 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
         return items;
     }
 
+    EntrySearcher::SearchTerm Collection::attributeToTerm(const QString& key, const QString& value)
+    {
+        static QMap<QString, EntrySearcher::Field> attrKeyToField{
+            {EntryAttributes::TitleKey, EntrySearcher::Field::Title},
+            {EntryAttributes::UserNameKey, EntrySearcher::Field::Username},
+            {EntryAttributes::URLKey, EntrySearcher::Field::Url},
+            {EntryAttributes::NotesKey, EntrySearcher::Field::Notes},
+        };
+
+        EntrySearcher::SearchTerm term{};
+        term.field = attrKeyToField.value(key, EntrySearcher::Field::AttributeValue);
+        term.word = key;
+        term.exclude = false;
+
+        const auto useWildcards = false;
+        const auto exactMatch = true;
+        const auto caseSensitive = true;
+        term.regex = Tools::convertToRegex(value, useWildcards, exactMatch, caseSensitive);
+
+        return term;
+    }
+
     DBusReturn<Item*>
     Collection::createItem(const QVariantMap& properties, const SecretStruct& secret, bool replace, PromptBase*& prompt)
     {
diff --git a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.h b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.h
index f11669b7d..de9db3a49 100644
--- a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.h
+++ b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Collection.h
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@
 #include "DBusObject.h"
 
 #include "adaptors/CollectionAdaptor.h"
+#include "core/EntrySearcher.h"
 
 #include <QPointer>
 #include <QSet>
@@ -90,6 +91,8 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
         bool inRecycleBin(Group* group) const;
         bool inRecycleBin(Entry* entry) const;
 
+        static EntrySearcher::SearchTerm attributeToTerm(const QString& key, const QString& value);
+
     public slots:
         // expose some methods for Prmopt to use
         void doLock();
diff --git a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.cpp b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.cpp
index 18624bbdb..f3b8bceb7 100644
--- a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.cpp
+++ b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.cpp
@@ -99,10 +99,7 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
         // add custom attributes
         const auto customKeys = entryAttrs->customKeys();
         for (const auto& attr : customKeys) {
-            // decode attr key
-            auto decoded = decodeAttributeKey(attr);
-
-            attrs[decoded] = entryAttrs->value(attr);
+            attrs[attr] = entryAttrs->value(attr);
         }
 
         // add some informative and readonly attributes
@@ -134,8 +131,7 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
                 continue;
             }
 
-            auto encoded = encodeAttributeKey(it.key());
-            entryAttrs->set(encoded, it.value());
+            entryAttrs->set(it.key(), it.value());
         }
 
         m_backend->endUpdate();
@@ -354,16 +350,6 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
         return pathComponents.join('/');
     }
 
-    QString Item::encodeAttributeKey(const QString& key)
-    {
-        return QUrl::toPercentEncoding(key, "", "_:").replace('%', '_');
-    }
-
-    QString Item::decodeAttributeKey(const QString& key)
-    {
-        return QString::fromUtf8(QByteArray::fromPercentEncoding(key.toLatin1(), '_'));
-    }
-
     void setEntrySecret(Entry* entry, const QByteArray& data, const QString& contentType)
     {
         auto mimeName = contentType.split(';').takeFirst().trimmed();
diff --git a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.h b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.h
index cfec77fe5..39e83de74 100644
--- a/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.h
+++ b/src/fdosecrets/objects/Item.h
@@ -67,15 +67,6 @@ namespace FdoSecrets
     public:
         static const QSet<QString> ReadOnlyAttributes;
 
-        /**
-         * Due to the limitation in EntrySearcher, custom attr key cannot contain ':',
-         * Thus we encode the key when saving and decode it when returning.
-         * @param key
-         * @return
-         */
-        static QString encodeAttributeKey(const QString& key);
-        static QString decodeAttributeKey(const QString& key);
-
         DBusReturn<void> setProperties(const QVariantMap& properties);
 
         Entry* backend() const;
diff --git a/tests/TestFdoSecrets.cpp b/tests/TestFdoSecrets.cpp
index 3876f9033..6994f60ab 100644
--- a/tests/TestFdoSecrets.cpp
+++ b/tests/TestFdoSecrets.cpp
@@ -19,8 +19,11 @@
 
 #include "TestGlobal.h"
 
+#include "core/EntrySearcher.h"
 #include "fdosecrets/GcryptMPI.h"
 #include "fdosecrets/objects/SessionCipher.h"
+#include "fdosecrets/objects/Collection.h"
+#include "fdosecrets/objects/Item.h"
 
 #include "crypto/Crypto.h"
 
@@ -90,3 +93,22 @@ void TestFdoSecrets::testDhIetf1024Sha256Aes128CbcPkcs7()
 
     QCOMPARE(cipher->m_aesKey.toHex(), QByteArrayLiteral("6b8f5ee55138eac37118508be21e7834"));
 }
+
+void TestFdoSecrets::testCrazyAttributeKey()
+{
+    using FdoSecrets::Item;
+    using FdoSecrets::Collection;
+
+    const QScopedPointer<Group> root(new Group());
+    const QScopedPointer<Entry> e1(new Entry());
+    e1->setGroup(root.data());
+
+    const QString key = "_a:bc&-+'-e%12df_d";
+    const QString value = "value";
+    e1->attributes()->set(key, value);
+
+    // search for custom entries
+    const auto term = Collection::attributeToTerm(key, value);
+    const auto res = EntrySearcher().search({term}, root.data());
+    QCOMPARE(res.count(), 1);
+}
diff --git a/tests/TestFdoSecrets.h b/tests/TestFdoSecrets.h
index eecc687e4..e108a81b9 100644
--- a/tests/TestFdoSecrets.h
+++ b/tests/TestFdoSecrets.h
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@ private slots:
 
     void testGcryptMPI();
     void testDhIetf1024Sha256Aes128CbcPkcs7();
+    void testCrazyAttributeKey();
 };
 
 #endif // KEEPASSXC_TESTFDOSECRETS_H