diff --git a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/ItemQuery.scala b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/ItemQuery.scala
index 61bec94d..4fce13d2 100644
--- a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/ItemQuery.scala
+++ b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/ItemQuery.scala
@@ -109,7 +109,8 @@ object ItemQuery {
     final case class CustomFieldIdMatch(id: String, op: Operator, value: String)
         extends Expr
 
-    final case class Fulltext(query: String) extends Expr
+    final case class Fulltext(query: String)         extends Expr
+    final case class ChecksumMatch(checksum: String) extends Expr
 
     // things that can be expressed with terms above
     sealed trait MacroExpr extends Expr {
diff --git a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala
index 3a82dd1f..f4f8193c 100644
--- a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala
+++ b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala
@@ -65,6 +65,8 @@ object ExprUtil {
         expr
       case CustomFieldIdMatch(_, _, _) =>
         expr
+      case ChecksumMatch(_) =>
+        expr
     }
 
   private def spliceAnd(nodes: Nel[Expr]): Nel[Expr] =
diff --git a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/SimpleExprParser.scala b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/SimpleExprParser.scala
index 55b92188..00bf5aa0 100644
--- a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/SimpleExprParser.scala
+++ b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/SimpleExprParser.scala
@@ -76,6 +76,9 @@ object SimpleExprParser {
   val dirExpr: P[Expr.DirectionExpr] =
     (P.string("incoming:") *> BasicParser.bool).map(Expr.DirectionExpr.apply)
 
+  val checksumExpr: P[Expr.ChecksumMatch] =
+    (P.string("checksum:") *> BasicParser.singleString).map(Expr.ChecksumMatch.apply)
+
   val simpleExpr: P[Expr] =
     P.oneOf(
       List(
@@ -89,7 +92,8 @@ object SimpleExprParser {
         customFieldIdExpr,
         customFieldExpr,
         inboxExpr,
-        dirExpr
+        dirExpr,
+        checksumExpr
       )
     )
 }
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/qb/generator/ItemQueryGenerator.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/qb/generator/ItemQueryGenerator.scala
index 71760463..c92367fe 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/qb/generator/ItemQueryGenerator.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/qb/generator/ItemQueryGenerator.scala
@@ -3,15 +3,16 @@ package docspell.store.qb.generator
 import java.time.Instant
 import java.time.LocalDate
 
-import cats.data.NonEmptyList
+import cats.data.{NonEmptyList => Nel}
 
 import docspell.common._
 import docspell.query.ItemQuery._
 import docspell.query.{Date, ItemQuery}
 import docspell.store.qb.DSL._
 import docspell.store.qb.{Operator => QOp, _}
+import docspell.store.queries.QItem
 import docspell.store.queries.QueryWildcard
-import docspell.store.records.{RCustomField, RCustomFieldValue, TagItemName}
+import docspell.store.records._
 
 import doobie.util.Put
 
@@ -39,7 +40,7 @@ object ItemQueryGenerator {
 
           case Expr.TagIdsMatch(op, tags) =>
             val ids = tags.toList.flatMap(s => Ident.fromString(s).toOption)
-            NonEmptyList
+            Nel
               .fromList(ids)
               .map { nel =>
                 op match {
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ object ItemQueryGenerator {
 
       case Expr.TagIdsMatch(op, tags) =>
         val ids = tags.toList.flatMap(s => Ident.fromString(s).toOption)
-        NonEmptyList
+        Nel
           .fromList(ids)
           .map { nel =>
             op match {
@@ -152,6 +153,10 @@ object ItemQueryGenerator {
       case Expr.CustomFieldIdMatch(field, op, value) =>
         tables.item.id.in(itemsWithCustomField(_.id ==== field)(coll, makeOp(op), value))
 
+      case Expr.ChecksumMatch(checksum) =>
+        val select = QItem.findByChecksumQuery(checksum, coll, Set.empty)
+        tables.item.id.in(select.withSelect(Nel.of(RItem.as("i").id.s)))
+
       case Expr.Fulltext(_) =>
         // not supported here
         Condition.unit
diff --git a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
index a79db262..2e1e1296 100644
--- a/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
+++ b/modules/store/src/main/scala/docspell/store/queries/QItem.scala
@@ -509,6 +509,16 @@ object QItem {
       collective: Ident,
       excludeFileMeta: Set[Ident]
   ): ConnectionIO[Vector[RItem]] = {
+    val qq = findByChecksumQuery(checksum, collective, excludeFileMeta).build
+    logger.debug(s"FindByChecksum: $qq")
+    qq.query[RItem].to[Vector]
+  }
+
+  def findByChecksumQuery(
+      checksum: String,
+      collective: Ident,
+      excludeFileMeta: Set[Ident]
+  ): Select = {
     val m1  = RFileMeta.as("m1")
     val m2  = RFileMeta.as("m2")
     val m3  = RFileMeta.as("m3")
@@ -517,26 +527,23 @@ object QItem {
     val s   = RAttachmentSource.as("s")
     val r   = RAttachmentArchive.as("r")
     val fms = Nel.of(m1, m2, m3)
-    val qq =
-      Select(
-        select(i.all),
-        from(i)
-          .innerJoin(a, a.itemId === i.id)
-          .innerJoin(s, s.id === a.id)
-          .innerJoin(m1, m1.id === a.fileId)
-          .innerJoin(m2, m2.id === s.fileId)
-          .leftJoin(r, r.id === a.id)
-          .leftJoin(m3, m3.id === r.fileId),
-        where(
-          i.cid === collective &&
-            Condition.Or(fms.map(m => m.checksum === checksum)) &&?
-            Nel
-              .fromList(excludeFileMeta.toList)
-              .map(excl => Condition.And(fms.map(m => m.id.isNull || m.id.notIn(excl))))
-        )
-      ).distinct.build
-    logger.debug(s"FindByChecksum: $qq")
-    qq.query[RItem].to[Vector]
+    Select(
+      select(i.all),
+      from(i)
+        .innerJoin(a, a.itemId === i.id)
+        .innerJoin(s, s.id === a.id)
+        .innerJoin(m1, m1.id === a.fileId)
+        .innerJoin(m2, m2.id === s.fileId)
+        .leftJoin(r, r.id === a.id)
+        .leftJoin(m3, m3.id === r.fileId),
+      where(
+        i.cid === collective &&
+          Condition.Or(fms.map(m => m.checksum === checksum)) &&?
+          Nel
+            .fromList(excludeFileMeta.toList)
+            .map(excl => Condition.And(fms.map(m => m.id.isNull || m.id.notIn(excl))))
+      )
+    ).distinct
   }
 
   final case class NameAndNotes(