diff --git a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OCustomFields.scala b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OCustomFields.scala
index bdec0212..8d47ed0b 100644
--- a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OCustomFields.scala
+++ b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/OCustomFields.scala
@@ -95,7 +95,9 @@ object OCustomFields {
       private[this] val logger = Logger.log4s[ConnectionIO](getLogger)
 
       def findAll(coll: Ident, nameQuery: Option[String]): F[Vector[CustomFieldData]] =
-        store.transact(QCustomField.findAllLike(coll, nameQuery.filter(_.nonEmpty)))
+        store.transact(
+          QCustomField.findAllLike(coll, nameQuery.map(WildcardString.apply).map(_.both))
+        )
 
       def findById(coll: Ident, field: Ident): F[Option[CustomFieldData]] =
         store.transact(QCustomField.findById(field, coll))
diff --git a/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/WildcardString.scala b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/WildcardString.scala
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..7fb0fec3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/modules/backend/src/main/scala/docspell/backend/ops/WildcardString.scala
@@ -0,0 +1,16 @@
+package docspell.backend.ops
+
+final class WildcardString private (str: String) {
+
+  def both: String =
+    if (str.startsWith("\"") && str.endsWith("\"")) str.drop(1).dropRight(1)
+    else if (str.startsWith("*") || str.endsWith("*")) str
+    else s"*$str*"
+
+}
+object WildcardString {
+
+  def apply(in: String): WildcardString =
+    new WildcardString(in.trim)
+
+}