diff --git a/rslib/src/search/parser.rs b/rslib/src/search/parser.rs
index a9df06dd0..656ed1700 100644
--- a/rslib/src/search/parser.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/search/parser.rs
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ pub(super) enum SearchNode<'a> {
     AddedInDays(u32),
     EditedInDays(u32),
     CardTemplate(TemplateKind<'a>),
-    Deck(Cow<'a, str>),
+    Deck(String),
     DeckID(DeckID),
     NoteTypeID(NoteTypeID),
     NoteType(OptionalRe<'a>),
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ fn search_node_for_text_with_argument<'a>(
     Ok(match key.to_ascii_lowercase().as_str() {
         "added" => SearchNode::AddedInDays(val.parse()?),
         "edited" => SearchNode::EditedInDays(val.parse()?),
-        "deck" => SearchNode::Deck(unescape_quotes(val)),
+        "deck" => SearchNode::Deck(unescape_to_enforced_re(val, ".")?),
         "note" => SearchNode::NoteType(unescape_to_re(val)?),
         "tag" => SearchNode::Tag(unescape_to_enforced_re(val, r"\S")?),
         "mid" => SearchNode::NoteTypeID(val.parse()?),
@@ -632,7 +632,7 @@ mod test {
         assert_eq!(parse(r#""field:val:ue""#), parse(r"field:val\:ue"));
         assert_eq!(parse(r#"field:"val:ue""#), parse(r"field:val\:ue"));
 
-        // any character should be escapable on the right side of  re:
+        // any character should be escapable on the right side of re:
         assert_eq!(
             parse(r#""re:\btest\%""#)?,
             vec![Search(Regex(r"\btest\%".into()))]
diff --git a/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs b/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs
index 9afbca0cd..fb06f659c 100644
--- a/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs
@@ -9,7 +9,6 @@ use crate::{
     err::Result,
     notes::field_checksum,
     notetype::NoteTypeID,
-    text::text_to_re,
     text::{normalize_to_nfc, strip_html_preserving_image_filenames, without_combining},
     timestamp::TimestampSecs,
 };
@@ -295,25 +294,26 @@ impl SqlWriter<'_> {
 
     fn write_deck(&mut self, deck: &str) -> Result<()> {
         match deck {
-            "*" => write!(self.sql, "true").unwrap(),
+            ".*" => write!(self.sql, "true").unwrap(),
             "filtered" => write!(self.sql, "c.odid != 0").unwrap(),
             deck => {
                 // rewrite "current" to the current deck name
                 let native_deck = if deck == "current" {
                     let current_did = self.col.get_current_deck_id();
-                    self.col
-                        .storage
-                        .get_deck(current_did)?
-                        .map(|d| d.name)
-                        .unwrap_or_else(|| "Default".into())
+                    regex::escape(
+                        self.col
+                            .storage
+                            .get_deck(current_did)?
+                            .map(|d| d.name)
+                            .unwrap_or_else(|| "Default".into())
+                            .as_str(),
+                    )
                 } else {
                     human_deck_name_to_native(deck)
                 };
 
                 // convert to a regex that includes child decks
-                // fixme: use unescape_to_enforced_re from parser.rs?
-                let re = text_to_re(&native_deck);
-                self.args.push(format!("(?i)^{}($|\x1f)", re));
+                self.args.push(format!("(?i)^{}($|\x1f)", native_deck));
                 let arg_idx = self.args.len();
                 self.sql.push_str(&format!(concat!(
                     "(c.did in (select id from decks where name regexp ?{n})",