diff --git a/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py b/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py
index f331d5f0c..af029d439 100644
--- a/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py
+++ b/qt/aqt/browser/sidebar/tree.py
@@ -711,12 +711,12 @@ class SidebarTreeView(QTreeView):
             collapse_key=Config.Bool.COLLAPSE_TAGS,
             type=SidebarItemType.TAG_ROOT,
         )
-        root.search_node = SearchNode(negated=SearchNode(tag="none"))
+        root.search_node = SearchNode(tag="_*")
         root.add_simple(
             name=tr.browsing_sidebar_untagged(),
             icon=icon,
             type=SidebarItemType.TAG_NONE,
-            search_node=SearchNode(tag="none"),
+            search_node=SearchNode(negated=SearchNode(tag="_*")),
         )
 
         render(root, tree.children)
@@ -763,7 +763,7 @@ class SidebarTreeView(QTreeView):
             collapse_key=Config.Bool.COLLAPSE_DECKS,
             type=SidebarItemType.DECK_ROOT,
         )
-        root.search_node = SearchNode(deck="*")
+        root.search_node = SearchNode(deck="_*")
         current = root.add_simple(
             name=tr.browsing_current_deck(),
             icon=icon,
@@ -786,6 +786,7 @@ class SidebarTreeView(QTreeView):
             collapse_key=Config.Bool.COLLAPSE_NOTETYPES,
             type=SidebarItemType.NOTETYPE_ROOT,
         )
+        root.search_node = SearchNode(note="_*")
 
         for nt in sorted(self.col.models.all(), key=lambda nt: nt["name"].lower()):
             item = SidebarItem(
diff --git a/rslib/src/backend/search/search_node.rs b/rslib/src/backend/search/search_node.rs
index d1f9da9ab..b2d9c50d1 100644
--- a/rslib/src/backend/search/search_node.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/backend/search/search_node.rs
@@ -23,11 +23,7 @@ impl TryFrom<pb::SearchNode> for Node {
         Ok(if let Some(filter) = msg.filter {
             match filter {
                 Filter::Tag(s) => Node::Search(SearchNode::Tag(escape_anki_wildcards(&s))),
-                Filter::Deck(s) => Node::Search(SearchNode::Deck(if s == "*" {
-                    s
-                } else {
-                    escape_anki_wildcards(&s)
-                })),
+                Filter::Deck(s) => Node::Search(SearchNode::Deck(escape_anki_wildcards(&s))),
                 Filter::Note(s) => Node::Search(SearchNode::Notetype(escape_anki_wildcards(&s))),
                 Filter::Template(u) => {
                     Node::Search(SearchNode::CardTemplate(TemplateKind::Ordinal(u as u16)))
diff --git a/rslib/src/text.rs b/rslib/src/text.rs
index ae110119d..0bb4ce81c 100644
--- a/rslib/src/text.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/text.rs
@@ -399,10 +399,14 @@ pub(crate) fn to_text(txt: &str) -> Cow<str> {
 
 /// Escape Anki wildcards and the backslash for escaping them: \*_
 pub(crate) fn escape_anki_wildcards(txt: &str) -> String {
-    lazy_static! {
-        static ref RE: Regex = Regex::new(r"[\\*_]").unwrap();
+    if txt == "_*" {
+        txt.to_string()
+    } else {
+        lazy_static! {
+            static ref RE: Regex = Regex::new(r"[\\*_]").unwrap();
+        }
+        RE.replace_all(&txt, r"\$0").into()
     }
-    RE.replace_all(&txt, r"\$0").into()
 }
 
 /// Compare text with a possible glob, folding case.