diff --git a/rslib/src/search/parser.rs b/rslib/src/search/parser.rs
index f59378be4..46575350c 100644
--- a/rslib/src/search/parser.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/search/parser.rs
@@ -53,6 +53,7 @@ pub(super) enum SearchNode<'a> {
     SingleField {
         field: Cow<'a, str>,
         text: Cow<'a, str>,
+        is_re: bool,
     },
     AddedInDays(u32),
     CardTemplate(TemplateKind),
@@ -272,10 +273,7 @@ fn search_node_for_text_with_argument<'a>(
         "prop" => parse_prop(val.as_ref())?,
         "re" => SearchNode::Regex(val),
         // anything else is a field search
-        _ => SearchNode::SingleField {
-            field: key,
-            text: val,
-        },
+        _ => parse_single_field(key.as_ref(), val.as_ref()),
     })
 }
 
@@ -392,6 +390,20 @@ fn parse_template(val: &str) -> SearchNode<'static> {
     })
 }
 
+fn parse_single_field(key: &str, mut val: &str) -> SearchNode<'static> {
+    let is_re = if val.starts_with("re:") {
+        val = val.trim_start_matches("re:");
+        true
+    } else {
+        false
+    };
+    SearchNode::SingleField {
+        field: key.to_string().into(),
+        text: val.to_string().into(),
+        is_re,
+    }
+}
+
 #[cfg(test)]
 mod test {
     use super::*;
@@ -424,7 +436,8 @@ mod test {
                     And,
                     Search(SingleField {
                         field: "foo".into(),
-                        text: "bar baz".into()
+                        text: "bar baz".into(),
+                        is_re: false,
                     })
                 ]))),
                 Or,
@@ -432,6 +445,15 @@ mod test {
             ]
         );
 
+        assert_eq!(
+            parse("foo:re:bar")?,
+            vec![Search(SingleField {
+                field: "foo".into(),
+                text: "bar".into(),
+                is_re: true
+            })]
+        );
+
         // any character should be escapable in quotes
         assert_eq!(
             parse(r#""re:\btest""#)?,
diff --git a/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs b/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs
index d259d88a6..dee776f45 100644
--- a/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs
+++ b/rslib/src/search/sqlwriter.rs
@@ -55,8 +55,8 @@ impl SqlWriter<'_, '_> {
     fn write_search_node_to_sql(&mut self, node: &SearchNode) -> Result<()> {
         match node {
             SearchNode::UnqualifiedText(text) => self.write_unqualified(text),
-            SearchNode::SingleField { field, text } => {
-                self.write_single_field(field.as_ref(), text.as_ref())?
+            SearchNode::SingleField { field, text, is_re } => {
+                self.write_single_field(field.as_ref(), text.as_ref(), *is_re)?
             }
             SearchNode::AddedInDays(days) => self.write_added(*days)?,
             SearchNode::CardTemplate(template) => self.write_template(template)?,
@@ -279,7 +279,7 @@ impl SqlWriter<'_, '_> {
         Ok(())
     }
 
-    fn write_single_field(&mut self, field_name: &str, val: &str) -> Result<()> {
+    fn write_single_field(&mut self, field_name: &str, val: &str, is_re: bool) -> Result<()> {
         let note_types = self.req.storage.all_note_types()?;
 
         let mut field_map = vec![];
@@ -299,15 +299,24 @@ impl SqlWriter<'_, '_> {
             return Ok(());
         }
 
-        self.args.push(val.replace('*', "%"));
+        let cmp;
+        if is_re {
+            cmp = "regexp";
+            self.args.push(format!("(?i){}", val));
+        } else {
+            cmp = "like";
+            self.args.push(val.replace('*', "%"));
+        }
+
         let arg_idx = self.args.len();
         let searches: Vec<_> = field_map
             .iter()
             .map(|(ntid, ord)| {
                 format!(
-                    "(n.mid = {mid} and field_at_index(n.flds, {ord}) like ?{n})",
+                    "(n.mid = {mid} and field_at_index(n.flds, {ord}) {cmp} ?{n})",
                     mid = ntid,
                     ord = ord,
+                    cmp = cmp,
                     n = arg_idx
                 )
             })