diff --git a/API.md b/API.md
index abdc8425..79c1e6eb 100644
--- a/API.md
+++ b/API.md
@@ -2258,6 +2258,9 @@ Date/time values can be of following form:
 
 Some fields, such as user names, can take wildcards (`*`).
 
+You can escape special characters such as `:` and `-` by prepending them with a
+backslash: `\\`.
+
 **Example**
 
 Searching for posts with following query:
@@ -2266,3 +2269,8 @@ Searching for posts with following query:
 
 will show flash files tagged as sea, that were liked by seven people at most,
 uploaded by user Pirate.
+
+Searching for posts with `re:zero` will show an error message about unknown
+named token.
+
+Searching for posts with `re\:zero` will show posts tagged with `re:zero`.
diff --git a/client/html/help_search_general.tpl b/client/html/help_search_general.tpl
index a7b05d83..6a5cfd58 100644
--- a/client/html/help_search_general.tpl
+++ b/client/html/help_search_general.tpl
@@ -80,6 +80,9 @@ take following form:</p>
 <code>,desc</code> to control the sort direction, which can be also controlled
 by negating the whole token.</p>
 
+<p>You can escape special characters such as <code>:</code> and <code>-</code>
+by prepending them with a backslash: <code>\\</code>.</p>
+
 <h1>Example</h1>
 
 <p>Searching for posts with following query:</p>
@@ -89,3 +92,8 @@ by negating the whole token.</p>
 <p>will show flash files tagged as sea, that were liked by seven people at
 most, uploaded by user Pirate.</p>
 
+<p>Searching for posts with <code>re:zero</code> will show an error message
+about unknown named token.</p>
+
+<p>Searching for posts with <code>re\:zero</code> will show posts tagged with
+<code>re:zero</code>.</p>
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/search/configs/post_search_config.py b/server/szurubooru/search/configs/post_search_config.py
index 34e86537..1dd85149 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/search/configs/post_search_config.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/search/configs/post_search_config.py
@@ -10,15 +10,6 @@ from szurubooru.search.configs.base_search_config import (
     BaseSearchConfig, Filter)
 
 
-def _enum_transformer(available_values: Dict[str, Any], value: str) -> str:
-    try:
-        return available_values[value.lower()]
-    except KeyError:
-        raise errors.SearchError(
-            'Invalid value: %r. Possible values: %r.' % (
-                value, list(sorted(available_values.keys()))))
-
-
 def _type_transformer(value: str) -> str:
     available_values = {
         'image': model.Post.TYPE_IMAGE,
@@ -31,7 +22,7 @@ def _type_transformer(value: str) -> str:
         'flash': model.Post.TYPE_FLASH,
         'swf': model.Post.TYPE_FLASH,
     }
-    return _enum_transformer(available_values, value)
+    return search_util.enum_transformer(available_values, value)
 
 
 def _safety_transformer(value: str) -> str:
@@ -41,7 +32,7 @@ def _safety_transformer(value: str) -> str:
         'questionable': model.Post.SAFETY_SKETCHY,
         'unsafe': model.Post.SAFETY_UNSAFE,
     }
-    return _enum_transformer(available_values, value)
+    return search_util.enum_transformer(available_values, value)
 
 
 def _create_score_filter(score: int) -> Filter:
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/search/configs/util.py b/server/szurubooru/search/configs/util.py
index c6b9b783..ac4bd8ee 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/search/configs/util.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/search/configs/util.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-from typing import Any, Optional, Union, Callable
+from typing import Any, Optional, Union, Dict, Callable
 import sqlalchemy as sa
 from szurubooru import db, errors
 from szurubooru.func import util
@@ -8,27 +8,62 @@ from szurubooru.search.configs.base_search_config import Filter
 
 
 Number = Union[int, float]
+WILDCARD = '(--wildcard--)'  # something unlikely to be used by the users
+
+
+def unescape(text: str, make_wildcards_special: bool = False) -> str:
+    output = ''
+    i = 0
+    while i < len(text):
+        if text[i] == '\\':
+            try:
+                char = text[i+1]
+                i += 1
+            except IndexError:
+                raise errors.SearchError(
+                    'Unterminated escape sequence (did you forget to escape '
+                    'the ending backslash?)')
+            if char not in '*\\:-.,':
+                raise errors.SearchError(
+                    'Unknown escape sequence (did you forget to escape '
+                    'the backslash?)')
+        elif text[i] == '*' and make_wildcards_special:
+            char = WILDCARD
+        else:
+            char = text[i]
+        output += char
+        i += 1
+    return output
 
 
 def wildcard_transformer(value: str) -> str:
     return (
-        value
+        unescape(value, make_wildcards_special=True)
         .replace('\\', '\\\\')
         .replace('%', '\\%')
         .replace('_', '\\_')
-        .replace('*', '%'))
+        .replace(WILDCARD, '%'))
+
+
+def enum_transformer(available_values: Dict[str, Any], value: str) -> str:
+    try:
+        return available_values[unescape(value.lower())]
+    except KeyError:
+        raise errors.SearchError(
+            'Invalid value: %r. Possible values: %r.' % (
+                value, list(sorted(available_values.keys()))))
 
 
 def integer_transformer(value: str) -> int:
-    return int(value)
+    return int(unescape(value))
 
 
 def float_transformer(value: str) -> float:
     for sep in list('/:'):
         if sep in value:
             a, b = value.split(sep, 1)
-            return float(a) / float(b)
-    return float(value)
+            return float(unescape(a)) / float(unescape(b))
+    return float(unescape(value))
 
 
 def apply_num_criterion_to_column(
@@ -84,23 +119,23 @@ def apply_str_criterion_to_column(
         for value in criterion.values:
             expr = expr | column.ilike(transformer(value))
     elif isinstance(criterion, criteria.RangedCriterion):
-        expr = column.ilike(transformer(criterion.original_text))
+        raise errors.SearchError(
+            'Ranged criterion is invalid in this context. '
+            'Did you forget to escape the dots?')
     else:
         assert False
     return expr
 
 
 def create_str_filter(
-    column: SaColumn,
-    transformer: Callable[[str], str]=wildcard_transformer
+    column: SaColumn, transformer: Callable[[str], str]=wildcard_transformer
 ) -> Filter:
     def wrapper(
             query: SaQuery,
             criterion: Optional[criteria.BaseCriterion],
             negated: bool) -> SaQuery:
         assert criterion
-        expr = apply_str_criterion_to_column(
-            column, criterion, transformer)
+        expr = apply_str_criterion_to_column(column, criterion, transformer)
         if negated:
             expr = ~expr
         return query.filter(expr)
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/search/parser.py b/server/szurubooru/search/parser.py
index 6369bc6e..50d8fb0e 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/search/parser.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/search/parser.py
@@ -1,17 +1,20 @@
 import re
-from typing import List
+from typing import Match, List
 from szurubooru import errors
 from szurubooru.search import criteria, tokens
 from szurubooru.search.query import SearchQuery
+from szurubooru.search.configs import util
 
 
 def _create_criterion(
         original_value: str, value: str) -> criteria.BaseCriterion:
-    if ',' in value:
-        return criteria.ArrayCriterion(
-            original_value, value.split(','))
-    if '..' in value:
-        low, high = value.split('..', 1)
+    if re.search(r'(?<!\\),', value):
+        values = re.split(r'(?<!\\),', value)
+        if any(not term.strip() for term in values):
+            raise errors.SearchError('Empty compound value')
+        return criteria.ArrayCriterion(original_value, values)
+    if re.search(r'(?<!\\)\.(?<!\\)\.', value):
+        low, high = re.split(r'(?<!\\)\.(?<!\\)\.', value, 1)
         if not low and not high:
             raise errors.SearchError('Empty ranged value')
         return criteria.RangedCriterion(original_value, low, high)
@@ -82,9 +85,10 @@ class Parser:
                 negated = True
             if not chunk:
                 raise errors.SearchError('Empty negated token.')
-            match = re.match('([a-z_-]+):(.*)', chunk)
+            match = re.match(r'^(.*?)(?<!\\):(.*)$', chunk)
             if match:
                 key, value = list(match.groups())
+                key = util.unescape(key)
                 if key == 'sort':
                     query.sort_tokens.append(
                         _parse_sort(value, negated))
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_tag_search_config.py b/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_tag_search_config.py
index 1dee3e34..8ea107f1 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_tag_search_config.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_tag_search_config.py
@@ -35,10 +35,77 @@ def test_filter_anonymous(
     verify_unpaged(input, expected_tag_names)
 
 
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('db_driver,input,expected_tag_names', [
+    (None, ',', None),
+    (None, 't1,', None),
+    (None, 't1,t2', ['t1', 't2']),
+    (None, 't1\\,', []),
+    (None, 'asd..asd', None),
+    (None, 'asd\\..asd', []),
+    (None, 'asd.\\.asd', []),
+    (None, 'asd\\.\\.asd', []),
+    (None, '-', None),
+    (None, '\\-', ['-']),
+    (None, '--', [
+        't1', 't2', '*', '*asd*', ':', 'asd:asd', '\\', '\\asd', '-asd',
+    ]),
+    (None, '\\--', []),
+    (None, '-\\-', [
+        't1', 't2', '*', '*asd*', ':', 'asd:asd', '\\', '\\asd', '-asd',
+    ]),
+    (None, '-*', []),
+    (None, '\\-*', ['-', '-asd']),
+    (None, ':', None),
+    (None, '\\:', [':']),
+    (None, '\\:asd', []),
+    (None, '*\\:*', [':', 'asd:asd']),
+    (None, 'asd:asd', None),
+    (None, 'asd\\:asd', ['asd:asd']),
+    (None, '*', [
+        't1', 't2', '*', '*asd*', ':', 'asd:asd', '\\', '\\asd', '-', '-asd'
+    ]),
+    (None, '\\*', ['*']),
+    (None, '\\', None),
+    (None, '\\asd', None),
+    ('psycopg2', '\\\\', ['\\']),
+    ('psycopg2', '\\\\asd', ['\\asd']),
+])
+def test_escaping(
+        executor, tag_factory, input, expected_tag_names, db_driver):
+    db.session.add_all([
+        tag_factory(names=['t1']),
+        tag_factory(names=['t2']),
+        tag_factory(names=['*']),
+        tag_factory(names=['*asd*']),
+        tag_factory(names=[':']),
+        tag_factory(names=['asd:asd']),
+        tag_factory(names=['\\']),
+        tag_factory(names=['\\asd']),
+        tag_factory(names=['-']),
+        tag_factory(names=['-asd'])
+    ])
+    db.session.flush()
+
+    if db_driver:
+        if db.sessionmaker.kw['bind'].driver != db_driver:
+            pytest.xfail()
+    if expected_tag_names is None:
+        with pytest.raises(errors.SearchError):
+            executor.execute(input, offset=0, limit=100)
+    else:
+        actual_count, actual_tags = executor.execute(
+            input, offset=0, limit=100)
+        actual_tag_names = [u.names[0].name for u in actual_tags]
+        assert actual_count == len(expected_tag_names)
+        assert sorted(actual_tag_names) == sorted(expected_tag_names)
+
+
 def test_filter_anonymous_starting_with_colon(verify_unpaged, tag_factory):
     db.session.add(tag_factory(names=[':t']))
     db.session.flush()
-    verify_unpaged(':t', [':t'])
+    with pytest.raises(errors.SearchError):
+        verify_unpaged(':t', [':t'])
+    verify_unpaged('\\:t', [':t'])
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('input,expected_tag_names', [
diff --git a/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_user_search_config.py b/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_user_search_config.py
index 6a71211b..475b6b23 100644
--- a/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_user_search_config.py
+++ b/server/szurubooru/tests/search/configs/test_user_search_config.py
@@ -86,12 +86,24 @@ def test_filter_by_name(
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('input,expected_user_names', [
     ('name:u1', ['u1']),
-    ('name:u2..', ['u2..']),
     ('name:u2*', ['u2..']),
-    ('name:*..*', ['u2..', 'u3..x']),
-    ('name:u3..x', ['u3..x']),
-    ('name:*..x', ['u3..x']),
     ('name:u1,u3..x', ['u1', 'u3..x']),
+    ('name:u2..', None),
+    ('name:*..*', None),
+    ('name:u3..x', None),
+    ('name:*..x', None),
+    ('name:u2\\..', ['u2..']),
+    ('name:*\\..*', ['u2..', 'u3..x']),
+    ('name:u3\\..x', ['u3..x']),
+    ('name:*\\..x', ['u3..x']),
+    ('name:u2.\\.', ['u2..']),
+    ('name:*.\\.*', ['u2..', 'u3..x']),
+    ('name:u3.\\.x', ['u3..x']),
+    ('name:*.\\.x', ['u3..x']),
+    ('name:u2\\.\\.', ['u2..']),
+    ('name:*\\.\\.*', ['u2..', 'u3..x']),
+    ('name:u3\\.\\.x', ['u3..x']),
+    ('name:*\\.\\.x', ['u3..x']),
 ])
 def test_filter_by_name_that_looks_like_range(
         verify_unpaged, input, expected_user_names, user_factory):
@@ -99,7 +111,11 @@ def test_filter_by_name_that_looks_like_range(
     db.session.add(user_factory(name='u2..'))
     db.session.add(user_factory(name='u3..x'))
     db.session.flush()
-    verify_unpaged(input, expected_user_names)
+    if not expected_user_names:
+        with pytest.raises(errors.SearchError):
+            verify_unpaged(input, expected_user_names)
+    else:
+        verify_unpaged(input, expected_user_names)
 
 
 @pytest.mark.parametrize('input,expected_user_names', [