diff --git a/mod/contacts.php b/mod/contacts.php
index 423fd40a23..fb4595739b 100644
--- a/mod/contacts.php
+++ b/mod/contacts.php
@@ -482,10 +482,10 @@ function contacts_content(&$a) {
 	$searching = false;
 	if($search) {
 		$search_hdr = $search;
-		$search = dbesc(protect_sprintf('%' . $search . '%'));
+		$search_txt = dbesc(protect_sprintf(preg_quote($search)));
 		$searching = true;
 	}
-	$sql_extra .= (($searching) ? " AND `name` REGEXP '$search' " : "");
+	$sql_extra .= (($searching) ? " AND `name` REGEXP '$search_txt' " : "");
 
 	if($nets)
 		$sql_extra .= sprintf(" AND network = '%s' ", dbesc($nets));
@@ -502,7 +502,6 @@ function contacts_content(&$a) {
 	}
 
 
-
 	$r = q("SELECT * FROM `contact` WHERE `uid` = %d AND `self` = 0 AND `pending` = 0 $sql_extra $sql_extra2 ORDER BY `name` ASC LIMIT %d , %d ",
 		intval($_SESSION['uid']),
 		intval($a->pager['start']),
@@ -569,7 +568,7 @@ function contacts_content(&$a) {
 		'$total' => $total,
 		'$search' => $search_hdr,
 		'$desc' => t('Search your contacts'),
-		'$finding' => (strlen($search) ? t('Finding: ') . "'" . $search . "'" : ""),
+		'$finding' => (($searching) ? t('Finding: ') . "'" . $search . "'" : ""),
 		'$submit' => t('Find'),
 		'$cmd' => $a->cmd,
 		'$contacts' => $contacts,