diff --git a/src/models/database.js b/src/models/database.js
index 8576cc96..70fc4d73 100644
--- a/src/models/database.js
+++ b/src/models/database.js
@@ -19,3 +19,10 @@ export const safeMirrorDbHandler = (callback) => {
       console.log('Mirror DB not connected');
     });
 };
+
+export const sanitizeSqliteFtsQuery = (query) => {
+  query = query.replace(/[-](?=.*[-])/g, "+"); // Replace all but the final dash
+  query = query.replace('-', ''); //Replace the final dash with nothing
+  query += '*'; // Query should end with asterisk for partial matching
+  return query;
+}
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/src/models/projects/projects.model.js b/src/models/projects/projects.model.js
index 762cbf0c..50bccf40 100644
--- a/src/models/projects/projects.model.js
+++ b/src/models/projects/projects.model.js
@@ -4,7 +4,7 @@ import Sequelize from 'sequelize';
 import rxjs from 'rxjs';
 const { Model } = Sequelize;
 
-import { sequelize, safeMirrorDbHandler } from '../database';
+import {sequelize, safeMirrorDbHandler, sanitizeSqliteFtsQuery} from '../database';
 
 import {
   RelatedProject,
@@ -170,10 +170,19 @@ class Project extends Model {
     if (columns.length) {
       fields = columns.join(', ');
     }
-
-    // hyphens cause errors in sqlite, but we can replace it with a + and
-    // the fulltext search will work the same
-    searchStr = searchStr = searchStr.replaceAll('-', '+');
+  
+    searchStr = sanitizeSqliteFtsQuery(searchStr);
+    
+    if (searchStr === '*') { // * isn't a valid matcher on its own. return empty set
+      return {
+        count: 0,
+        rows: [],
+      }
+    }
+  
+    if (searchStr.startsWith('+')) {
+      searchStr = searchStr.replace('+', '') // If query starts with +, replace it
+    }
 
     let sql = `SELECT ${fields} FROM projects_fts WHERE projects_fts MATCH :search`;
 
@@ -181,7 +190,7 @@ class Project extends Model {
       sql = `${sql} AND orgUid = :orgUid`;
     }
 
-    const replacements = { search: `${searchStr}*`, orgUid };
+    const replacements = { search: searchStr, orgUid };
 
     const count = (
       await sequelize.query(sql, {
diff --git a/src/models/units/units.model.js b/src/models/units/units.model.js
index c5ff292f..a517028f 100644
--- a/src/models/units/units.model.js
+++ b/src/models/units/units.model.js
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 'use strict';
 
 import Sequelize from 'sequelize';
-import { sequelize, safeMirrorDbHandler } from '../database';
+import {sequelize, safeMirrorDbHandler, sanitizeSqliteFtsQuery} from '../database';
 import { Qualification, Vintage } from '../../models';
 import { UnitMirror } from './units.model.mirror';
 import ModelTypes from './units.modeltypes.cjs';
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ class Unit extends Model {
         unitMarketplaceLink,
         cooresponingAdjustmentDeclaration,
         correspondingAdjustmentStatus
-    ) AGAINST ":search"
+    ) AGAINST '":search"'
     `;
 
     if (orgUid) {
@@ -215,16 +215,27 @@ class Unit extends Model {
     if (columns.length) {
       fields = columns.join(', ');
     }
-
-    searchStr = searchStr = searchStr.replaceAll('-', '+');
-
+  
+    searchStr = sanitizeSqliteFtsQuery(searchStr);
+    
+    if (searchStr === '*') { // * isn't a valid matcher on its own. return empty set
+      return {
+        count: 0,
+        rows: [],
+      }
+    }
+    
+    if (searchStr.startsWith('+')) {
+      searchStr = searchStr.replace('+', '') // If query starts with +, replace it
+    }
+    
     let sql = `SELECT ${fields} FROM units_fts WHERE units_fts MATCH :search`;
 
     if (orgUid) {
       sql = `${sql} AND orgUid = :orgUid`;
     }
 
-    const replacements = { search: `${searchStr}*`, orgUid };
+    const replacements = { search: searchStr, orgUid };
 
     const count = (
       await sequelize.query(sql, {