diff --git a/libs/utils/gtest/src/FilterTestSuite.cc b/libs/utils/gtest/src/FilterTestSuite.cc
index 8f7d07b4f..ccb32257d 100644
--- a/libs/utils/gtest/src/FilterTestSuite.cc
+++ b/libs/utils/gtest/src/FilterTestSuite.cc
@@ -751,6 +751,14 @@ TEST_F(FilterTestSuite, SubStringWithArrayAttributesTest) {
     celix_autoptr(celix_filter_t) filter3 = celix_filter_create("(strings=*Johnson)");
     EXPECT_TRUE(filter3 != nullptr);
     EXPECT_FALSE(celix_filter_match(filter3, props));
+
+    celix_autoptr(celix_filter_t) filter4 = celix_filter_create("(strings=Jane*)");
+    EXPECT_TRUE(filter4 != nullptr);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(celix_filter_match(filter4, props));
+
+    celix_autoptr(celix_filter_t) filter5 = celix_filter_create("(strings=*Smith)");
+    EXPECT_TRUE(filter5 != nullptr);
+    EXPECT_TRUE(celix_filter_match(filter5, props));
 }
 
 #include "filter.h"
diff --git a/libs/utils/src/filter.c b/libs/utils/src/filter.c
index 3f1386736..fe776aa19 100644
--- a/libs/utils/src/filter.c
+++ b/libs/utils/src/filter.c
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ static bool celix_filter_matchSubStringForValue(const celix_filter_t* filter, co
 
     const char* currentValue = value;
 
-    if (initial) {
+    if (!celix_utils_isStringNullOrEmpty(initial)) {
         const char* found = strstr(value, initial);
         currentValue = found + celix_utils_strlen(initial);
         if (!found || found != value) {
@@ -702,7 +702,7 @@ static bool celix_filter_matchSubStringForValue(const celix_filter_t* filter, co
         currentValue = found + celix_utils_strlen(substr);
     }
 
-    if (!celix_utils_stringEquals(final, "")) {
+    if (!celix_utils_isStringNullOrEmpty(final)) {
         const char* found = strstr(currentValue, final);
         if (!found || found + celix_utils_strlen(final) != value + strLen) {
             return false;
@@ -719,8 +719,8 @@ static bool celix_filter_matchSubString(const celix_filter_t* filter, const celi
             if (celix_filter_matchSubStringForValue(filter, substr)) {
                 return true;
             }
-            return false;
         }
+        return false;
     }
     return celix_filter_matchSubStringForValue(filter, entry->value);
 }