diff --git a/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp b/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
index 0be1f5f1..7285c662 100644
--- a/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
+++ b/src/PreferencesDialog.cpp
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ void PreferencesDialog::loadSettings()
     loadColorSetting(ui->fr_bin_bg, "bin_bg");
 
     ui->txtNull->setText(getSettingsValue("databrowser", "null_text").toString());
+    ui->editFilterEscape->setText(getSettingsValue("databrowser", "filter_escape").toString());
 
     for(int i=0; i < ui->treeSyntaxHighlighting->topLevelItemCount(); ++i)
     {
@@ -119,6 +120,7 @@ void PreferencesDialog::saveSettings()
     saveColorSetting(ui->fr_bin_fg, "bin_fg");
     saveColorSetting(ui->fr_bin_bg, "bin_bg");
     setSettingsValue("databrowser", "null_text", ui->txtNull->text());
+    setSettingsValue("databrowser", "filter_escape", ui->editFilterEscape->text());
 
     for(int i=0; i < ui->treeSyntaxHighlighting->topLevelItemCount(); ++i)
     {
@@ -250,6 +252,8 @@ QVariant PreferencesDialog::getSettingsDefaultValue(const QString& group, const
             return 10;
         if (name == "null_text")
             return "NULL";
+        if (name == "filter_escape")
+            return "\\";
         if (name == "null_fg_colour")
             return QColor(Qt::lightGray).name();
         if (name == "null_bg_colour")
diff --git a/src/PreferencesDialog.ui b/src/PreferencesDialog.ui
index 49d3e3fc..5bc30a1b 100644
--- a/src/PreferencesDialog.ui
+++ b/src/PreferencesDialog.ui
@@ -7,7 +7,7 @@
     <x>0</x>
     <y>0</y>
     <width>590</width>
-    <height>426</height>
+    <height>495</height>
    </rect>
   </property>
   <property name="windowTitle">
@@ -486,6 +486,32 @@
            </layout>
           </widget>
          </item>
+         <item>
+          <widget class="QGroupBox" name="groupBox_4">
+           <property name="title">
+            <string>Filters</string>
+           </property>
+           <layout class="QFormLayout" name="gridLayout_4">
+            <item row="0" column="1">
+             <widget class="QLineEdit" name="editFilterEscape">
+              <property name="maxLength">
+               <number>1</number>
+              </property>
+             </widget>
+            </item>
+            <item row="0" column="0">
+             <widget class="QLabel" name="label_18">
+              <property name="text">
+               <string>Escape character</string>
+              </property>
+              <property name="buddy">
+               <cstring>editFilterEscape</cstring>
+              </property>
+             </widget>
+            </item>
+           </layout>
+          </widget>
+         </item>
         </layout>
        </item>
       </layout>
diff --git a/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp b/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp
index 04ec19f8..9501c27e 100644
--- a/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp
+++ b/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp
@@ -536,6 +536,7 @@ void SqliteTableModel::updateFilter(int column, const QString& value)
     // Check for any special comparison operators at the beginning of the value string. If there are none default to LIKE.
     QString op = "LIKE";
     QString val;
+    QString escape;
     bool numeric = false;
     if(value.left(2) == ">=" || value.left(2) == "<=" || value.left(2) == "<>")
     {
@@ -556,12 +557,16 @@ void SqliteTableModel::updateFilter(int column, const QString& value)
             val = value.mid(1);
             numeric = true;
         }
+    } else if(value.left(1) == "=") {
+        op = "=";
+        val = value.mid(1);
     } else {
-        if(value.left(1) == "=")
-        {
-            op = "=";
-            val = value.mid(1);
-        }
+        // Keep the default LIKE operator
+
+        QString escape_character = PreferencesDialog::getSettingsValue("databrowser", "filter_escape").toString();
+        if(escape_character == "'") escape_character = "''";
+        if(escape_character.length())
+            escape = QString("ESCAPE '%1'").arg(escape_character);
     }
     if(val.isEmpty())
         val = value;
@@ -572,7 +577,7 @@ void SqliteTableModel::updateFilter(int column, const QString& value)
     if(val == "''")
         m_mWhere.remove(column);
     else
-        m_mWhere.insert(column, QString("%1 %2").arg(op).arg(QString(encode(val.toUtf8()))));
+        m_mWhere.insert(column, QString("%1 %2 %3").arg(op).arg(QString(encode(val.toUtf8()))).arg(escape));
 
     // Build the new query
     buildQuery();