diff --git a/src/ExtendedTableWidget.cpp b/src/ExtendedTableWidget.cpp
index 21698afb..b3d3eb3d 100644
--- a/src/ExtendedTableWidget.cpp
+++ b/src/ExtendedTableWidget.cpp
@@ -612,6 +612,11 @@ void ExtendedTableWidget::useAsFilter(const QString& filterOperator, bool binary
     else
         value = data.toString();
 
+    // When Containing filter is requested (empty operator) and the value starts with
+    // an operator character, the character is escaped.
+    if (filterOperator.isEmpty())
+        value.replace(QRegExp("^(<|>|=)"), Settings::getValue("databrowser", "filter_escape").toString() + QString("\\1"));
+
     // If binary operator, the cell data is used as first value and
     // the second value must be added by the user.
     if (binary)
diff --git a/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp b/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp
index 483a12df..842030dc 100644
--- a/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp
+++ b/src/sqlitetablemodel.cpp
@@ -739,24 +739,14 @@ void SqliteTableModel::updateFilter(int column, const QString& value)
                 numeric = true;
                 val = "''";
             } else {
-                bool ok;
-                value.mid(2).toFloat(&ok);
-                if(ok)
-                {
-                    op = value.left(2);
-                    val = value.mid(2);
-                    numeric = true;
-                }
+                value.mid(2).toFloat(&numeric);
+                op = value.left(2);
+                val = value.mid(2);
             }
         } else if(value.left(1) == ">" || value.left(1) == "<") {
-            bool ok;
-            value.mid(1).toFloat(&ok);
-            if(ok)
-            {
-                op = value.left(1);
-                val = value.mid(1);
-                numeric = true;
-            }
+            value.mid(1).toFloat(&numeric);
+            op = value.left(1);
+            val = value.mid(1);
         } else if(value.left(1) == "=") {
             val = value.mid(1);