diff --git a/controller/search.go b/controller/search.go
index 4a970a96dd..8f80e31947 100644
--- a/controller/search.go
+++ b/controller/search.go
@@ -260,21 +260,11 @@ func (c *SearchController) Show(ctx *app.ShowSearchContext) error {
 		var err error
 		result, count, err = appl.SearchItems().SearchFullText(ctx.Context, *ctx.Q, &offset, &limit, ctx.SpaceID)
 		if err != nil {
-			cause := errs.Cause(err)
-			switch cause.(type) {
-			case errors.BadParameterError:
-				log.Error(ctx, map[string]interface{}{
-					"err":        err,
-					"expression": *ctx.Q,
-				}, "unable to list the work items")
-				return goa.ErrBadRequest(fmt.Sprintf("error listing work items for expression: %s: %s", *ctx.Q, err))
-			default:
-				log.Error(ctx, map[string]interface{}{
-					"err":        err,
-					"expression": *ctx.Q,
-				}, "unable to list the work items")
-				return goa.ErrInternal(fmt.Sprintf("unable to list the work items expression: %s: %s", *ctx.Q, err))
-			}
+			log.Error(ctx, map[string]interface{}{
+				"err":        err,
+				"expression": *ctx.Q,
+			}, "unable to list the work items")
+			return errs.Wrapf(err, "unable to list the work items for expression: %s", *ctx.Q)
 		}
 		return nil
 	})
diff --git a/controller/search_blackbox_test.go b/controller/search_blackbox_test.go
index 771132e7bc..8b43af6575 100644
--- a/controller/search_blackbox_test.go
+++ b/controller/search_blackbox_test.go
@@ -311,6 +311,26 @@ func (s *searchControllerTestSuite) TestSearchWorkItemsSpaceContext() {
 	assert.Len(s.T(), sr.Data, 8)
 }
 
+func (s *searchControllerTestSuite) TestFullTextSearch() {
+	fxt := tf.NewTestFixture(s.T(), s.DB,
+		tf.CreateWorkItemEnvironment(),
+		tf.WorkItems(3, tf.SetWorkItemTitles("foo", "work item with 'single quotes' in title", "bar")),
+	)
+	// regression test for:
+	// https://github.com/openshiftio/openshift.io/issues/4288
+	// https://github.com/fabric8-services/fabric8-wit/issues/2273
+	s.T().Run("search for work item with single quotes in name", func(t *testing.T) {
+		// when
+		q := "with 'single"
+		spaceIDStr := fxt.Spaces[0].ID.String()
+		_, sr := test.ShowSearchOK(t, nil, nil, s.controller, nil, nil, nil, nil, &q, &spaceIDStr)
+		// then
+		require.NotNil(t, sr)
+		require.Len(t, sr.Data, 1)
+		require.Equal(t, fxt.WorkItems[1].ID, *sr.Data[0].ID)
+	})
+}
+
 func (s *searchControllerTestSuite) TestSearchWorkItemsWithoutSpaceContext() {
 	// given 2 spaces with 10 workitems in the first and 5 in the second space
 	// random title used in work items
diff --git a/search/search_repository.go b/search/search_repository.go
index 7e765b1e05..fe45bdaead 100644
--- a/search/search_repository.go
+++ b/search/search_repository.go
@@ -136,8 +136,8 @@ func trimProtocolFromURLString(urlString string) string {
 }
 
 func escapeCharFromURLString(urlString string) string {
-	// Replacer will escape `:` and `)` `(`.
-	var replacer = strings.NewReplacer(":", "\\:", "(", "\\(", ")", "\\)")
+	// Replacer will escape `:` and `)` `(`, and `'`.
+	var replacer = strings.NewReplacer(":", "\\:", "(", "\\(", ")", "\\)", "'", "")
 	return replacer.Replace(urlString)
 }
 
@@ -588,7 +588,7 @@ func (r *GormSearchRepository) search(ctx context.Context, sqlSearchQueryParamet
 	rows, err := db.Rows()
 	defer closeable.Close(ctx, rows)
 	if err != nil {
-		return nil, 0, errs.WithStack(err)
+		return nil, 0, errs.Wrapf(err, "failed to execute search query")
 	}
 
 	result := []workitem.WorkItemStorage{}
diff --git a/search/search_repository_blackbox_test.go b/search/search_repository_blackbox_test.go
index a079c66c9c..421a51133b 100644
--- a/search/search_repository_blackbox_test.go
+++ b/search/search_repository_blackbox_test.go
@@ -518,6 +518,21 @@ func (s *searchRepositoryBlackboxTest) TestSearchFullText() {
 			assert.Equal(t, 2, count)
 			assert.Condition(t, containsAllWorkItems(res, *fxt.WorkItems[1], *fxt.WorkItems[0]))
 		})
+		// regression test for:
+		// https://github.com/openshiftio/openshift.io/issues/4288
+		// https://github.com/fabric8-services/fabric8-wit/issues/2273
+		t.Run("search for work item with single quotes in name", func(t *testing.T) {
+			// given
+			fxt := tf.NewTestFixture(t, s.DB, tf.WorkItems(3, tf.SetWorkItemTitles("foo", "title with 'single quotes' in it", "bar")))
+			spaceID := fxt.Spaces[0].ID.String()
+			query := "with 'single quotes'"
+			// when
+			res, count, err := s.searchRepo.SearchFullText(context.Background(), query, nil, nil, &spaceID)
+			// then
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+			require.Equal(t, 1, count)
+			require.Equal(t, fxt.WorkItems[1].ID, res[0].ID)
+		})
 	})
 
 	s.T().Run("Filter with limits", func(t *testing.T) {
diff --git a/search/search_repository_whitebox_test.go b/search/search_repository_whitebox_test.go
index e6cd04d3f4..5a07116271 100644
--- a/search/search_repository_whitebox_test.go
+++ b/search/search_repository_whitebox_test.go
@@ -208,6 +208,9 @@ func TestGetSearchQueryFromURLString(t *testing.T) {
 
 	searchQuery = getSearchQueryFromURLString("google.me.io/everything/100")
 	assert.Equal(t, "(100:*A | google.me.io/everything/100:*)", searchQuery)
+
+	searchQuery = getSearchQueryFromURLString("abcd.something.com?q='(foo):bar john doe")
+	assert.Equal(t, "abcd.something.com?q=\\(foo\\)\\:bar john doe:*", searchQuery)
 }
 
 func TestIsOperator(t *testing.T) {