diff --git a/routes/document/document_routes.py b/routes/document/document_routes.py
index dd69c63d0..5dbec7077 100644
--- a/routes/document/document_routes.py
+++ b/routes/document/document_routes.py
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ from core.database import SessionLocal, Document, DocumentVersion
 from core.database import Session as DbSession
 from src.auth_helpers import get_current_user, _auth_disabled
 from src.constants import MAIL_ATTACHMENTS_DIR
+from src.session_search import _escape_like
 from src.upload_handler import reserve_upload_references
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -571,9 +572,10 @@ def setup_document_routes(session_manager, upload_handler=None) -> APIRouter:
             # match docs containing both words regardless of position/order.
             if search:
                 for tok in search.split():
-                    term = f"%{tok}%"
+                    term = f"%{_escape_like(tok)}%"
                     q = q.filter(
-                        Document.title.ilike(term) | Document.current_content.ilike(term)
+                        Document.title.ilike(term, escape="\\")
+                        | Document.current_content.ilike(term, escape="\\")
                     )
 
             # Language filter. "pdf" is a display language derived from the
diff --git a/tests/test_document_library_literal_search.py b/tests/test_document_library_literal_search.py
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..76e409973
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_document_library_literal_search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+"""Literal punctuation in library queries must not become SQL wildcards."""
+
+from types import SimpleNamespace
+from unittest.mock import MagicMock
+
+import pytest
+
+from core.database import Document
+from routes.document import document_routes
+from tests.helpers.database import disposable_database
+
+
+CASES = [
+    ("100%", "100% complete", "1000 complete"),
+    ("a_b", "a_b", "axb"),
+    ("%", "price 10%", "price 100"),
+    ("_", "a_b", "axb"),
+    (r"path\notes", r"path\notes", "pathnotes"),
+    (r"path\_tag", r"path\_tag", r"path\Xtag"),
+    ("50%_done", "50%_done", "500Xdone"),
+    ("can't", "can't stop", "cannot stop"),
+    ("mixed case", "Case ordered Mixed", "Mixed without"),
+]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("column", ["title", "current_content"])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("query,literal,lookalike", CASES)
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_library_search_matches_literal_tokens(tmp_path, monkeypatch, column, query, literal, lookalike):
+    with disposable_database(tmp_path) as factory:
+        monkeypatch.setattr(document_routes, "SessionLocal", factory)
+        with factory() as db:
+            for doc_id, text, owner, active, archived in [
+                ("literal", literal, "alice", True, False),
+                ("lookalike", lookalike, "alice", True, False),
+                ("foreign", literal, "bob", True, False),
+                ("inactive", literal, "alice", False, False),
+                ("archived", literal, "alice", True, True),
+            ]:
+                fields = {"title": "Document", "current_content": "Body", column: text}
+                db.add(Document(id=doc_id, owner=owner, is_active=active, archived=archived,
+                                language="text", version_count=1, **fields))
+            db.commit()
+        router = document_routes.setup_document_routes(MagicMock())
+        endpoint = next(r.endpoint for r in router.routes if r.path == "/api/documents/library")
+        request = SimpleNamespace(state=SimpleNamespace(current_user="alice"))
+        result = await endpoint(request, search=query, language=None, sort="recent", offset=0, limit=20, archived=False)
+        assert result["total"] == 1
+        assert [row["id"] for row in result["documents"]] == ["literal"]
+        archived = await endpoint(request, search=query, language=None, sort="recent", offset=0, limit=20, archived=True)
+        assert [row["id"] for row in archived["documents"]] == ["archived"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.asyncio
+async def test_literal_search_keeps_cross_field_and_pagination_behavior(tmp_path, monkeypatch):
+    with disposable_database(tmp_path) as factory:
+        monkeypatch.setattr(document_routes, "SessionLocal", factory)
+        with factory() as db:
+            for doc_id, title, content in [
+                ("first", "100% ready", "done"),
+                ("second", "done", "100% ready"),
+                ("lookalike", "1000 ready", "done"),
+                ("missing-term", "100% ready", "waiting"),
+            ]:
+                db.add(Document(id=doc_id, owner="alice", title=title, current_content=content,
+                                is_active=True, archived=False, language="text", version_count=1))
+            db.commit()
+        router = document_routes.setup_document_routes(MagicMock())
+        endpoint = next(r.endpoint for r in router.routes if r.path == "/api/documents/library")
+        request = SimpleNamespace(state=SimpleNamespace(current_user="alice"))
+        results = [await endpoint(request, search="100% done", language="text", sort="alpha",
+                                  offset=offset, limit=1, archived=False) for offset in [0, 1]]
+        assert all(result["total"] == 2 for result in results)
+        assert {row["id"] for result in results for row in result["documents"]} == {"first", "second"}