diff --git a/src/api.rs b/src/api.rs
index 2be028f..3f1aefb 100644
--- a/src/api.rs
+++ b/src/api.rs
@@ -83,6 +83,53 @@ impl Ord for ClientVersion {
     }
 }
 
+fn normalize_query(raw_query: Option<&str>) -> (Option<String>, Option<String>) {
+    let Some(raw_query) = raw_query else {
+        return (None, None);
+    };
+
+    let mut query = raw_query.trim();
+    if query.is_empty() {
+        return (None, None);
+    }
+
+    while let Some(stripped) = query.strip_prefix('#') {
+        query = stripped.trim_start();
+    }
+
+    if query.is_empty() {
+        return (None, None);
+    }
+
+    let literal_query = if query.len() >= 2
+        && ((query.starts_with('"') && query.ends_with('"'))
+            || (query.starts_with('\'') && query.ends_with('\'')))
+    {
+        let inner = query[1..query.len() - 1].trim();
+        if inner.is_empty() {
+            None
+        } else {
+            query = inner;
+            Some(inner.to_ascii_lowercase())
+        }
+    } else {
+        None
+    };
+
+    (Some(query.to_string()), literal_query)
+}
+
+fn video_matches_literal_query(video: &VideoItem, literal_query: &str) -> bool {
+    let contains_literal = |value: &str| value.to_ascii_lowercase().contains(literal_query);
+
+    contains_literal(&video.title)
+        || video.uploader.as_deref().is_some_and(contains_literal)
+        || video
+            .tags
+            .as_ref()
+            .is_some_and(|tags| tags.iter().any(|tag| contains_literal(tag)))
+}
+
 pub fn config(cfg: &mut web::ServiceConfig) {
     cfg.service(
         web::resource("/status")
@@ -145,7 +192,7 @@ async fn status(req: HttpRequest) -> Result<impl web::Responder, web::Error> {
 }
 
 async fn videos_post(
-    mut video_request: web::types::Json<VideosRequest>,
+    video_request: web::types::Json<VideosRequest>,
     cache: web::types::State<VideoCache>,
     pool: web::types::State<DbPool>,
     requester: web::types::State<Requester>,
@@ -159,12 +206,6 @@ async fn videos_post(
         },
         _ => ClientVersion::new(999, 0, "Hot%20Tub".to_string()),
     };
-    match video_request.query.as_deref() {
-        Some(query) if query.starts_with("#") => {
-            video_request.query = Some(query.trim_start_matches("#").to_string());
-        }
-        _ => {}
-    }
     let requester = requester.get_ref().clone();
     // Ensure "videos" table exists with two string columns.
     match pool.get() {
@@ -200,10 +241,7 @@ async fn videos_post(
         .unwrap_or("all")
         .to_string();
     let sort: String = video_request.sort.as_deref().unwrap_or("date").to_string();
-    let mut query: Option<String> = video_request.query.clone();
-    if video_request.query.as_deref() == Some("") {
-        query = None;
-    }
+    let (query, literal_query) = normalize_query(video_request.query.as_deref());
     let page: u8 = video_request
         .page
         .as_ref()
@@ -306,6 +344,10 @@ async fn videos_post(
             .collect();
     }
 
+    if let Some(literal_query) = literal_query.as_deref() {
+        video_items.retain(|video| video_matches_literal_query(video, literal_query));
+    }
+
     videos.items = video_items.clone();
     if video_items.len() == 0 {
         videos.pageInfo = PageInfo {