diff --git a/package-lock.json b/package-lock.json
index 9e23756b..7c003297 100644
--- a/package-lock.json
+++ b/package-lock.json
@@ -2404,9 +2404,9 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "handlebars": {
-      "version": "4.7.2",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/handlebars/-/handlebars-4.7.2.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-4PwqDL2laXtTWZghzzCtunQUTLbo31pcCJrd/B/9JP8XbhVzpS5ZXuKqlOzsd1rtcaLo4KqAn8nl8mkknS4MHw==",
+      "version": "4.5.3",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/handlebars/-/handlebars-4.5.3.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-3yPecJoJHK/4c6aZhSvxOyG4vJKDshV36VHp0iVCDVh7o9w2vwi3NSnL2MMPj3YdduqaBcu7cGbggJQM0br9xA==",
       "requires": {
         "neo-async": "^2.6.0",
         "optimist": "^0.6.1",
@@ -2450,9 +2450,25 @@
       "dev": true
     },
     "highlight.js": {
-      "version": "9.18.0",
-      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/highlight.js/-/highlight.js-9.18.0.tgz",
-      "integrity": "sha512-A97kI1KAUzKoAiEoaGcf2O9YPS8nbDTCRFokaaeBhnqjQTvbAuAJrQMm21zw8s8xzaMtCQBtgbyGXLGxdxQyqQ=="
+      "version": "9.17.1",
+      "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/highlight.js/-/highlight.js-9.17.1.tgz",
+      "integrity": "sha512-TA2/doAur5Ol8+iM3Ov7qy3jYcr/QiJ2eDTdRF4dfbjG7AaaB99J5G+zSl11ljbl6cIcahgPY6SKb3sC3EJ0fw==",
+      "requires": {
+        "handlebars": "^4.5.3"
+      },
+      "dependencies": {
+        "handlebars": {
+          "version": "4.5.3",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/handlebars/-/handlebars-4.5.3.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-3yPecJoJHK/4c6aZhSvxOyG4vJKDshV36VHp0iVCDVh7o9w2vwi3NSnL2MMPj3YdduqaBcu7cGbggJQM0br9xA==",
+          "requires": {
+            "neo-async": "^2.6.0",
+            "optimist": "^0.6.1",
+            "source-map": "^0.6.1",
+            "uglify-js": "^3.1.4"
+          }
+        }
+      }
     },
     "hosted-git-info": {
       "version": "2.7.1",
@@ -4903,6 +4919,18 @@
             "universalify": "^0.1.0"
           }
         },
+        "handlebars": {
+          "version": "4.7.3",
+          "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/handlebars/-/handlebars-4.7.3.tgz",
+          "integrity": "sha512-SRGwSYuNfx8DwHD/6InAPzD6RgeruWLT+B8e8a7gGs8FWgHzlExpTFMEq2IA6QpAfOClpKHy6+8IqTjeBCu6Kg==",
+          "dev": true,
+          "requires": {
+            "neo-async": "^2.6.0",
+            "optimist": "^0.6.1",
+            "source-map": "^0.6.1",
+            "uglify-js": "^3.1.4"
+          }
+        },
         "typescript": {
           "version": "3.7.5",
           "resolved": "https://registry.npmjs.org/typescript/-/typescript-3.7.5.tgz",
diff --git a/src/storage/elasticsearch/query.ts b/src/storage/elasticsearch/query.ts
index b008acbe..7ea19af0 100644
--- a/src/storage/elasticsearch/query.ts
+++ b/src/storage/elasticsearch/query.ts
@@ -41,6 +41,20 @@ import {
   ESTypeFilter,
 } from './common';
 
+/**
+ * Escapes any reserved character that would otherwise not be accepted by Elasticsearch
+ *
+ * Elasticsearch as the following reserved characters:
+ * + - = && || > < ! ( ) { } [ ] ^ " ~ * ? : \ /
+ * It is possible to use all, with the exception of < and >, of them by escaping them with a \
+ * https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/5.6/query-dsl-query-string-query.html
+ *
+ * @param str the string to escape the characters from
+ */
+function escapeESReservedCharacters(str: string): string {
+  return str.replace(/[+\-=!(){}\[\]^"~*?:\\/]|(&&)|(\|\|)/g, '\\$&');
+}
+
 /**
  * Builds a boolean filter. Returns an elasticsearch boolean filter
  */
@@ -301,7 +315,7 @@ export function buildQuery(
         analyzer: 'search_german',
         default_field: 'name',
         minimum_should_match: '90%',
-        query: (typeof params.query !== 'string') ? '*' : params.query,
+        query: (typeof params.query !== 'string') ? '*' : escapeESReservedCharacters(params.query),
       },
     };
   } else if (elasticsearchConfig.query.queryType === 'query_string') {
@@ -310,7 +324,7 @@ export function buildQuery(
         analyzer: 'search_german',
         default_field: 'name',
         minimum_should_match: elasticsearchConfig.query.minMatch,
-        query: (typeof params.query !== 'string') ? '*' : params.query,
+        query: (typeof params.query !== 'string') ? '*' : escapeESReservedCharacters(params.query),
       },
     };
   } else if (elasticsearchConfig.query.queryType === 'dis_max') {
@@ -334,7 +348,7 @@ export function buildQuery(
                 analyzer: 'search_german',
                 default_field: 'name',
                 minimum_should_match: elasticsearchConfig.query.fuzziness,
-                query: (typeof params.query !== 'string') ? '*' : params.query,
+                query: (typeof params.query !== 'string') ? '*' : escapeESReservedCharacters(params.query),
               },
             },
           ],