diff --git a/apps/ssb.json b/apps/ssb.json
index 43108958..fe991592 100644
--- a/apps/ssb.json
+++ b/apps/ssb.json
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 {
 	"type": "tildefriends-app",
 	"emoji": "🦀",
-	"previous": "&+/LuVOJUXuNSQRUD8PSgGzOdsWx47TPDcyUef5An2JQ=.sha256"
+	"previous": "&KPnjURiuJa5b0ONjxz11bMm7yuhY9wlBTyB+fzl0zzk=.sha256"
 }
diff --git a/apps/ssb/tf-app.js b/apps/ssb/tf-app.js
index 0533af52..32fe3d26 100644
--- a/apps/ssb/tf-app.js
+++ b/apps/ssb/tf-app.js
@@ -707,9 +707,7 @@ class TfElement extends LitElement {
 					.following=${this.following}
 					whoami=${this.whoami}
 					.users=${this.users}
-					query=${this.hash?.startsWith('#q=')
-						? decodeURIComponent(this.hash.substring(3))
-						: null}
+					query=${this.search_text()}
 				></tf-tab-search>
 			`;
 		}
@@ -758,7 +756,7 @@ class TfElement extends LitElement {
 			search_text.focus();
 			this.set_tab('search');
 		} else {
-			this.set_hash('#q=' + search_text.value);
+			this.set_hash('#q=' + encodeURIComponent(search_text.value));
 		}
 	}
 
@@ -768,6 +766,16 @@ class TfElement extends LitElement {
 		}
 	}
 
+	search_text() {
+		if (this.hash.startsWith('#q=')) {
+			try {
+				return decodeURIComponent(this.hash.substring('#q='.length));
+			} catch {
+				return this.hash.substring('#q='.length);
+			}
+		}
+	}
+
 	render() {
 		let self = this;
 
@@ -832,7 +840,7 @@ class TfElement extends LitElement {
 						: undefined
 				}
 				<button class="w3-bar-item w3-button w3-right" @click=${this.search}>🔍<span class="w3-hide-small">Search</span></button>
-				<input type="text" class=${'w3-input w3-bar-item w3-right w3-theme-d1' + (this.tab == 'search' ? ' w3-mobile' : ' w3-hide-small')} placeholder="keywords, @id, #channel" id="search_text" @keydown=${this.search_keydown}></input>
+				<input type="text" class=${'w3-input w3-bar-item w3-right w3-theme-d1' + (this.tab == 'search' ? ' w3-mobile' : ' w3-hide-small')} placeholder="keywords, @id, #channel" id="search_text" @keydown=${this.search_keydown} value=${this.search_text()}></input>
 			</div>
 		`;
 		let contents = this.guest
diff --git a/apps/ssb/tf-tab-search.js b/apps/ssb/tf-tab-search.js
index 96113cf1..fd2d9cc5 100644
--- a/apps/ssb/tf-tab-search.js
+++ b/apps/ssb/tf-tab-search.js
@@ -44,36 +44,37 @@ class TfTabSearchElement extends LitElement {
 		this.error = undefined;
 		this.results = [];
 		this.messages = [];
-		if (query.startsWith('sql:')) {
-			this.messages = [];
-			try {
+		try {
+			if (query.startsWith('sql:')) {
+				this.messages = [];
 				this.results = await tfrpc.rpc.query(
 					query.substring('sql:'.length),
 					[]
 				);
-			} catch (e) {
-				this.results = [];
-				this.error = e;
+			} else {
+				let results = await tfrpc.rpc.query(
+					`
+						SELECT messages.id, messages.previous, messages.author, messages.sequence, messages.timestamp, messages.hash, json(messages.content) AS content, messages.signature
+						FROM messages_fts(?)
+						JOIN messages ON messages.rowid = messages_fts.rowid
+						JOIN json_each(?) AS following ON messages.author = following.value
+						ORDER BY timestamp DESC limit 100
+					`,
+					['"' + query.replace('"', '""') + '"', JSON.stringify(this.following)]
+				);
+				search = this.renderRoot.getElementById('search');
+				if (search) {
+					search.value = query;
+					search.focus();
+					search.select();
+				}
+				this.messages = results;
 			}
-		} else {
-			let results = await tfrpc.rpc.query(
-				`
-					SELECT messages.id, messages.previous, messages.author, messages.sequence, messages.timestamp, messages.hash, json(messages.content) AS content, messages.signature
-					FROM messages_fts(?)
-					JOIN messages ON messages.rowid = messages_fts.rowid
-					JOIN json_each(?) AS following ON messages.author = following.value
-					ORDER BY timestamp DESC limit 100
-				`,
-				['"' + query.replace('"', '""') + '"', JSON.stringify(this.following)]
-			);
-			console.log('Done.');
-			search = this.renderRoot.getElementById('search');
-			if (search) {
-				search.value = query;
-				search.focus();
-				search.select();
-			}
-			this.messages = results;
+		} catch (e) {
+			this.messages = [];
+			this.results = [];
+			this.error = e;
+			console.log(e);
 		}
 	}
 
diff --git a/apps/ssb/tf-user.js b/apps/ssb/tf-user.js
index da7a3e92..69030b8d 100644
--- a/apps/ssb/tf-user.js
+++ b/apps/ssb/tf-user.js
@@ -39,7 +39,9 @@ class TfUserElement extends LitElement {
 		name = this.icon_only
 			? undefined
 			: !this.nolink
-				? html`<a target="_top" href=${'#' + this.id}>${name_string}</a>`
+				? html`<a target="_top" href=${'#' + encodeURIComponent(this.id)}
+						>${name_string}</a
+					>`
 				: html`<span>${name_string}</span>`;
 
 		if (user) {