diff --git a/includes/core/class-member-directory.php b/includes/core/class-member-directory.php
index c1e2668e..6c403722 100644
--- a/includes/core/class-member-directory.php
+++ b/includes/core/class-member-directory.php
@@ -1580,6 +1580,17 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\core\Member_Directory' ) ) {
 
 					$meta_value = '%' . $wpdb->esc_like( $search ) . '%';
 					$search_meta      = $wpdb->prepare( '%s', $meta_value );
+
+					preg_match( '~(?<=\{)(.*?)(?=\})~', $search_meta, $matches, PREG_OFFSET_CAPTURE, 0 );
+
+					// workaround for standard mySQL hashes which are used by $wpdb->prepare instead of the %symbol
+					// sometimes it breaks error for strings like that wp_postmeta.meta_value LIKE '{12f209b48a89eeab33424902879d05d503f251ca8812dde03b59484a2991dc74}AMS{12f209b48a89eeab33424902879d05d503f251ca8812dde03b59484a2991dc74}'
+					// {12f209b48a89eeab33424902879d05d503f251ca8812dde03b59484a2991dc74} isn't applied by the `preg_replace()` below
+					if ( $matches[0][0] ) {
+						$search_meta  = str_replace( '{' . $matches[0][0] . '}', '#%&', $search_meta );
+						$sql['where'] = str_replace( '{' . $matches[0][0] . '}', '#%&', $sql['where'] );
+					}
+
 					// str_replace( '/', '\/', wp_slash( $search_meta ) ) means that we add backslashes to special symbols + add backslash to slash(/) symbol for proper regular pattern.
 					preg_match(
 						'/^(.*).meta_value LIKE ' . str_replace( '/', '\/', wp_slash( $search_meta ) ) . '[^\)]/im',
@@ -1587,12 +1598,18 @@ if ( ! class_exists( 'um\core\Member_Directory' ) ) {
 						$join_matches
 					);
 
+					$sql['where'] = str_replace( '#%&', '{' . $matches[0][0] . '}', $sql['where'] );
+
 					if ( isset( $join_matches[1] ) ) {
 						$meta_join_for_search = trim( $join_matches[1] );
 
 						// skip private invisible fields
 						$custom_fields = array();
 						foreach ( array_keys( UM()->builtin()->all_user_fields ) as $field_key ) {
+							if ( empty( $field_key ) ) {
+								continue;
+							}
+
 							$data = UM()->fields()->get_field( $field_key );
 							if ( ! um_can_view_field( $data ) ) {
 								continue;