diff --git a/ckanext/datastore/db.py b/ckanext/datastore/db.py
index fb597d7053e..77054d73c88 100644
--- a/ckanext/datastore/db.py
+++ b/ckanext/datastore/db.py
@@ -1108,7 +1108,7 @@ def search_sql(context, data_dict):
         context['connection'].execute(
             u'SET LOCAL statement_timeout TO {0}'.format(timeout))
         results = context['connection'].execute(
-            data_dict['sql']
+            data_dict['sql'].replace('%', '%%')
         )
         return format_results(context, results, data_dict)
 
diff --git a/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_search.py b/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_search.py
index 10b4e66c7de..9bd46db6e10 100644
--- a/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_search.py
+++ b/ckanext/datastore/tests/test_search.py
@@ -502,6 +502,18 @@ def test_select_basic(self):
 
         assert result['records'] == res_dict_alias['result']['records']
 
+    def test_select_where_like_with_percent(self):
+        query = 'SELECT * FROM public."{0}" WHERE "author" LIKE \'tol%\''.format(self.data['resource_id'])
+        data = {'sql': query}
+        postparams = json.dumps(data)
+        auth = {'Authorization': str(self.sysadmin_user.apikey)}
+        res = self.app.post('/api/action/datastore_search_sql', params=postparams,
+                            extra_environ=auth)
+        res_dict = json.loads(res.body)
+        assert res_dict['success'] is True
+        result = res_dict['result']
+        assert result['records'] == self.expected_records
+
     def test_self_join(self):
         query = '''
             select a._id as first, b._id as second