diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 2d7d971..7753e99 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -1,5 +1,12 @@
 # CHANGELOG
 
+## 0.5.2
+- Escape regex metacharacters before compiling a search pattern. Patterns
+  longer than `maxPatternLength` take the regex path, where an unbalanced `(`,
+  an unterminated `[`, or a trailing `\` previously threw a `FormatException`
+  and other metacharacters were silently interpreted as regex syntax instead of
+  being matched literally. Closes #23.
+
 ## 0.5.1
 - Range error when using limit argument to fuse.search, closes #25. [Original PR](https://github.com/comigor/fuzzy/pull/26).
 
diff --git a/lib/bitap/bitap_regex_search.dart b/lib/bitap/bitap_regex_search.dart
index 995107f..8641ca8 100644
--- a/lib/bitap/bitap_regex_search.dart
+++ b/lib/bitap/bitap_regex_search.dart
@@ -1,16 +1,20 @@
 import 'data/match_index.dart';
 import 'data/match_score.dart';
 
-/// Pattern to exclude special characters
-final Pattern SPECIAL_CHARS_REGEX =
-    RegExp(r'\[-\[\]\/\{\}\(\)\*\+\?\.\\\^\$\|]');
+/// Pattern matching the regex metacharacters that have to be escaped before a
+/// search pattern can safely be compiled as a [RegExp].
+final Pattern SPECIAL_CHARS_REGEX = RegExp(r'[-\[\]/{}()*+?.\\^$|]');
+
+/// Escapes every regex metacharacter in [pattern] so that it is matched
+/// literally.
+String _escapeSpecialChars(String pattern) =>
+    pattern.replaceAllMapped(SPECIAL_CHARS_REGEX, (match) => '\\${match[0]}');
 
 /// Execute a bitap regex search
 MatchScore bitapRegexSearch(
     String text, String pattern, Pattern tokenSeparator) {
-  final regex = RegExp(pattern
-      .replaceAll(SPECIAL_CHARS_REGEX, r'\$&')
-      .replaceAll(tokenSeparator, '|'));
+  final regex =
+      RegExp(_escapeSpecialChars(pattern).replaceAll(tokenSeparator, '|'));
   final matches = regex.allMatches(text);
   final isMatch = matches.isNotEmpty;
 
diff --git a/pubspec.yaml b/pubspec.yaml
index a2a4fb5..a5f3f70 100644
--- a/pubspec.yaml
+++ b/pubspec.yaml
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 name: fuzzy
-version: 0.5.1
+version: 0.5.2
 
 description: >
   Fuzzy search in Dart. Initially a code conversion, subset of Fuse.js.
diff --git a/test/fuzzy_test.dart b/test/fuzzy_test.dart
index 3954127..4fd79c2 100644
--- a/test/fuzzy_test.dart
+++ b/test/fuzzy_test.dart
@@ -718,4 +718,51 @@ void main() {
       expect(result.length, equals(0));
     });
   });
+
+  group('Searching with special characters', () {
+    const pipeInsulation = 'Rohrisolierung 22 mm, Steinwolle (1 m Stange)';
+    const copperPipe = 'Cu-Rohr 22 x 1 mm, Stange 5 m [VPE 10]';
+    const quantifiers = 'super+large+much+unique+36+very+wow+';
+    final specialCharList = [
+      pipeInsulation,
+      copperPipe,
+      quantifiers,
+      'Apple',
+    ];
+    late Fuzzy<String> fuse;
+    setUp(() {
+      fuse = setup(itemList: specialCharList);
+    });
+
+    List<String> itemsFor(String pattern) =>
+        fuse.search(pattern).map((r) => r.item).toList();
+
+    // Every pattern below is longer than maxPatternLength, so it takes the
+    // regex path rather than the bitap one. Before special characters were
+    // escaped, these threw a FormatException.
+    test('an unbalanced parenthesis does not throw', () {
+      expect(itemsFor('Rohrisolierung 22 mm, Steinwolle ('),
+          contains(pipeInsulation));
+    });
+
+    test('an unterminated character class does not throw', () {
+      expect(
+          itemsFor('Cu-Rohr 22 x 1 mm, Stange 5 m [VP'), contains(copperPipe));
+    });
+
+    test('a trailing backslash does not throw', () {
+      expect(() => itemsFor(r'Rohrisolierung 22 mm, Steinwolle \'),
+          returnsNormally);
+    });
+
+    // Single-token patterns, so no alternation is introduced and the whole
+    // pattern has to match literally.
+    test('a trailing quantifier is matched literally', () {
+      expect(itemsFor(quantifiers), equals([quantifiers]));
+    });
+
+    test('a dot does not match an arbitrary character', () {
+      expect(itemsFor('super+large+much+unique+36+very.wow+'), isEmpty);
+    });
+  });
 }