diff --git a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.service.js b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.service.js
index ffaa95bc8c..8e7b57271d 100644
--- a/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.service.js
+++ b/awx/ui/client/src/shared/smart-search/smart-search.service.js
@@ -14,12 +14,8 @@ export default [function() {
             let groups = [];
             let quoted;
 
-            if (!searchString.includes(' ')) {
-                return this.splitSearchIntoTerms(this.encode(searchString));
-            }
-
             searchString.split(' ').forEach(substring => {
-                if (substring.includes(':"')) {
+                if (/:"/g.test(substring)) {
                     if (/"$/.test(substring)) {
                         groups.push(this.encode(substring));
                     } else {
@@ -28,7 +24,7 @@ export default [function() {
                 } else if (quoted) {
                     quoted += ` ${substring}`;
 
-                    if (substring.includes('"')) {
+                    if (/"/g.test(substring)) {
                         groups.push(this.encode(quoted));
                         quoted = undefined;
                     }
diff --git a/awx/ui/tests/spec/smart-search/smart-search.service-test.js b/awx/ui/tests/spec/smart-search/smart-search.service-test.js
index 6c2ad05f09..cd7aef4848 100644
--- a/awx/ui/tests/spec/smart-search/smart-search.service-test.js
+++ b/awx/ui/tests/spec/smart-search/smart-search.service-test.js
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ describe('Service: SmartSearch', () => {
             expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms('name:"foo bar" a b c')).toEqual(["name:%22foo%20bar%22", 'a', 'b', 'c']);
             expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms('name:"1"')).toEqual(["name:%221%22"]);
             expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms('name:1')).toEqual(["name:1"]);
-            expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms(`name:"foo ba'r" a b c`)).toEqual(["name:%22foo%20ba%27r%22", 'a', 'b', 'c']);
+            expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms('name:"foo ba\'r" a b c')).toEqual(["name:%22foo%20ba%27r%22", 'a', 'b', 'c']);
             expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms('name:"foobar" other:"barbaz"')).toEqual(["name:%22foobar%22", "other:%22barbaz%22"]);
             expect(SmartSearchService.splitFilterIntoTerms('name:"foobar" other:"bar baz"')).toEqual(["name:%22foobar%22", "other:%22bar%20baz%22"]);
         });