diff --git a/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php b/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php
index 69a29dc31b..19459239d5 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/functions_content.php
@@ -372,9 +372,9 @@ function phpbb_clean_search_string($search_string)
 {
 	// This regular expressions matches every single wildcard.
 	// That means one after a whitespace or the beginning of the string or one before a whitespace or the end of the string.
-	$search_string = preg_replace('#(?<=^|\s)\*(?=\s|$)#', '', $search_string);
+	$search_string = preg_replace('#(?<=^|\s)\*+(?=\s|$)#', '', $search_string);
 	$search_string = trim($search_string);
-	$search_string = preg_replace('#\s+#u', ' ', $search_string);
+	$search_string = preg_replace(array('#\s+#u', '#\*+#u'), array(' ', '*'), $search_string);
 	return $search_string;
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/functions_content/phpbb_clean_search_string_test.php b/tests/functions_content/phpbb_clean_search_string_test.php
index 3706ffedf9..fef9b5e9ea 100644
--- a/tests/functions_content/phpbb_clean_search_string_test.php
+++ b/tests/functions_content/phpbb_clean_search_string_test.php
@@ -24,6 +24,8 @@ class phpbb_functions_content_phpbb_clean_search_string_test extends phpbb_test_
 			array('* *test*', '*test*'),
 			array('test  test  * test', 'test test test'),
 			array(' some  wild*cards *    between wo*rds  ', 'some wild*cards between wo*rds'),
+			array(' we * now have*** multiple wild***cards * ', 'we now have* multiple wild*cards'),
+			array('pi is *** . * **** * *****', 'pi is .'),
 		);
 	}