diff --git a/changelog.md b/changelog.md
index d614263..6ab81b5 100644
--- a/changelog.md
+++ b/changelog.md
@@ -1,5 +1,13 @@
 # Changelog
 
+## 2025-04-22 - 5.12.1 - fix(search)
+Improve implicit AND logic for mixed free term and field queries in search and enhance wildcard field handling.
+
+- Updated regex for field:value parsing to capture full value with wildcards.
+- Added explicit handling for free terms by converting to regex across searchable fields.
+- Improved error messaging for attempts to search non-searchable fields.
+- Extended tests to cover combined free term and wildcard field searches, including error cases.
+
 ## 2025-04-22 - 5.12.0 - feat(doc/search)
 Enhance search functionality with filter and validate options for advanced query control
 
diff --git a/test/test.search.ts b/test/test.search.ts
index 125dbee..a186341 100644
--- a/test/test.search.ts
+++ b/test/test.search.ts
@@ -290,6 +290,39 @@ tap.test('should apply validate hook to post-filter results', async () => {
   expensive.forEach((p) => expect(p.price).toBeGreaterThan(500));
 });
 
+// Combined free-term and field wildcard tests
+tap.test('should combine free term and wildcard field search', async () => {
+  const results = await Product.search('book category:Book*');
+  expect(results.length).toEqual(2);
+  results.forEach((p) => expect(p.category).toEqual('Books'));
+});
+tap.test('should not match when free term matches but wildcard field does not', async () => {
+  const results = await Product.search('book category:Kitchen*');
+  expect(results.length).toEqual(0);
+});
+
+// Non-searchable field should cause an error for combined queries
+tap.test('should throw when combining term with non-searchable field', async () => {
+  let error: Error;
+  try {
+    await Product.search('book location:Berlin');
+  } catch (e) {
+    error = e as Error;
+  }
+  expect(error).toBeTruthy();
+  expect(error.message).toMatch(/not searchable/);
+});
+tap.test('should throw when combining term with non-searchable wildcard field', async () => {
+  let error: Error;
+  try {
+    await Product.search('book location:Berlin*');
+  } catch (e) {
+    error = e as Error;
+  }
+  expect(error).toBeTruthy();
+  expect(error.message).toMatch(/not searchable/);
+});
+
 // Close database connection
 tap.test('close database connection', async () => {
   await testDb.mongoDb.dropDatabase();
diff --git a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
index 29adb24..6100604 100644
--- a/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
+++ b/ts/00_commitinfo_data.ts
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@
  */
 export const commitinfo = {
   name: '@push.rocks/smartdata',
-  version: '5.12.0',
+  version: '5.12.1',
   description: 'An advanced library for NoSQL data organization and manipulation using TypeScript with support for MongoDB, data validation, collections, and custom data types.'
 }
diff --git a/ts/classes.doc.ts b/ts/classes.doc.ts
index abcffbf..ebcfde3 100644
--- a/ts/classes.doc.ts
+++ b/ts/classes.doc.ts
@@ -414,31 +414,35 @@ export class SmartDataDbDoc<T extends TImplements, TImplements, TManager extends
       const orConds = searchableFields.map((f) => ({ [f]: { $regex: pattern, $options: 'i' } }));
       return await (this as any).execQuery({ $or: orConds }, opts);
     }
-    // implicit AND for mixed simple term + field:value queries (no explicit operators)
+    // implicit AND: combine free terms and field:value terms (with or without wildcards)
     const parts = q.split(/\s+/);
     const hasColon = parts.some((t) => t.includes(':'));
-    // implicit AND for mixed simple term + field:value queries (no explicit operators or range syntax)
     if (
       parts.length > 1 && hasColon &&
       !q.includes(' AND ') && !q.includes(' OR ') && !q.includes(' NOT ') &&
-      !q.includes('(') && !q.includes(')') && !q.includes('[') && !q.includes(']') &&
-      !q.includes('"') && !q.includes("'") &&
-      !q.includes('*') && !q.includes('?')
+      !q.includes('(') && !q.includes(')') &&
+      !q.includes('[') && !q.includes(']')
     ) {
       const andConds = parts.map((term) => {
-        const m = term.match(/^(\\w+):([^"'\\*\\?\\s]+)$/);
+        const m = term.match(/^(\w+):(.+)$/);
         if (m) {
           const field = m[1];
           const value = m[2];
           if (!searchableFields.includes(field)) {
             throw new Error(`Field '${field}' is not searchable for class ${this.name}`);
           }
+          if (value.includes('*') || value.includes('?')) {
+            // wildcard field search
+            const escaped = value.replace(/([.+^${}()|[\\]\\])/g, '\\$1');
+            const pattern = escaped.replace(/\*/g, '.*').replace(/\?/g, '.');
+            return { [field]: { $regex: pattern, $options: 'i' } };
+          }
+          // exact field:value
           return { [field]: value };
-        } else {
-          const esc = escapeForRegex(term);
-          const ors = searchableFields.map((f) => ({ [f]: { $regex: esc, $options: 'i' } }));
-          return { $or: ors };
         }
+        // free term -> regex across all searchable fields
+        const esc = escapeForRegex(term);
+        return { $or: searchableFields.map((f) => ({ [f]: { $regex: esc, $options: 'i' } })) };
       });
       return await (this as any).execQuery({ $and: andConds }, opts);
     }