diff --git a/src/librustdoc/html/static/js/search.js b/src/librustdoc/html/static/js/search.js
index 421e8f31e970..8beb0768dcf7 100644
--- a/src/librustdoc/html/static/js/search.js
+++ b/src/librustdoc/html/static/js/search.js
@@ -211,6 +211,21 @@ window.initSearch = function(rawSearchIndex) {
         return parserState.userQuery.slice(parserState.pos, parserState.pos + 2) == '->';
     }
 
+    /**
+     * Returns `true` if the given `c` character is valid for an ident.
+     *
+     * @param {string} c
+     *
+     * @return {boolean}
+     */
+    function isIdentCharacter(c) {
+        return (
+            c === '_' ||
+            (c >= '0' && c <= '9') ||
+            (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') ||
+            (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z'));
+    }
+
     /**
      * @param {ParsedQuery} query
      * @param {ParserState} parserState
@@ -274,18 +289,22 @@ window.initSearch = function(rawSearchIndex) {
         } else {
             while (parserState.pos < parserState.length) {
                 var c = parserState.userQuery[parserState.pos];
-                if (isErrorCharacter(c)) {
-                    throw new Error(`Unexpected \`${c}\``);
-                } else if (isStopCharacter(c) || isSpecialStartCharacter(c)) {
-                    break;
-                }
-                // If we allow paths ("str::string" for example).
-                else if (c === ":") {
-                    if (!isPathStart(parserState)) {
+                if (!isIdentCharacter(c)) {
+                    if (isErrorCharacter(c)) {
+                        throw new Error(`Unexpected \`${c}\``);
+                    } else if (isStopCharacter(c) || isSpecialStartCharacter(c)) {
                         break;
                     }
-                    // Skip current ":".
-                    parserState.pos += 1;
+                    // If we allow paths ("str::string" for example).
+                    else if (c === ":") {
+                        if (!isPathStart(parserState)) {
+                            break;
+                        }
+                        // Skip current ":".
+                        parserState.pos += 1;
+                    } else {
+                        throw new Error(`Unexpected \`${c}\``);
+                    }
                 }
                 parserState.pos += 1;
                 end = parserState.pos;
diff --git a/src/test/rustdoc-js-std/parser-errors.js b/src/test/rustdoc-js-std/parser-errors.js
index 080f82b41eca..ae5145e83223 100644
--- a/src/test/rustdoc-js-std/parser-errors.js
+++ b/src/test/rustdoc-js-std/parser-errors.js
@@ -17,9 +17,10 @@ const QUERY = [
     ":a",
     "a b:",
     "a (b:",
-    "{:",
+    "_:",
     "a-bb",
     "a>bb",
+    "ab'",
 ];
 
 const PARSED = [
@@ -188,11 +189,11 @@ const PARSED = [
     {
         elems: [],
         foundElems: 0,
-        original: "{:",
+        original: "_:",
         returned: [],
         typeFilter: -1,
-        userQuery: "{:",
-        error: "Unknown type filter `{`",
+        userQuery: "_:",
+        error: "Unknown type filter `_`",
     },
     {
         elems: [],
@@ -212,4 +213,13 @@ const PARSED = [
         userQuery: "a>bb",
         error: "Unexpected `>` (did you mean `->`?)",
     },
+    {
+        elems: [],
+        foundElems: 0,
+        original: "ab'",
+        returned: [],
+        typeFilter: -1,
+        userQuery: "ab'",
+        error: "Unexpected `'`",
+    },
 ];
diff --git a/src/tools/rustdoc-js/tester.js b/src/tools/rustdoc-js/tester.js
index afd878423c0a..d52090898927 100644
--- a/src/tools/rustdoc-js/tester.js
+++ b/src/tools/rustdoc-js/tester.js
@@ -274,7 +274,8 @@ function loadSearchJsAndIndex(searchJs, searchIndex, storageJs, crate) {
                            "isWhitespace", "isSpecialStartCharacter", "isStopCharacter",
                            "parseInput", "getItemsBefore", "getNextElem", "createQueryElement",
                            "isReturnArrow", "isPathStart", "getStringElem", "newParsedQuery",
-                           "itemTypeFromName", "isEndCharacter", "isErrorCharacter"];
+                           "itemTypeFromName", "isEndCharacter", "isErrorCharacter",
+                           "isIdentCharacter"];
 
     const functions = ["hasOwnPropertyRustdoc", "onEach"];
     ALIASES = {};