diff --git a/api/src/models/utils/filters/parser.ts b/api/src/models/utils/filters/parser.ts
index 8206122a..26db94c8 100644
--- a/api/src/models/utils/filters/parser.ts
+++ b/api/src/models/utils/filters/parser.ts
@@ -42,10 +42,9 @@ function t<T>(parser: Parjser<T>): Parjser<T> {
 	return parser.pipe(thenq(string(" ").pipe(many())));
 }
 
-const str = t(noCharOf(" ").pipe(many1(), stringify()).expects("a string"));
 const enumP = t(letter().pipe(many1(), stringify()).expects("an enum value"));
 
-const property = str.expects("a property");
+const property = t(letter().pipe(many1(), stringify())).expects("a property");
 
 const intVal = t(int().pipe(map((i) => ({ type: "int" as const, value: i }))));
 const floatVal = t(
@@ -66,9 +65,11 @@ const dateVal = t(
 		})),
 	),
 ).expects("a date");
-const strVal = str.pipe(
-	between('"'),
-	or(str.pipe(between("'"))),
+const strVal = t(noCharOf('"').pipe(many1(), stringify(), between('"'))).pipe(
+	or(
+		noCharOf("'").pipe(many1(), stringify(), between("'")),
+		noCharOf(" ").pipe(many1(), stringify()),
+	),
 	map((s) => ({ type: "string" as const, value: s })),
 );
 const enumVal = enumP.pipe(map((e) => ({ type: "enum" as const, value: e })));
@@ -76,7 +77,7 @@ const value = dateVal
 	.pipe(
 		// until we get the `-` character, this could be an int or a float.
 		recover(() => ({ kind: "Soft" })),
-		or(intVal, floatVal, strVal, enumVal),
+		or(intVal, floatVal, enumVal, strVal),
 	)
 	.expects("a valid value");
 
diff --git a/api/src/models/utils/filters/to-sql.ts b/api/src/models/utils/filters/to-sql.ts
index 49d57c3b..b8e57022 100644
--- a/api/src/models/utils/filters/to-sql.ts
+++ b/api/src/models/utils/filters/to-sql.ts
@@ -42,6 +42,11 @@ export const toDrizzle = (expr: Expression, config: FilterDef): SQL => {
 				);
 			}
 
+			if (expr.value.type === "enum" && prop.type === "string") {
+				// promote enum to string since this is legal
+				// but parser doesn't know if an enum should be a string
+				expr.value = { type: "string", value: expr.value.value };
+			}
 			if (prop.type !== expr.value.type) {
 				throw new KErrorT(
 					comment`
diff --git a/api/tests/misc/filter.test.ts b/api/tests/misc/filter.test.ts
index d1630e88..07a263d5 100644
--- a/api/tests/misc/filter.test.ts
+++ b/api/tests/misc/filter.test.ts
@@ -170,4 +170,42 @@ describe("Parse filter", () => {
 			},
 		});
 	});
+	it('Handle eq with " string', () => {
+		const ret = parse('tags eq "magic armor"');
+		expect(ret).toMatchObject({
+			ok: true,
+			value: {
+				type: "op",
+				operator: "eq",
+				property: "tags",
+				value: { type: "string", value: "magic armor" },
+			},
+		});
+	});
+	it("Handle eq with ' string", () => {
+		const ret = parse("tags eq 'magic armor'");
+		expect(ret).toMatchObject({
+			ok: true,
+			value: {
+				type: "op",
+				operator: "eq",
+				property: "tags",
+				value: { type: "string", value: "magic armor" },
+			},
+		});
+	});
+
+	it("Handle eq with string, no quote", () => {
+		const ret = parse("tags eq magic");
+		expect(ret).toMatchObject({
+			ok: true,
+			value: {
+				type: "op",
+				operator: "eq",
+				property: "tags",
+				// this is parsed as enum but is handled afterwards
+				value: { type: "enum", value: "magic" },
+			},
+		});
+	});
 });