diff --git a/src/calibre/db/notes/connect.py b/src/calibre/db/notes/connect.py
index ad001252f8..ce5241ad73 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/notes/connect.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/notes/connect.py
@@ -200,6 +200,7 @@ class Notes:
     def set_note(self, conn, field_name, item_id, item_value, marked_up_text='', used_resource_hashes=(), searchable_text=copy_marked_up_text):
         if searchable_text is copy_marked_up_text:
             searchable_text = marked_up_text
+        searchable_text = item_value + '\n' + searchable_text
         note_id = self.note_id_for(conn, field_name, item_id)
         old_resources = frozenset(self.resources_used_by(conn, note_id))
         if not marked_up_text:
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/tests/notes.py b/src/calibre/db/tests/notes.py
index 460c8d08fd..132d992ade 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/tests/notes.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/tests/notes.py
@@ -120,6 +120,11 @@ def test_fts(self: 'NotesTest'):
     self.ae(ids_for_search('common'), {('authors', authors[0]), ('authors', authors[1]), ('tags', tags[0]), ('tags', tags[1])})
     self.ae(ids_for_search('common', ('tags',)), {('tags', tags[0]), ('tags', tags[1])})
 
+    # test that searching by item value works
+    an = cache.get_item_name('authors', authors[0])
+    self.ae(ids_for_search(' AND '.join(an.split()), ('authors',)), {('authors', authors[0])})
+
+
 class NotesTest(BaseTest):
 
     ae = BaseTest.assertEqual