diff --git a/src/calibre/db/search.py b/src/calibre/db/search.py
index bf15e060f2..301deab4a1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/search.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/search.py
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding, DEBUG
 from calibre.db.utils import force_to_bool
 from calibre.utils.config_base import prefs
 from calibre.utils.date import parse_date, UNDEFINED_DATE, now, dt_as_local
-from calibre.utils.icu import primary_contains, sort_key
+from calibre.utils.icu import primary_no_punc_contains, sort_key
 from calibre.utils.localization import lang_map, canonicalize_lang
 from calibre.utils.search_query_parser import SearchQueryParser, ParseException
 from polyglot.builtins import iteritems, string_or_bytes
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ def _match(query, value, matchkind, use_primary_find_in_search=True, case_sensit
                     return True
             elif matchkind == CONTAINS_MATCH:
                 if not case_sensitive and use_primary_find_in_search:
-                    if primary_contains(query, t):
+                    if primary_no_punc_contains(query, t):
                         return True
                 elif query in t:
                     return True
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py b/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
index 2fc89a0144..7ffbdaefed 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
@@ -324,7 +324,6 @@ class ReadingTest(BaseTest):
             'formats:#>1', 'formats:#=1', 'formats:=fmt1', 'formats:=fmt2',
             'formats:=fmt1 or formats:fmt2', '#formats:true', '#formats:false',
             '#formats:fmt1', '#formats:fmt2', '#formats:fmt1 and #formats:fmt2',
-
         )}
         old.conn.close()
         old = None
@@ -375,6 +374,9 @@ class ReadingTest(BaseTest):
         self.assertEqual(cache.search('template:{series}#@#:b:true'), {1,2})
         self.assertEqual(cache.search('template:{series}#@#:b:false'), {3})
 
+        # test primary search
+        cache.set_field('title', {1: "Gravity’s Raiñbow"})
+        self.assertEqual(cache.search('title:"Gravity\'s Rainbow"'), {1})
         # Note that the old db searched uuid for un-prefixed searches, the new
         # db does not, for performance
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui
index 8dd6a546cc..c726abd808 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/search.ui
@@ -135,8 +135,12 @@
        </item>
        <item row="4" column="0">
         <widget class="QCheckBox" name="opt_use_primary_find_in_search">
+         <property name="toolTip">
+          <string>Searching will ignore accents on characters as well as punctuation. So for example:
+Penas will match Peña’s</string>
+         </property>
          <property name="text">
-          <string>Unaccented characters match &amp;accented characters</string>
+          <string>Unaccented characters match &amp;accented characters and punctuation is ignored</string>
          </property>
         </widget>
        </item>
@@ -165,7 +169,7 @@
               </property>
              </widget>
             </item>
-            <item  row="0" column="1">
+            <item row="0" column="1">
              <widget class="QComboBox" name="gst_names">
               <property name="sizePolicy">
                <sizepolicy hsizetype="Expanding" vsizetype="Fixed">
@@ -212,7 +216,7 @@ a search term by changing the value box then pressing Save.</string>
               </property>
              </widget>
             </item>
-            <item  row="1" column="1">
+            <item row="1" column="1">
              <widget class="EditWithComplete" name="gst_value">
               <property name="toolTip">
                <string>Enter a comma-separated list of lookup names of the columns
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/icu.py b/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
index d39099c694..1096fde7eb 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/icu.py
@@ -88,7 +88,10 @@ def primary_collator_without_punctuation():
     if _primary_no_punc_collator is None:
         _primary_no_punc_collator = collator().clone()
         _primary_no_punc_collator.strength = _icu.UCOL_PRIMARY
-        _primary_no_punc_collator.set_attribute(_icu.UCOL_ALTERNATE_HANDLING, _icu.UCOL_SHIFTED)
+        try:
+            _primary_no_punc_collator.set_attribute(_icu.UCOL_ALTERNATE_HANDLING, _icu.UCOL_SHIFTED)
+        except AttributeError:
+            pass  # people running from source without latest binary
     return _primary_no_punc_collator