diff --git a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/visualize/saved_visualizations/saved_visualizations.js b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/visualize/saved_visualizations/saved_visualizations.js
index 512cfd407cb44..2b845d6391563 100644
--- a/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/visualize/saved_visualizations/saved_visualizations.js
+++ b/src/core_plugins/kibana/public/visualize/saved_visualizations/saved_visualizations.js
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@ app.service('savedVisualizations', function (Promise, es, kbnIndex, SavedVis, Pr
           simple_query_string: {
             query: searchString + '*',
             fields: ['title^3', 'description'],
-            default_operator: 'AND'
+            default_operator: 'AND',
+            analyze_wildcard: true
           }
         }
       };
diff --git a/src/ui/public/utils/__tests__/slugify_id.js b/src/ui/public/utils/__tests__/slugify_id.js
index 18541030f0c4d..57f7f2181501b 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/utils/__tests__/slugify_id.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/utils/__tests__/slugify_id.js
@@ -9,18 +9,22 @@ describe('slugifyId()', function () {
     ['test?test', 'test-questionmark-test'],
     ['test=test', 'test-equal-test'],
     ['test&test', 'test-ampersand-test'],
+    ['test%test', 'test-percent-test'],
     ['test / test', 'test-slash-test'],
     ['test ? test', 'test-questionmark-test'],
     ['test = test', 'test-equal-test'],
     ['test & test', 'test-ampersand-test'],
+    ['test % test', 'test-percent-test'],
     ['test / ^test', 'test-slash-^test'],
     ['test ?  test', 'test-questionmark-test'],
     ['test =  test', 'test-equal-test'],
     ['test &  test', 'test-ampersand-test'],
+    ['test %  test', 'test-percent-test'],
     ['test/test/test', 'test-slash-test-slash-test'],
     ['test?test?test', 'test-questionmark-test-questionmark-test'],
     ['test&test&test', 'test-ampersand-test-ampersand-test'],
-    ['test=test=test', 'test-equal-test-equal-test']
+    ['test=test=test', 'test-equal-test-equal-test'],
+    ['test%test%test', 'test-percent-test-percent-test']
   ];
 
   _.each(fixtures, function (fixture) {
diff --git a/src/ui/public/utils/slugify_id.js b/src/ui/public/utils/slugify_id.js
index b0f1920e501e6..0894d9356593e 100644
--- a/src/ui/public/utils/slugify_id.js
+++ b/src/ui/public/utils/slugify_id.js
@@ -6,7 +6,8 @@ export default function (id) {
     '/' : '-slash-',
     '\\?' : '-questionmark-',
     '\\&' : '-ampersand-',
-    '=' : '-equal-'
+    '=' : '-equal-',
+    '%' : '-percent-'
   };
   _.each(trans, function (val, key) {
     let regex = new RegExp(key, 'g');
diff --git a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_area_chart.js b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_area_chart.js
index 977a30339e259..8176333202185 100644
--- a/test/functional/apps/visualize/_area_chart.js
+++ b/test/functional/apps/visualize/_area_chart.js
@@ -62,6 +62,18 @@ bdd.describe('visualize app', function describeIndexTests() {
   bdd.describe('area charts', function indexPatternCreation() {
     var vizName1 = 'Visualization AreaChart';
 
+    bdd.it('should save and load with special characters', function pageHeader() {
+      const vizNamewithSpecialChars = vizName1 + '/?&=%';
+      return PageObjects.visualize.saveVisualization(vizNamewithSpecialChars)
+      .then(function (message) {
+        PageObjects.common.debug(`Saved viz message = ${message}`);
+        expect(message).to.be(`Visualization Editor: Saved Visualization "${vizNamewithSpecialChars}"`);
+      })
+      .then(function testVisualizeWaitForToastMessageGone() {
+        return PageObjects.visualize.waitForToastMessageGone();
+      });
+    });
+
     bdd.it('should save and load', function pageHeader() {
       return PageObjects.visualize.saveVisualization(vizName1)
       .then(function (message) {