diff --git a/GTG/backends/backend_localfile.py b/GTG/backends/backend_localfile.py
index d29c42b28b..83fa3b3447 100644
--- a/GTG/backends/backend_localfile.py
+++ b/GTG/backends/backend_localfile.py
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
 from GTG.core import xml
 from GTG.core import firstrun_tasks
 from GTG.core import versioning
+from GTG.core.tag import SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX
 
 from typing import Dict
 from lxml import etree as et
@@ -257,7 +258,7 @@ def save_tags(self, tagnames, tagstore) -> None:
 
             # Don't save the @ in the name
             element.set('id', tid)
-            element.set('name', tagname)
+            element.set('name', tag.get_friendly_name())
 
             # Remove these and don't re-add them if not needed
             element.attrib.pop('icon', None)
diff --git a/GTG/core/datastore.py b/GTG/core/datastore.py
index 62f47a22e2..eb4a7d3643 100644
--- a/GTG/core/datastore.py
+++ b/GTG/core/datastore.py
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@
 from GTG.core.config import CoreConfig
 from GTG.core import requester
 from GTG.core.search import parse_search_query, search_filter, InvalidQuery
-from GTG.core.tag import Tag, SEARCH_TAG
+from GTG.core.tag import Tag, SEARCH_TAG, SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX
 from GTG.core.task import Task
 from GTG.core.treefactory import TreeFactory
 from GTG.core.borg import Borg
@@ -139,6 +139,7 @@ def new_search_tag(self, name, query, attributes={}, tid=None, save=True):
         init_attr["label"] = name
         init_attr["query"] = query
 
+        name = SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX + name
         tag = Tag(name, req=self.requester, attributes=init_attr, tid=tid)
         self._add_new_tag(name, tag, search_filter, parameters,
                           parent_id=SEARCH_TAG)
@@ -206,7 +207,7 @@ def rename_tag(self, oldname, newname):
             newname = '_' + newname
 
         label, num = newname, 1
-        while self._tagstore.has_node(label):
+        while self._tagstore.has_node(SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX + label):
             num += 1
             label = newname + " " + str(num)
 
diff --git a/GTG/core/requester.py b/GTG/core/requester.py
index f0c03ee15b..8f5148658c 100644
--- a/GTG/core/requester.py
+++ b/GTG/core/requester.py
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 import logging
 from gi.repository import GObject
 
-from GTG.core.tag import Tag
+from GTG.core.tag import Tag, SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX
 
 log = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -192,7 +192,7 @@ def new_search_tag(self, query):
         name, number = label, 1
         already_search = False
         while True:
-            tag = self.get_tag(name)
+            tag = self.get_tag(SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX + name)
             if tag is None:
                 break
 
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ def new_search_tag(self, query):
         if not already_search:
             tag = self.ds.new_search_tag(name, query)
 
-        return name
+        return SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX + name
 
     def remove_tag(self, name):
         """ calls datastore to remove a given tag """
diff --git a/GTG/core/tag.py b/GTG/core/tag.py
index 07972afbea..068e5a27e6 100644
--- a/GTG/core/tag.py
+++ b/GTG/core/tag.py
@@ -36,6 +36,7 @@
 SEP_TAG = "gtg-tags-sep"
 SEARCH_TAG = "search"
 
+SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX = "__SAVED_SEARCH_" # For name inside the tagtree
 
 def extract_tags_from_text(text):
     """ Given a string, returns a list of the @tags contained in that """
@@ -140,9 +141,16 @@ def add_child(self, child_id):
             TreeNode.add_child(self, child_id)
 
     def get_name(self):
-        """Return the name of the tag."""
+        """Return the internal name of the tag, as saved in the tree."""
         return self.get_attribute("name")
 
+    def get_friendly_name(self):
+        """Return the name of the tag, but without the internal search tag prefix."""
+        if self.is_search_tag():
+            return self.get_attribute("name")[len(SEARCH_TAG_PREFIX):]
+        else:
+            return self.get_attribute("name")
+
     def set_save_callback(self, save):
         self._save = save
 
diff --git a/GTG/gtk/browser/tag_editor.py b/GTG/gtk/browser/tag_editor.py
index 8b2acbd19d..bba7954319 100644
--- a/GTG/gtk/browser/tag_editor.py
+++ b/GTG/gtk/browser/tag_editor.py
@@ -177,8 +177,8 @@ def set_tag(self, tag):
         icon = tag.get_attribute('icon')
         self._set_emoji(self._emoji_entry, text=icon if icon else '')
 
-        self.tag_name = tag.get_name()
-        self.set_title(self._title_format % ('@' + tag.get_name(),))
+        self.tag_name = tag.get_friendly_name()
+        self.set_title(self._title_format % ('@' + self.tag_name,))
 
         rgba = Gdk.RGBA(1.0, 1.0, 1.0, 1.0)
         if color := tag.get_attribute('color'):
@@ -187,7 +187,6 @@ def set_tag(self, tag):
                             tag.get_name(), color)
         self.has_color = bool(color)
         self.tag_rgba = rgba
-        self.tag_name = tag.get_name()
         self.tag_is_actionable = \
             self.tag.get_attribute("nonactionable") != "True"
 
@@ -238,7 +237,7 @@ def _apply(self, widget: GObject.Object):
 
         self.tag.set_attribute('nonactionable', str(not self.tag_is_actionable))
 
-        if self.tag_name != self.tag.get_name():
+        if self.tag_name != self.tag.get_friendly_name():
             log.debug("Renaming %r → %r", self.tag.get_name(), self.tag_name)
             self.req.rename_tag(self.tag.get_name(), self.tag_name)
             self.tag = self.req.get_tag(self.tag_name)
diff --git a/GTG/plugins/export/export_templates/template_simple.html b/GTG/plugins/export/export_templates/template_simple.html
index 2eb58c44a2..dfc6e09c27 100644
--- a/GTG/plugins/export/export_templates/template_simple.html
+++ b/GTG/plugins/export/export_templates/template_simple.html
@@ -159,7 +159,7 @@
 
 
 ##  #for $tag in $plugin_api.get_requester().get_tag_tree().get_all_nodes()
-##      $tag.get_name()
+##      $tag.get_friendly_name()
 ##  #end for
 
 -->