diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/DaoConfig.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/DaoConfig.java
index a5bfbc6fb8f..9f6491c6b86 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/DaoConfig.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/DaoConfig.java
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ public class DaoConfig {
 	 * update setter javadoc if default changes
 	 */
 	private boolean myAllowExternalReferences = false;
+	private boolean myAllowContainsSearches = true;
+
 	/**
 	 * update setter javadoc if default changes
 	 */
@@ -1097,6 +1099,16 @@ public class DaoConfig {
 
 	}
 
+	public boolean allowContainsSearches() {
+
+		return myAllowContainsSearches;
+	}
+
+	public void setAllowContainsSearches(boolean myAllowContainsSearches) {
+
+		this.myAllowContainsSearches = myAllowContainsSearches;
+	}
+
 	public enum IndexEnabledEnum {
 		ENABLED,
 		DISABLED
diff --git a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/SearchBuilder.java b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/SearchBuilder.java
index 417883ca0e0..9d157b8adcc 100644
--- a/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/SearchBuilder.java
+++ b/hapi-fhir-jpaserver-base/src/main/java/ca/uhn/fhir/jpa/dao/SearchBuilder.java
@@ -28,6 +28,7 @@ import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.search.JpaRuntimeSearchParam;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.term.IHapiTerminologySvc;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.term.VersionIndependentConcept;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.jpa.util.BaseIterator;
+import ca.uhn.fhir.rest.server.exceptions.MethodNotAllowedException;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.util.StopWatch;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.model.api.*;
 import ca.uhn.fhir.model.base.composite.BaseCodingDt;
@@ -1090,6 +1091,11 @@ public class SearchBuilder implements ISearchBuilder {
 		} else if (theParameter instanceof StringParam) {
 			StringParam id = (StringParam) theParameter;
 			rawSearchTerm = id.getValue();
+			if ((id.isContains()) &&
+				(!myCallingDao.getConfig().allowContainsSearches()))
+			{
+				throw new MethodNotAllowedException(":contains modifier is disabled on this server");
+			}
 		} else if (theParameter instanceof IPrimitiveDatatype<?>) {
 			IPrimitiveDatatype<?> id = (IPrimitiveDatatype<?>) theParameter;
 			rawSearchTerm = id.getValueAsString();
@@ -1103,7 +1109,20 @@ public class SearchBuilder implements ISearchBuilder {
 		}
 
 		String likeExpression = BaseHapiFhirDao.normalizeString(rawSearchTerm);
-		likeExpression = createLeftMatchLikeExpression(likeExpression);
+		if (myCallingDao.getConfig().allowContainsSearches()) {
+			if (theParameter instanceof StringParam) {
+				if (((StringParam) theParameter).isContains()) {
+					likeExpression = createLeftAndRightMatchLikeExpression(likeExpression);
+				} else {
+					likeExpression = createLeftMatchLikeExpression(likeExpression);
+				}
+			} else {
+				likeExpression = createLeftMatchLikeExpression(likeExpression);
+			}
+		}
+		else {
+			likeExpression = createLeftMatchLikeExpression(likeExpression);
+		}
 
 		Predicate singleCode = theBuilder.like(theFrom.get("myValueNormalized").as(String.class), likeExpression);
 		if (theParameter instanceof StringParam && ((StringParam) theParameter).isExact()) {
@@ -1997,6 +2016,10 @@ public class SearchBuilder implements ISearchBuilder {
 		return likeExpression.replace("%", "[%]") + "%";
 	}
 
+	private static String createLeftAndRightMatchLikeExpression(String likeExpression) {
+		return "%" + likeExpression.replace("%", "[%]") + "%";
+	}
+
 	private static Predicate createResourceLinkPathPredicate(IDao theCallingDao, FhirContext theContext, String theParamName, From<?, ? extends ResourceLink> theFrom,
 																				String theResourceType) {
 		RuntimeResourceDefinition resourceDef = theContext.getResourceDefinition(theResourceType);