--- a/mailnews/addrbook/public/nsIAbDirectoryQuery.idl
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/public/nsIAbDirectoryQuery.idl
@@ -13,17 +13,17 @@ interface nsIAbDirectory;
 /**
  * The arguments for a query.
  *
  * Contains an expression for perform matches
  * and an array of properties which should be
  * returned if a match is found from the expression
  *
  */
-[scriptable, uuid(d6fcbedd-d574-4357-abf4-81565d867749)]
+[scriptable, uuid(03af3018-2590-4f4c-a88c-1fff6595ef05)]
 interface nsIAbDirectoryQueryArguments : nsISupports
 {
     /**
      * Defines the boolean expression for
      * the matching of cards
      *
      */
     attribute nsISupports expression;
@@ -35,16 +35,21 @@ interface nsIAbDirectoryQueryArguments :
      */
     attribute boolean querySubDirectories;
 
     /** 
      * A parameter which can be used to pass in data specific to a particular
      * type of addressbook.  
      */
     attribute nsISupports typeSpecificArg;
+
+    /**
+     * A custom search filter which user wants to use in LDAP query.
+     */
+    attribute AUTF8String filter;
 };
 
 
 [scriptable, uuid(3A6E0C0C-1DD2-11B2-B23D-EA3A8CCB333C)]
 interface nsIAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue : nsISupports
 {
     /**
      * The property which should be matched

--- a/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbDirectoryQuery.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbDirectoryQuery.cpp
@@ -140,16 +140,27 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsAbDirectoryQueryArgument
 }
 
 NS_IMETHODIMP nsAbDirectoryQueryArguments::SetTypeSpecificArg(nsISupports* aArg)
 {
     mTypeSpecificArg = aArg;
     return NS_OK;
 }
 
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsAbDirectoryQueryArguments::GetFilter(nsACString & aFilter)
+{
+    aFilter.Assign(mFilter);
+    return NS_OK;
+}
+
+NS_IMETHODIMP nsAbDirectoryQueryArguments::SetFilter(const nsACString & aFilter)
+{
+    mFilter.Assign(aFilter);
+    return NS_OK;
+}
 
 NS_IMPL_THREADSAFE_ISUPPORTS1(nsAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue, nsIAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue)
 
 nsAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue::nsAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue()
 {
 }
 
 nsAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue::nsAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue(const char* aName,

--- a/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbDirectoryQuery.h
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbDirectoryQuery.h
@@ -36,16 +36,17 @@ public:
 
     nsAbDirectoryQueryArguments();
     virtual ~nsAbDirectoryQueryArguments();
 
 protected:
     nsCOMPtr<nsISupports> mExpression;
     nsCOMPtr<nsISupports> mTypeSpecificArg;
     bool mQuerySubDirectories;
+    nsCString mFilter;
 };
 
 
 class nsAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue : public nsIAbDirectoryQueryPropertyValue
 {
 public:
     NS_DECL_ISUPPORTS
     NS_DECL_NSIABDIRECTORYQUERYPROPERTYVALUE

--- a/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbLDAPAutoCompleteSearch.js
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbLDAPAutoCompleteSearch.js
@@ -285,24 +285,31 @@ nsAbLDAPAutoCompleteSearch.prototype = {
 
     this._result._commentColumn = queryObject.book.dirName;
     this._listener = aListener;
 
     var args =
       Components.classes["@mozilla.org/addressbook/directory/query-arguments;1"]
                 .createInstance(Components.interfaces.nsIAbDirectoryQueryArguments);
 
-    // These are hard-coded for now and the _checkEntry function should match
-    // what these statements do.
-    var searchStr = "(or(PrimaryEmail,bw,@V)(DisplayName,bw,@V))";
-    searchStr = searchStr.replace(/@V/g, encodeURIComponent(aSearchString));
+    var filterTemplate = queryObject.book.getStringValue("autoComplete.filterTemplate", "");
+
+    // Use default value when preference is not set or it contains empty string    
+    if (!filterTemplate)
+      filterTemplate = "(|(cn=%v1*%v2-*)(mail=%v1*%v2-*)(sn=%v1*%v2-*))";
 
-    args.expression = abMgr.convertQueryStringToExpression(searchStr);
+    // Create filter from filter template and search string
+    var ldapSvc = Components.classes["@mozilla.org/network/ldap-service;1"]
+                            .getService(Components.interfaces.nsILDAPService);
+    var filter = ldapSvc.createFilter(1024, filterTemplate, "", "", "", aSearchString);
+    if (!filter)
+      throw new Error("Filter string is empty, check if filterTemplate variable is valid in prefs.js.");
     args.typeSpecificArg = queryObject.attributes;
     args.querySubDirectories = true;
+    args.filter = filter;
 
     // Start the actual search
     queryObject.context =
       queryObject.query.doQuery(queryObject.book, args, this,
                                 queryObject.book.maxHits, 0);
   },
 
   stopSearch: function stopSearch() {

--- a/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbLDAPDirectoryQuery.cpp
+++ b/mailnews/addrbook/src/nsAbLDAPDirectoryQuery.cpp
@@ -415,28 +415,35 @@ NS_IMETHODIMP nsAbLDAPDirectoryQuery::Do
   rv = url->SetAttributes(returnAttributes);
   // Now do the error check
   NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
 
   // Also require the objectClass attribute, it is used by
   // nsAbLDAPCard::SetMetaProperties
   rv = url->AddAttribute(NS_LITERAL_CSTRING("objectClass"));
 
-  // Get the filter
-  nsCOMPtr<nsISupports> supportsExpression;
-  rv = aArguments->GetExpression (getter_AddRefs (supportsExpression));
+  nsAutoCString filter;
+
+  // Get filter from arguments if set:
+  rv = aArguments->GetFilter(filter);
   NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
   
-  nsCOMPtr<nsIAbBooleanExpression> expression (do_QueryInterface (supportsExpression, &rv));
-  nsAutoCString filter;
-  
-  // figure out how we map attribute names to addressbook fields for this
-  // query
-  rv = nsAbBoolExprToLDAPFilter::Convert(map, expression, filter);
-  NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+  if (filter.IsEmpty()) {
+    // Get the filter
+    nsCOMPtr<nsISupports> supportsExpression;
+    rv = aArguments->GetExpression(getter_AddRefs(supportsExpression));
+    NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+
+    nsCOMPtr<nsIAbBooleanExpression> expression(do_QueryInterface(supportsExpression, &rv));
+
+    // figure out how we map attribute names to addressbook fields for this
+    // query
+    rv = nsAbBoolExprToLDAPFilter::Convert(map, expression, filter);
+    NS_ENSURE_SUCCESS(rv, rv);
+  }
 
   /*
    * Mozilla itself cannot arrive here with a blank filter
    * as the nsAbLDAPDirectory::StartSearch() disallows it.
    * But 3rd party LDAP query integration with Mozilla begins 
    * in this method.
    *
    * Default the filter string if blank, otherwise it gets