diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java
index 10bb5844f7..2859aad541 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonServiceImpl.java
@@ -1195,7 +1195,20 @@ public class PersonServiceImpl extends TransactionListenerAdapter implements Per
             filterProps = new ArrayList<FilterProp>(stringPropFilters.size());
             for (Pair<QName, String> filterProp : stringPropFilters)
             {
-                filterProps.add(new FilterPropString(filterProp.getFirst(), filterProp.getSecond(), (filterIgnoreCase ? FilterTypeString.STARTSWITH_IGNORECASE : FilterTypeString.STARTSWITH)));
+                String filterStr = filterProp.getSecond();
+                if("*".equals(filterStr))
+                {
+                   // The wildcard means no filtering is needed on this property
+                   continue;
+                }
+                else if(filterStr.endsWith("*"))
+                {
+                   // The trailing * is implicit
+                   filterStr = filterStr.substring(0, filterStr.length()-1);
+                }
+                
+                // Turn this into a canned query filter
+                filterProps.add(new FilterPropString(filterProp.getFirst(), filterStr, (filterIgnoreCase ? FilterTypeString.STARTSWITH_IGNORECASE : FilterTypeString.STARTSWITH)));
             }
         }
         
diff --git a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java
index 4102554dae..ea937e4085 100644
--- a/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java
+++ b/source/java/org/alfresco/repo/security/person/PersonTest.java
@@ -598,6 +598,17 @@ public class PersonTest extends TestCase
         filters.clear();
         filters.add(new Pair<QName, String>(ContentModel.PROP_USERNAME, "a"));
         assertEquals(1, personService.getPeople(filters, true, null, pr).getPage().size()); // includes "admin"
+        
+        // a* is the same as a
+        filters.clear();
+        filters.add(new Pair<QName, String>(ContentModel.PROP_USERNAME, "a*"));
+        assertEquals(1, personService.getPeople(filters, true, null, pr).getPage().size()); // includes "admin"
+        
+        // * means everyone
+        filters.clear();
+        filters.add(new Pair<QName, String>(ContentModel.PROP_USERNAME, "*"));
+        assertEquals(5, getPeopleCount());
+        assertEquals(5, personService.getPeople(filters, true, null, pr).getPage().size());
     }
     
     public void testPeopleSortingPaging()