diff --git a/src/permissions/projectMember.delete.js b/src/permissions/projectMember.delete.js
index 5f4bb946..eb0a7bc0 100644
--- a/src/permissions/projectMember.delete.js
+++ b/src/permissions/projectMember.delete.js
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ module.exports = freq => new Promise((resolve, reject) => {
       // check if auth user has acecss to this project
       const hasAccess = util.hasAdminRole(req)
         || (authMember && memberToBeRemoved && ([
+          PROJECT_MEMBER_ROLE.ACCOUNT_MANAGER,
           PROJECT_MEMBER_ROLE.MANAGER,
           PROJECT_MEMBER_ROLE.PROGRAM_MANAGER,
           PROJECT_MEMBER_ROLE.PROJECT_MANAGER,
diff --git a/src/routes/projects/list.js b/src/routes/projects/list.js
index 8ca1279a..e7ebf108 100755
--- a/src/routes/projects/list.js
+++ b/src/routes/projects/list.js
@@ -60,7 +60,14 @@ const SUPPORTED_FILTERS = [
   'directProjectId',
 ];
 
-const escapeEsKeyword = keyword => keyword.replace(/[+-=><!|(){}[&\]^"~*?:\\/]/g, '\\\\$&');
+/**
+  * ES need to skip special chars else it is considered as RegEx or other ES query string syntax,
+  * see https://www.elastic.co/guide/en/elasticsearch/reference/current/query-dsl-query-string-query.html
+  *
+  * @param  {String}     keyword        keyword being searched for
+  * @return {String}                    result after parsing
+  */
+const escapeEsKeyword = keyword => keyword.replace(/[+-=><!|(){}[&\]^"~*?:\\/]/g, '\\$&');
 
 const buildEsFullTextQuery = (keyword, matchType, singleFieldName) => {
   let should = [
@@ -426,7 +433,7 @@ const parseElasticSearchCriteria = (criteria, fields, order) => {
 
     if (!keyword) {
       // Not a specific field search nor an exact phrase search, do a wildcard match
-      keyword = criteria.filters.keyword;
+      keyword = escapeEsKeyword(keywordCriterion);
       matchType = MATCH_TYPE_WILDCARD;
     }
 
diff --git a/src/routes/projects/list.spec.js b/src/routes/projects/list.spec.js
index 9ebb3e13..60773813 100644
--- a/src/routes/projects/list.spec.js
+++ b/src/routes/projects/list.spec.js
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ const data = [
     type: 'generic',
     billingAccountId: 1,
     name: 'test1',
-    description: 'test project1',
+    description: 'test project1 abc/d',
     status: 'active',
     details: {
       utm: {
@@ -160,7 +160,7 @@ const data = [
       role: 'manager',
       firstName: 'first',
       lastName: 'last',
-      handle: 'manager_handle',
+      handle: 'MANAGER_HANDLE',
       isPrimary: true,
       createdBy: 1,
       updatedBy: 1,
@@ -723,7 +723,7 @@ describe('LIST Project', () => {
         });
     });
 
-    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by customer handle', (done) => {
+    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by customer handle (lowercase)', (done) => {
       request(server)
         .get('/v5/projects/?customer=*tourist*')
         .set({
@@ -746,7 +746,53 @@ describe('LIST Project', () => {
         });
     });
 
-    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by manager handle', (done) => {
+    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by customer handle (uppercase)', (done) => {
+      request(server)
+        .get('/v5/projects/?customer=*TOUR*')
+        .set({
+          Authorization: `Bearer ${testUtil.jwts.admin}`,
+        })
+        .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+        .expect(200)
+        .end((err, res) => {
+          if (err) {
+            done(err);
+          } else {
+            const resJson = res.body;
+            should.exist(resJson);
+            resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
+            resJson[0].name.should.equal('test1');
+            resJson[0].members.should.have.deep.property('[0].role', 'customer');
+            resJson[0].members[0].userId.should.equal(40051331);
+            done();
+          }
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by customer handle (mixed case)', (done) => {
+      request(server)
+        .get('/v5/projects/?customer=*tOURiS*')
+        .set({
+          Authorization: `Bearer ${testUtil.jwts.admin}`,
+        })
+        .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+        .expect(200)
+        .end((err, res) => {
+          if (err) {
+            done(err);
+          } else {
+            const resJson = res.body;
+            should.exist(resJson);
+            resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
+            resJson[0].name.should.equal('test1');
+            resJson[0].members.should.have.deep.property('[0].role', 'customer');
+            resJson[0].members[0].userId.should.equal(40051331);
+            done();
+          }
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by manager handle (lowercase)', (done) => {
       request(server)
         .get('/v5/projects/?manager=*_handle')
         .set({
@@ -769,6 +815,52 @@ describe('LIST Project', () => {
         });
     });
 
+    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by manager handle (uppercase)', (done) => {
+      request(server)
+        .get('/v5/projects/?manager=MANAG*')
+        .set({
+          Authorization: `Bearer ${testUtil.jwts.admin}`,
+        })
+        .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+        .expect(200)
+        .end((err, res) => {
+          if (err) {
+            done(err);
+          } else {
+            const resJson = res.body;
+            should.exist(resJson);
+            resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
+            resJson[0].name.should.equal('test3');
+            resJson[0].members.should.have.deep.property('[0].role', 'manager');
+            resJson[0].members[0].userId.should.equal(40051334);
+            done();
+          }
+        });
+    });
+
+    it('should return all projects that match when filtering by manager handle (mixed case)', (done) => {
+      request(server)
+        .get('/v5/projects/?manager=*_HAndLe')
+        .set({
+          Authorization: `Bearer ${testUtil.jwts.admin}`,
+        })
+        .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+        .expect(200)
+        .end((err, res) => {
+          if (err) {
+            done(err);
+          } else {
+            const resJson = res.body;
+            should.exist(resJson);
+            resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
+            resJson[0].name.should.equal('test3');
+            resJson[0].members.should.have.deep.property('[0].role', 'manager');
+            resJson[0].members[0].userId.should.equal(40051334);
+            done();
+          }
+        });
+    });
+
     it('should return all projects that match when filtering by manager, searching on any non-customer role', (done) => {
       request(server)
         .get('/v5/projects/?manager=copi*')
@@ -1065,7 +1157,7 @@ describe('LIST Project', () => {
             resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
             resJson[0].should.have.property('description');
             resJson[0].should.not.have.property('cancelReason');
-            resJson[0].description.should.be.eq('test project1');
+            resJson[0].description.should.be.eq('test project1 abc/d');
             done();
           }
         });
@@ -1244,6 +1336,46 @@ describe('LIST Project', () => {
           }
         });
       });
+
+      it('should find a project by quoted keyword with a special symbol in the name', (done) => {
+        request(server)
+          .get('/v5/projects/?keyword="abc/d"')
+          .set({
+            Authorization: `Bearer ${testUtil.jwts.admin}`,
+          })
+          .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+          .expect(200)
+          .end((err, res) => {
+            if (err) {
+              done(err);
+            } else {
+              const resJson = res.body;
+              should.exist(resJson);
+              resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
+              done();
+            }
+          });
+      });
+
+      it('should find a project by keyword with a special symbol in the name', (done) => {
+        request(server)
+          .get('/v5/projects/?keyword=abc/d')
+          .set({
+            Authorization: `Bearer ${testUtil.jwts.admin}`,
+          })
+          .expect('Content-Type', /json/)
+          .expect(200)
+          .end((err, res) => {
+            if (err) {
+              done(err);
+            } else {
+              const resJson = res.body;
+              should.exist(resJson);
+              resJson.should.have.lengthOf(1);
+              done();
+            }
+          });
+      });
     });
   });
 });
diff --git a/src/utils/es-config.js b/src/utils/es-config.js
index 657add4b..c8e1be8a 100644
--- a/src/utils/es-config.js
+++ b/src/utils/es-config.js
@@ -241,7 +241,6 @@ MAPPINGS[ES_PROJECT_INDEX] = {
         },
         handle: {
           type: 'string',
-          index: 'not_analyzed',
         },
         id: {
           type: 'long',