diff --git a/magpie/handler/base.py b/magpie/handler/base.py
index 4935326..e2ea926 100644
--- a/magpie/handler/base.py
+++ b/magpie/handler/base.py
@@ -26,7 +26,8 @@ def _notebooks_list(self, hide_notebooks=False):
             return []
 
         return sorted([self.decode_name(nb) for nb in \
-                       listdir(self.settings.repo) if nb != ''])
+                       listdir(self.settings.repo) \
+                       if (nb != '' and path.isdir(path.join(self.settings.repo, nb)) ) ])
 
     def _notes_list(self, notebook_name):
         notes_path = path.join(self.settings.repo,
@@ -47,9 +48,9 @@ def _notes_list(self, notebook_name):
         return sorted(starred) + sorted(unstarred)
 
     def highlight(self, text, highlight):
-        return text.replace(highlight.encode('utf8'),
-                            "<font style=background-color:yellow>%s</font>" % \
-                            highlight.encode('utf8'))
+        return re.sub( highlight.encode('utf8'), 
+            lambda m: "<font style=background-color:yellow>" + m.group() \
+            + "</font>", text, flags=re.IGNORECASE)
 
     def get_current_user(self):
         if self.settings.username is None and self.settings.pwdhash is None \
diff --git a/magpie/handler/search.py b/magpie/handler/search.py
index a35c203..460aed8 100644
--- a/magpie/handler/search.py
+++ b/magpie/handler/search.py
@@ -14,31 +14,35 @@ def get(self):
         if query == '':
             self.redirect('/')
         try:
-            results = str(grep('-R', '--exclude-dir', '.git', query,
+            results = str(grep('-Rli', '--exclude-dir', '.git', query,
                                self.settings.repo))
         except ErrorReturnCode_1 as e:
             results = ''
 
         try:
-            results += str(find(self.settings.repo, '-type', 'f', '-name',
+            results += str(find(self.settings.repo, '-type', 'f', '-iname',
                                 '*' + query + '*', '-not', '(', '-path',
-                                '%s/%s/*' % (self.settings.repo, '.git') ))
+                                '%s/%s/*' % (self.settings.repo, '.git'), ')'))
         except ErrorReturnCode_1 as e:
             pass
 
         results = results.replace(self.settings.repo, '').split('\n')[:-1]
         formatted_results = []
-        for result in results:
-            if 'Binary file' in result or result == '':
+        for filename in results:
+            if 'Binary file' in filename or filename == '':
                 continue
 
-            # TODO this doesn't play well with colons in filenames
-            stuff = result.split(':')
-            filename = stuff[0]
             if path.basename(filename).startswith('.'):
                 filename = path.join(path.dirname(filename),
                                      path.basename(filename)[1:])
-            string = ''.join(stuff[1:])
-            string = self.highlight(string, query)
-            formatted_results.append({'filename': filename, 'string': string})
+
+            resultpath = path.join(self.settings.repo, filename[1:])
+            if path.exists(resultpath):
+                try:
+                    string = str(grep('-i', query, resultpath ))
+                except ErrorReturnCode_1 as e:
+                    string = ''
+
+                string = self.highlight(string, query)
+                formatted_results.append({'filename': filename, 'string': string})
         self.render('search.html', query=query, results=formatted_results)
diff --git a/todo.md b/todo.md
index 67c3504..29f0c85 100644
--- a/todo.md
+++ b/todo.md
@@ -1,8 +1,4 @@
 ## To Do
-### ``magpie/handler/search.py``
-(line 35) this doesn't play well with colons in filenames
-
-
 ### ``utils/email_notes.py``
 (line 43) there seems to be a bug where other notes in other notebooks can be deleted