diff --git a/packages/kbn-management/settings/application/hooks/use_fields.ts b/packages/kbn-management/settings/application/hooks/use_fields.ts
index 829e368812512..f0dc538f54189 100644
--- a/packages/kbn-management/settings/application/hooks/use_fields.ts
+++ b/packages/kbn-management/settings/application/hooks/use_fields.ts
@@ -7,11 +7,13 @@
  * License v3.0 only", or the "Server Side Public License, v 1".
  */
 
-import { Query } from '@elastic/eui';
+import { Ast, Query } from '@elastic/eui';
 import { getFieldDefinitions } from '@kbn/management-settings-field-definition';
 import { FieldDefinition } from '@kbn/management-settings-types';
 import { UiSettingsScope } from '@kbn/core-ui-settings-common';
+import { Clause } from '@elastic/eui/src/components/search_bar/query/ast';
 import { useServices } from '../services';
+import { CATEGORY_FIELD } from '../query_input';
 import { useSettings } from './use_settings';
 
 /**
@@ -29,7 +31,19 @@ export const useFields = (scope: UiSettingsScope, query?: Query): FieldDefinitio
     isOverridden: (key) => isOverriddenSetting(key, scope),
   });
   if (query) {
-    return Query.execute(query, fields);
+    const clauses: Clause[] = query.ast.clauses.map((clause) =>
+      // If the clause value contains `:` and is not a category filter, add it as a term clause
+      // This allows searching for settings that include `:` in their names
+      clause.type === 'field' && clause.field !== CATEGORY_FIELD
+        ? {
+            type: 'term',
+            match: 'must',
+            value: `${clause.field}:${clause.value}`,
+          }
+        : clause
+    );
+
+    return Query.execute(new Query(Ast.create(clauses), undefined, query.text), fields);
   }
   return fields;
 };