diff --git a/src/bub/store.py b/src/bub/store.py
index 06184baf..cad85ac9 100644
--- a/src/bub/store.py
+++ b/src/bub/store.py
@@ -390,7 +390,7 @@ def fetch_all(self, query: TapeQuery) -> Iterable[TapeEntry]:
         if not query._query:
             result: Iterable[TapeEntry] = super().fetch_all(query)
             return result
-        unlimited_query = replace(query, _limit=None)
+        unlimited_query = replace(query, _query=None, _limit=None)
         entries: Iterable[TapeEntry] = super().fetch_all(unlimited_query)
         return self._filter_entries(list(entries), query._query, query._limit or 20)
 
diff --git a/src/bub/utils.py b/src/bub/utils.py
index aab1af4a..d60708de 100644
--- a/src/bub/utils.py
+++ b/src/bub/utils.py
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ def workspace_from_state(state: TurnState) -> Path:
 def get_entry_text(entry: TapeEntry) -> str:
     import yaml
 
-    return yaml.safe_dump(entry.payload)
+    return yaml.safe_dump(entry.payload, allow_unicode=True)
 
 
 async def maybe_context_manager(obj: Any, stack: AsyncExitStack) -> Any:
diff --git a/tests/test_file_tape_store_search.py b/tests/test_file_tape_store_search.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8839638e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_file_tape_store_search.py
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+from bub.store import FileTapeStore, TapeQuery
+from bub.tape import TapeEntry
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("content", "query", "matches"),
+    [
+        ("deployment configuration", "deployment", True),
+        ("Deployment configuration", "DEPLOYMENT", True),
+        ("deployment configuration", "deploymnt", True),
+        ("项目配置和部署说明", "项目配置", True),
+        ("café configuration", "CAFÉ", True),
+        ("deployment 🚀 ready", "🚀", True),
+        ("deployment configuration", "zqxjkv", False),
+        ("deployment configuration", "xy", False),
+        ("deployment configuration", "   ", False),
+    ],
+)
+def test_file_search_matches_persisted_payload(tmp_path: Path, content: str, query: str, matches: bool) -> None:
+    store = FileTapeStore(tmp_path)
+    store.append("session", TapeEntry.message({"role": "user", "content": content}))
+
+    # Reopen the store so the query exercises persisted data rather than its write cache.
+    reopened = FileTapeStore(tmp_path)
+    search = TapeQuery("session", reopened).query(query)
+    entries = list(search.all())
+
+    assert [entry.payload["content"] for entry in entries] == ([content] if matches else [])
+    assert search._query == query
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("limit", [1, 2, 10])
+def test_fuzzy_search_preserves_filters_order_deduplication_and_limit(tmp_path: Path, limit: int) -> None:
+    store = FileTapeStore(tmp_path)
+    entries = [
+        TapeEntry.message({"content": "deployment before anchor"}),
+        TapeEntry.anchor("start"),
+        TapeEntry(0, "message", {"content": "deployment alpha"}, date="2026-01-02T00:00:00Z"),
+        TapeEntry(0, "message", {"content": "deployment alpha"}, date="2026-01-02T12:00:00Z"),
+        TapeEntry(0, "message", {"content": "deployment beta"}, date="2026-01-03T23:59:59Z"),
+        TapeEntry(0, "system", {"content": "deployment system"}, date="2026-01-03T00:00:00Z"),
+        TapeEntry(0, "message", {"content": "deployment outside dates"}, date="2026-01-01T00:00:00Z"),
+        TapeEntry.anchor("end"),
+        TapeEntry.message({"content": "deployment after anchor"}),
+    ]
+    for entry in entries:
+        store.append("session", entry)
+    search = (
+        TapeQuery("session", store)
+        .between_anchors("start", "end")
+        .between_dates("2026-01-02", "2026-01-03")
+        .kinds("message")
+        .query("deploymnt")
+        .limit(limit)
+    )
+
+    assert [entry.id for entry in search.all()] == [5, 4][:limit]
+    assert search._query == "deploymnt"
+    assert search._limit == limit
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize("last", [False, True])
+def test_fuzzy_search_preserves_after_anchor_selection(tmp_path: Path, last: bool) -> None:
+    store = FileTapeStore(tmp_path)
+    store.append("session", TapeEntry.message({"content": "deployment before"}))
+    store.append("session", TapeEntry.anchor("checkpoint"))
+    store.append("session", TapeEntry.message({"content": "deployment after"}))
+    search = TapeQuery("session", store).query("deploymnt")
+    search = search.last_anchor() if last else search.after_anchor("checkpoint")
+
+    assert [entry.id for entry in search.all()] == [3]
+
+
+def test_unqueried_file_search_retains_chronological_order(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    store = FileTapeStore(tmp_path)
+    for content in ("first", "second", "third"):
+        store.append("session", TapeEntry.message({"content": content}))
+
+    assert [entry.id for entry in TapeQuery("session", store).limit(2).all()] == [1, 2]