diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/js_includes.inc b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/js_includes.inc
index b1d131b65d..f6974f5f1a 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/js_includes.inc
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/js_includes.inc
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@
 [% END %]
 
 <script>
-    var defaultPatronSearchFields = "[% Koha.Preference('DefaultPatronSearchFields') || 'firstname,middle_name,surname,othernames,cardnumber,userid' | html %]";
+    var defaultPatronSearchFields = "[% Koha.Preference('DefaultPatronSearchFields') || 'firstname|middle_name|surname|othernames|cardnumber|userid' | html %]";
     var defaultPatronSearchMethod = "[% Koha.Preference('DefaultPatronSearchMethod') || 'contains' | html %]";
     var extendedPatronAttributes = "[% Koha.Preference('ExtendedPatronAttributes') | html %]";
     var loggedInLibrary = '[% Branches.GetLoggedInBranchcode | html %]';
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/patronfields.inc b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/patronfields.inc
index c48fa6c28a..b4c5047863 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/patronfields.inc
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/en/includes/patronfields.inc
@@ -86,7 +86,8 @@
         <label for="searchfieldstype_filter">Search field:</label>
         <select name="searchfieldstype" id="searchfieldstype_filter">
     [% END %]
-        [% SET standard = Koha.Preference('DefaultPatronSearchFields') || 'firstname,middle_name,surname,othernames,cardnumber,userid' %]
+        [% SET standard = Koha.Preference('DefaultPatronSearchFields') || 'firstname|middle_name|surname|othernames|cardnumber|userid' %]
+        [% standard.replace('|', ',') %]
         [% SET full_address = 'streetnumber,streettype,address,address2,city,state,zipcode,country' %]
         [% SET all_emails = 'email,emailpro,B_email' %]
         [% SET all_phones = 'phone,phonepro,B_phone,altcontactphone,mobile' %]
diff --git a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/staff-global.js b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/staff-global.js
index 0c274c3a7f..6f84678b9d 100644
--- a/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/staff-global.js
+++ b/koha-tmpl/intranet-tmpl/prog/js/staff-global.js
@@ -560,7 +560,7 @@ function buildPatronSearchQuery(term, options) {
     let pattern_subquery_and = [];
     patterns.forEach(function (pattern, i) {
             let pattern_subquery_or = [];
-            search_fields.split(',').forEach(function (field, i) {
+            search_fields.split('|').forEach(function (field, i) {
                 pattern_subquery_or.push(
                     { ["me." + field]: { 'like': leading_wildcard + pattern + '%' } }
                 );
@@ -579,7 +579,7 @@ function buildPatronSearchQuery(term, options) {
 
     // Add full search term for each search field
     let term_subquery_or = [];
-    search_fields.split(',').forEach(function (field, i) {
+    search_fields.split('|').forEach(function (field, i) {
         term_subquery_or.push(
             { ["me." + field]: { 'like': leading_wildcard + term + '%' } }
         );