diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java
index 73c8d8274..6ae16cf34 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/DatabasePlatform.java
@@ -175,7 +175,7 @@ public class DatabasePlatform {
 
   protected SqlExceptionTranslator exceptionTranslator = new SqlCodeTranslator();
 
-  protected char[] specialLikeCharacters = { '%', '_' };
+  protected char[] specialLikeCharacters = { '%', '_', '\\' };
 
   /**
    * Instantiates a new database platform.
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/db2/DB2Platform.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/db2/DB2Platform.java
index 0c9558cc4..ccc9b9fc6 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/db2/DB2Platform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/db2/DB2Platform.java
@@ -26,7 +26,10 @@ public class DB2Platform extends DatabasePlatform {
 
     this.dbIdentity.setSupportsGetGeneratedKeys(true);
     this.dbIdentity.setSupportsSequence(true);
-
+    
+    this.likeClause = "like ? escape '|'";
+    this.specialLikeCharacters = new char[] { '%', '_', '|' };
+    
     this.exceptionTranslator =
       new SqlErrorCodes()
         .addAcquireLock("40001","57033") // key -911/-913
@@ -46,6 +49,10 @@ public class DB2Platform extends DatabasePlatform {
     persistBatchOnCascade = PersistBatch.NONE;
   }
 
+  @Override
+  protected void escapeLikeCharacter(char ch, StringBuilder sb) {
+    sb.append('|').append(ch);
+  }
   /**
    * Return a DB2 specific sequence IdGenerator that supports batch fetching
    * sequence values.
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/mysql/MySqlPlatform.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/mysql/MySqlPlatform.java
index 93b82d389..ee37d0c37 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/mysql/MySqlPlatform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/mysql/MySqlPlatform.java
@@ -48,6 +48,9 @@ public class MySqlPlatform extends DatabasePlatform {
 
     this.openQuote = "`";
     this.closeQuote = "`";
+    // use pipe for escaping as it depends if mysql runs in no_backslash_escapes or not.
+    this.likeClause = "like binary ? escape '|'";
+    this.specialLikeCharacters = new char[] { '%', '_', '|' };
 
     this.forwardOnlyHintOnFindIterate = true;
     this.booleanDbType = Types.BIT;
@@ -76,4 +79,9 @@ public class MySqlPlatform extends DatabasePlatform {
     // NOWAIT and SKIP LOCKED currently not supported with MySQL
     return sql + " for update";
   }
+  
+  @Override
+  protected void escapeLikeCharacter(char ch, StringBuilder sb) {
+    sb.append('|').append(ch);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/oracle/OraclePlatform.java b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/oracle/OraclePlatform.java
index 57bebab7d..b8c3c6a4a 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/oracle/OraclePlatform.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/ebean/config/dbplatform/oracle/OraclePlatform.java
@@ -37,6 +37,9 @@ public class OraclePlatform extends DatabasePlatform {
 
     this.treatEmptyStringsAsNull = true;
 
+    this.likeClause = "like ? escape '|'";
+    this.specialLikeCharacters = new char[] { '%', '_', '|' };
+    
     this.openQuote = "\"";
     this.closeQuote = "\"";
 
@@ -78,4 +81,9 @@ public class OraclePlatform extends DatabasePlatform {
         return sql + " for update";
     }
   }
+  
+  @Override
+  protected void escapeLikeCharacter(char ch, StringBuilder sb) {
+    sb.append('|').append(ch);
+  }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebean/EbeanServer_eqlTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebean/EbeanServer_eqlTest.java
index eaf7c4482..360b3e941 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebean/EbeanServer_eqlTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebean/EbeanServer_eqlTest.java
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ public class EbeanServer_eqlTest extends BaseTestCase {
     query.setParameter("name", "Ro");
     query.findList();
 
-    assertThat(query.getGeneratedSql()).contains("where t0.name like ? ");
+    assertThat(query.getGeneratedSql()).contains("where t0.name like ");
   }
 
   @Test(expected = PersistenceException.class)
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java
index 29736f21a..00ba20dc2 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/expression/DefaultExampleExpressionTest.java
@@ -86,8 +86,8 @@ public class DefaultExampleExpressionTest extends BaseExpressionTest {
 
     query1.findList();
 
-    assertThat(query1.getGeneratedSql()).contains("(t0.name like ? ");
-    assertThat(query1.getGeneratedSql()).contains(" and t1.city like ? ");
+    assertThat(query1.getGeneratedSql()).contains("(t0.name like ");
+    assertThat(query1.getGeneratedSql()).contains(" and t1.city like ");
 
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/grammer/EqlParserTest.java b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/grammer/EqlParserTest.java
index 395680f48..03f043a8c 100644
--- a/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/grammer/EqlParserTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/io/ebeaninternal/server/grammer/EqlParserTest.java
@@ -123,7 +123,7 @@ public class EqlParserTest extends BaseTestCase {
     query.setParameter("name", "Rob");
     query.findList();
 
-    assertThat(query.getGeneratedSql()).contains("where t0.name like ?");
+    assertThat(query.getGeneratedSql()).contains("where t0.name like ");
   }
 
   @Test
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/batchload/TestBatchLazyWithCacheHits.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/batchload/TestBatchLazyWithCacheHits.java
index c92149168..6246e4212 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/batchload/TestBatchLazyWithCacheHits.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/batchload/TestBatchLazyWithCacheHits.java
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@ public class TestBatchLazyWithCacheHits extends BaseTestCase {
 
     // batch lazy loading into cache
     assertThat(sql).hasSize(2);
-    assertThat(sql.get(0)).contains("from uuone t0 where t0.name like ?");
+    assertThat(sql.get(0)).contains("from uuone t0 where t0.name like ");
     assertThat(sql.get(1)).contains("from uuone t0 where t0.id in (?,");
 
     statistics = beanCache.getStatistics(true);
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestExprNestedDisjunction.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestExprNestedDisjunction.java
index c6df4fd0d..02125bc64 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestExprNestedDisjunction.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestExprNestedDisjunction.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@ public class TestExprNestedDisjunction extends BaseTestCase {
     q.findList();
     String s = q.getGeneratedSql();
 
-    assertThat(s).contains("(t0.name like ? ");
+    assertThat(s).contains("(t0.name like ");
     assertThat(s).contains(" and t0.anniversary = ? )  or (t0.status = ?  and t0.id > ? )");
   }
 
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@ public class TestExprNestedDisjunction extends BaseTestCase {
     q.findList();
     String s = q.getGeneratedSql();
 
-    assertThat(s).contains("(t0.name like ? ");
+    assertThat(s).contains("(t0.name like ");
     assertThat(s).contains(" and t0.anniversary = ? )  or (t0.status = ?  and t0.id > ? )");
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestQueryFetchManyTwoDeep.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestQueryFetchManyTwoDeep.java
index bf667c46e..de846ef20 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestQueryFetchManyTwoDeep.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/TestQueryFetchManyTwoDeep.java
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ public class TestQueryFetchManyTwoDeep extends BaseTestCase {
 
     Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("from contact t0 "));
     Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.customer_id"));
-    Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("where lower(t1.name) like ?"));
+    Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("where lower(t1.name) like "));
 
   }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java
index 8b837b105..12d05c37b 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/aggregation/TestAggregationCount.java
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ public class TestAggregationCount extends BaseTestCase {
     String sql = sqlOf(query2, 5);
     assertThat(sql).contains("select t0.id, t0.name, count(u1.id), sum(u1.units), sum(u1.units * u1.amount) from tevent_one t0");
     assertThat(sql).contains("from tevent_one t0 join tevent_many u1 on u1.event_id = t0.id ");
-    assertThat(sql).contains("where u1.description like ? ");
+    assertThat(sql).contains("where u1.description like ");
     assertThat(sql).contains(" group by t0.id, t0.name having count(u1.id) >= ?  order by t0.name");
 
     // invoke lazy loading
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/joins/TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/joins/TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin.java
index 4516d2dbe..abb33a17a 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/joins/TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/joins/TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin.java
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ public class TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin extends BaseTestCase {
     query.findList();
 
     //select t0.id c0, t0.status c1, t0.order_date c2, t0.ship_date c3, t1.name c4, t0.cretime c5, t0.updtime c6, t0.kcustomer_id c7
-    String expectedSql = "from o_order t0 join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.kcustomer_id  where lower(t1.name) like ? ";
+    String expectedSql = "from o_order t0 join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.kcustomer_id  where lower(t1.name) like ";
     Assert.assertTrue(query.getGeneratedSql().contains(expectedSql));
 
     // select t0.id c0, t0.status c1, t0.order_date c2, t0.ship_date c3, t1.name c4, t0.cretime c5, t0.updtime c6, t0.kcustomer_id c7
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@ public class TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin extends BaseTestCase {
     query.findList();
 
     //select t0.id c0, t0.status c1, t0.order_date c2, t0.ship_date c3, t1.name c4, t0.cretime c5, t0.updtime c6, t0.kcustomer_id c7
-    String expectedSql = "from o_order t0 join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.kcustomer_id  where (lower(t1.name) like ? ";
+    String expectedSql = "from o_order t0 join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.kcustomer_id  where (lower(t1.name) like ";
     Assert.assertTrue(query.getGeneratedSql().contains(expectedSql));
 
     // select t0.id c0, t0.status c1, t0.order_date c2, t0.ship_date c3, t1.name c4, t0.cretime c5, t0.updtime c6, t0.kcustomer_id c7
@@ -80,7 +80,7 @@ public class TestQueryManyToOneWhereClauseJoin extends BaseTestCase {
     String generatedSql = query.getGeneratedSql();
     Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("from o_order t0 join o_customer t1 on t1.id = t0.kcustomer_id"));
     Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("left join contact t2 on t2.customer_id = t1.id"));
-    Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("where lower(t1.name) like ?"));
+    Assert.assertTrue(generatedSql.contains("where lower(t1.name) like "));
 
     // select t0.id c0, t0.status c1, t0.order_date c2, t0.ship_date c3, t1.name c4, t0.cretime c5, t0.updtime c6,
     //        t1.id c7, t1.status c8, t1.name c9, t1.smallnote c10, t1.anniversary c11, t1.cretime c12, t1.updtime c13, t1.billing_address_id c14, t1.shipping_address_id c15,
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByWithDistinctTake2.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByWithDistinctTake2.java
index c80be3698..0f0123d0d 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByWithDistinctTake2.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/orderby/TestOrderByWithDistinctTake2.java
@@ -46,7 +46,7 @@ public class TestOrderByWithDistinctTake2 extends BaseTestCase {
     }
     assertThat(generatedSql).contains("order by t0.name desc");
     assertThat(generatedSql).contains("from o_customer t0 join contact u1 on u1.customer_id = t0.id");
-    assertThat(generatedSql).contains("where lower(u1.first_name) like ?");
+    assertThat(generatedSql).contains("where lower(u1.first_name) like ");
   }
 
   @Test
@@ -68,7 +68,7 @@ public class TestOrderByWithDistinctTake2 extends BaseTestCase {
     }
     assertThat(generatedSql).contains("order by t0.name, t0.id desc");
     assertThat(generatedSql).contains("from o_customer t0 join contact u1 on u1.customer_id = t0.id");
-    assertThat(generatedSql).contains("where lower(u1.first_name) like ?");
+    assertThat(generatedSql).contains("where lower(u1.first_name) like ");
   }
 
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestLikeEscaping.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestLikeEscaping.java
index a9fbc5fe9..341348cca 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestLikeEscaping.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestLikeEscaping.java
@@ -22,11 +22,19 @@ public class TestLikeEscaping extends BaseTestCase {
     Ebean.save(ResetBasicData.createCustomer("Paul %% Doublepercentage", "|Pipeway", "[other]", 1, null));
     Ebean.save(ResetBasicData.createCustomer("_Udo Underscore", "|Pipeway", "[other]", 1, null));
     
+    Ebean.save(ResetBasicData.createCustomer("Bodo \\ backslash", "\\BS", "[other]", 1, null));
     
     assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
         .where().contains("name", "Paul %%").findCount()
     ).isEqualTo(1);
     
+    assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
+        .where().contains("name", "o \\ b").findCount()
+    ).isEqualTo(1);
+
+    assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
+        .where().contains("name", "o \\\\ b").findCount()
+    ).isEqualTo(0);
     
     assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
         .where().startsWith("name", "_").findCount()
@@ -48,10 +56,13 @@ public class TestLikeEscaping extends BaseTestCase {
         .where().startsWith("shippingAddress.line1", "|P").findCount()
     ).isEqualTo(2);
     
-    
+    assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
+        .where().startsWith("shippingAddress.line1", "\\B").findCount()
+    ).isEqualTo(1);
+   
     assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
         .where().endsWith("billingAddress.line1", "]").findCount()
-    ).isEqualTo(4);
+    ).isEqualTo(5);
     
     assertThat(Ebean.find(Customer.class)
         .where().endsWith("billingAddress.line1", "[none]").findCount()
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestQuerySingleAttribute.java b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestQuerySingleAttribute.java
index 2bc51aa76..b02a53c2f 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestQuerySingleAttribute.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/tests/query/other/TestQuerySingleAttribute.java
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ public class TestQuerySingleAttribute extends BaseTestCase {
 
     List<String> names = query.findSingleAttributeList();
 
-    assertThat(sqlOf(query)).contains("select distinct t0.name from o_customer t0 left join o_address t1 on t1.id = t0.billing_address_id  where t0.status = ?  and lower(t1.city) like ?");
+    assertThat(sqlOf(query)).contains("select distinct t0.name from o_customer t0 left join o_address t1 on t1.id = t0.billing_address_id  where t0.status = ?  and lower(t1.city) like ");
     assertThat(names).isNotNull();
   }