diff --git a/src/services/himalaya/client.py b/src/services/himalaya/client.py
index 3e05720..65313ab 100644
--- a/src/services/himalaya/client.py
+++ b/src/services/himalaya/client.py
@@ -335,9 +335,33 @@ async def search_envelopes(
         - Success status (True if operation was successful)
     """
     try:
-        # Build a compound query to search from, to, subject, and body
-        # Himalaya query syntax: from <pattern> or to <pattern> or subject <pattern> or body <pattern>
-        search_query = f"from {query} or to {query} or subject {query} or body {query}"
+        # Himalaya query keywords that indicate the user is writing a raw query
+        query_keywords = (
+            "from ",
+            "to ",
+            "subject ",
+            "body ",
+            "date ",
+            "before ",
+            "after ",
+            "flag ",
+            "not ",
+            "order by ",
+        )
+
+        # Check if user is using raw query syntax
+        query_lower = query.lower()
+        is_raw_query = any(query_lower.startswith(kw) for kw in query_keywords)
+
+        if is_raw_query:
+            # Pass through as-is (user knows what they're doing)
+            search_query = query
+        else:
+            # Build a compound query to search from, to, subject, and body
+            # Himalaya query syntax: from <pattern> or to <pattern> or subject <pattern> or body <pattern>
+            search_query = (
+                f"from {query} or to {query} or subject {query} or body {query}"
+            )
 
         # Build command with options before the query (query must be at the end, quoted)
         cmd = "himalaya envelope list -o json"