diff --git a/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs b/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs
index ade1fb2f3..4bc992bae 100644
--- a/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs
+++ b/query-grammar/src/query_grammar.rs
@@ -321,7 +321,17 @@ fn exists(inp: &str) -> IResult<&str, UserInputLeaf> {
         UserInputLeaf::Exists {
             field: String::new(),
         },
-        tuple((multispace0, char('*'), peek(alt((multispace1, eof))))),
+        tuple((
+            multispace0,
+            char('*'),
+            peek(alt((
+                value(
+                    "",
+                    satisfy(|c: char| c.is_whitespace() || ESCAPE_IN_WORD.contains(&c)),
+                ),
+                eof,
+            ))),
+        )),
     )(inp)
 }
 
@@ -332,7 +342,13 @@ fn exists_precond(inp: &str) -> IResult<&str, (), ()> {
             field_name,
             multispace0,
             char('*'),
-            peek(alt((multispace1, eof))), // we need to check this isn't a wildcard query
+            peek(alt((
+                value(
+                    "",
+                    satisfy(|c: char| c.is_whitespace() || ESCAPE_IN_WORD.contains(&c)),
+                ),
+                eof,
+            ))), // we need to check this isn't a wildcard query
         ))),
     )(inp)
     .map_err(|e| e.map(|_| ()))
@@ -1625,8 +1641,14 @@ mod test {
 
     #[test]
     fn test_exist_query() {
-        test_parse_query_to_ast_helper("a:*", "\"a\":*");
-        test_parse_query_to_ast_helper("a: *", "\"a\":*");
+        test_parse_query_to_ast_helper("a:*", "$exists(\"a\")");
+        test_parse_query_to_ast_helper("a: *", "$exists(\"a\")");
+
+        test_parse_query_to_ast_helper(
+            "(hello AND toto:*) OR happy",
+            "(?(+hello +$exists(\"toto\")) ?happy)",
+        );
+        test_parse_query_to_ast_helper("(a:*)", "$exists(\"a\")");
 
         // these are term/wildcard query (not a phrase prefix)
         test_parse_query_to_ast_helper("a:b*", "\"a\":b*");
diff --git a/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs b/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs
index 4f09feb38..552deb5d4 100644
--- a/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs
+++ b/query-grammar/src/user_input_ast.rs
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ impl Debug for UserInputLeaf {
             }
             UserInputLeaf::All => write!(formatter, "*"),
             UserInputLeaf::Exists { field } => {
-                write!(formatter, "\"{field}\":*")
+                write!(formatter, "$exists(\"{field}\")")
             }
         }
     }