diff --git a/zerver/lib/narrow.py b/zerver/lib/narrow.py
index cefa044665..eaa9ab8363 100644
--- a/zerver/lib/narrow.py
+++ b/zerver/lib/narrow.py
@@ -1187,8 +1187,28 @@ def add_narrow_conditions(
             query = builder.add_term(query, term)
 
     if search_operands:
+        # This topic escaping logic ensures consistent escaping of topic names throughout
+        # the system, ensuring accuracy in string highlighting and avoiding any discrepancies.
+        #
+        # When a topic name is fetched from the database, it goes through this logic.
+        # The `func.escape_html()` function is used to escape the topic name, ensuring that
+        # special characters are properly escaped. This helps to avoid the need to apply other
+        # escaping logic to the topic name for string highlighting purposes. As a result, the
+        # highlighted string will accurately match the actual topic name displayed in the UI.
+        # This approach prevents any inconsistencies or offsets that could occur if different
+        # escaping functions were used.
+        #
+        # It's important to note that the `process_fts_updates` script, responsible for
+        # updating the relevant columns in the database, also utilizes the same escaping
+        # logic. This alignment ensures that the escaped topic names stored in the database
+        # and the topic names used during string highlighting are in sync. Therefore, there
+        # is no need for any special handling in `process_fts_updates` to align with this
+        # escaping logic.
         is_search = True
-        query = query.add_columns(topic_column_sa(), column("rendered_content", Text))
+        query = query.add_columns(
+            func.escape_html(topic_column_sa(), type_=Text).label("escaped_topic_name"),
+            column("rendered_content", Text),
+        )
         search_term = NarrowParameter(
             operator="search",
             operand=" ".join(search_operands),
diff --git a/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py b/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py
index fefe2e418d..b7454eb27c 100644
--- a/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py
+++ b/zerver/tests/test_message_fetch.py
@@ -3208,6 +3208,7 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
             ("日本", "今朝はごはんを食べました。"),
             ("日本", "昨日、日本 のお菓子を送りました。"),
             ("english", "I want to go to 日本!"),
+            ("James' burger", "James' burger"),
         ]
 
         next_message_id = self.get_last_message().id + 1
@@ -3335,6 +3336,28 @@ class GetOldMessagesTest(ZulipTestCase):
             '<p>こんに <span class="highlight">ちは</span> 。 <span class="highlight">今日は</span> いい 天気ですね。</p>',
         )
 
+        # Search operands with HTML special characters
+        special_search_narrow = [
+            dict(operator="search", operand="burger"),
+        ]
+        special_search_result = self.get_and_check_messages(
+            dict(
+                narrow=orjson.dumps(special_search_narrow).decode(),
+                anchor=next_message_id,
+                num_after=10,
+                num_before=0,
+            )
+        )
+        self.assert_length(special_search_result["messages"], 1)
+        self.assertEqual(
+            special_search_result["messages"][0][MATCH_TOPIC],
+            'James&#39; <span class="highlight">burger</span>',
+        )
+        self.assertEqual(
+            special_search_result["messages"][0]["match_content"],
+            '<p>James\' <span class="highlight">burger</span></p>',
+        )
+
     @override_settings(USING_PGROONGA=False)
     def test_get_visible_messages_with_search(self) -> None:
         self.login("hamlet")
@@ -5080,8 +5103,8 @@ WHERE zerver_subscription.user_profile_id = {hamlet_id} AND zerver_subscription.
         query_ids = self.get_query_ids()
 
         sql_template = """\
-SELECT anon_1.message_id, anon_1.flags, anon_1.subject, anon_1.rendered_content, anon_1.content_matches, anon_1.topic_matches \n\
-FROM (SELECT message_id, flags, subject, rendered_content, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_3) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_3, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_2 \n\
+SELECT anon_1.message_id, anon_1.flags, anon_1.escaped_topic_name, anon_1.rendered_content, anon_1.content_matches, anon_1.topic_matches \n\
+FROM (SELECT message_id, flags, escape_html(subject) AS escaped_topic_name, rendered_content, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_3) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_3, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_2 \n\
 FROM unnest(string_to_array(ts_headline('zulip.english_us_search', rendered_content, plainto_tsquery('zulip.english_us_search', 'jumping'), 'HighlightAll = TRUE, StartSel = <ts-match>, StopSel = </ts-match>'), '<ts-match>')) AS anon_3\n\
  LIMIT ALL OFFSET 1)) AS content_matches, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_5) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_5, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_4 \n\
 FROM unnest(string_to_array(ts_headline('zulip.english_us_search', escape_html(subject), plainto_tsquery('zulip.english_us_search', 'jumping'), 'HighlightAll = TRUE, StartSel = <ts-match>, StopSel = </ts-match>'), '<ts-match>')) AS anon_5\n\
@@ -5100,8 +5123,8 @@ WHERE zerver_subscription.user_profile_id = {hamlet_id} AND zerver_subscription.
         )
 
         sql_template = """\
-SELECT anon_1.message_id, anon_1.subject, anon_1.rendered_content, anon_1.content_matches, anon_1.topic_matches \n\
-FROM (SELECT id AS message_id, subject, rendered_content, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_3) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_3, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_2 \n\
+SELECT anon_1.message_id, anon_1.escaped_topic_name, anon_1.rendered_content, anon_1.content_matches, anon_1.topic_matches \n\
+FROM (SELECT id AS message_id, escape_html(subject) AS escaped_topic_name, rendered_content, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_3) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_3, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_2 \n\
 FROM unnest(string_to_array(ts_headline('zulip.english_us_search', rendered_content, plainto_tsquery('zulip.english_us_search', 'jumping'), 'HighlightAll = TRUE, StartSel = <ts-match>, StopSel = </ts-match>'), '<ts-match>')) AS anon_3\n\
  LIMIT ALL OFFSET 1)) AS content_matches, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_5) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_5, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_4 \n\
 FROM unnest(string_to_array(ts_headline('zulip.english_us_search', escape_html(subject), plainto_tsquery('zulip.english_us_search', 'jumping'), 'HighlightAll = TRUE, StartSel = <ts-match>, StopSel = </ts-match>'), '<ts-match>')) AS anon_5\n\
@@ -5122,8 +5145,8 @@ WHERE realm_id = 2 AND recipient_id = {scotland_recipient} AND (search_tsvector
         )
 
         sql_template = """\
-SELECT anon_1.message_id, anon_1.flags, anon_1.subject, anon_1.rendered_content, anon_1.content_matches, anon_1.topic_matches \n\
-FROM (SELECT message_id, flags, subject, rendered_content, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_3) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_3, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_2 \n\
+SELECT anon_1.message_id, anon_1.flags, anon_1.escaped_topic_name, anon_1.rendered_content, anon_1.content_matches, anon_1.topic_matches \n\
+FROM (SELECT message_id, flags, escape_html(subject) AS escaped_topic_name, rendered_content, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_3) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_3, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_2 \n\
 FROM unnest(string_to_array(ts_headline('zulip.english_us_search', rendered_content, plainto_tsquery('zulip.english_us_search', '"jumping" quickly'), 'HighlightAll = TRUE, StartSel = <ts-match>, StopSel = </ts-match>'), '<ts-match>')) AS anon_3\n\
  LIMIT ALL OFFSET 1)) AS content_matches, array((SELECT ARRAY[sum(length(anon_5) - 11) OVER (ROWS BETWEEN UNBOUNDED PRECEDING AND 1 PRECEDING) + 11, strpos(anon_5, '</ts-match>') - 1] AS anon_4 \n\
 FROM unnest(string_to_array(ts_headline('zulip.english_us_search', escape_html(subject), plainto_tsquery('zulip.english_us_search', '"jumping" quickly'), 'HighlightAll = TRUE, StartSel = <ts-match>, StopSel = </ts-match>'), '<ts-match>')) AS anon_5\n\
diff --git a/zerver/views/message_fetch.py b/zerver/views/message_fetch.py
index d104e01063..6fbaff170d 100644
--- a/zerver/views/message_fetch.py
+++ b/zerver/views/message_fetch.py
@@ -5,10 +5,9 @@ from django.conf import settings
 from django.contrib.auth.models import AnonymousUser
 from django.db import connection, transaction
 from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse
-from django.utils.html import escape as escape_html
 from django.utils.translation import gettext as _
 from pydantic import Json, NonNegativeInt
-from sqlalchemy.sql import column
+from sqlalchemy.sql import column, func
 from sqlalchemy.types import Integer, Text
 
 from zerver.context_processors import get_valid_realm_from_request
@@ -32,7 +31,7 @@ from zerver.lib.narrow import (
 from zerver.lib.request import RequestNotes
 from zerver.lib.response import json_success
 from zerver.lib.sqlalchemy_utils import get_sqlalchemy_connection
-from zerver.lib.topic import DB_TOPIC_NAME, MATCH_TOPIC
+from zerver.lib.topic import MATCH_TOPIC
 from zerver.lib.topic_sqlalchemy import topic_column_sa
 from zerver.lib.typed_endpoint import ApiParamConfig, typed_endpoint
 from zerver.models import UserMessage, UserProfile
@@ -79,13 +78,13 @@ def highlight_string(text: str, locs: Iterable[tuple[int, int]]) -> str:
 
 def get_search_fields(
     rendered_content: str,
-    topic_name: str,
+    escaped_topic_name: str,
     content_matches: Iterable[tuple[int, int]],
     topic_matches: Iterable[tuple[int, int]],
 ) -> dict[str, str]:
     return {
         "match_content": highlight_string(rendered_content, content_matches),
-        MATCH_TOPIC: highlight_string(escape_html(topic_name), topic_matches),
+        MATCH_TOPIC: highlight_string(escaped_topic_name, topic_matches),
     }
 
 
@@ -294,9 +293,9 @@ def get_messages_backend(
         if is_search:
             for row in rows:
                 message_id = row[0]
-                (topic_name, rendered_content, content_matches, topic_matches) = row[-4:]
+                (escaped_topic_name, rendered_content, content_matches, topic_matches) = row[-4:]
                 search_fields[message_id] = get_search_fields(
-                    rendered_content, topic_name, content_matches, topic_matches
+                    rendered_content, escaped_topic_name, content_matches, topic_matches
                 )
 
         message_list = messages_for_ids(
@@ -365,19 +364,22 @@ def messages_in_narrow_backend(
 
     if not is_search:
         # `add_narrow_conditions` adds the following columns only if narrow has search operands.
-        query = query.add_columns(topic_column_sa(), column("rendered_content", Text))
+        query = query.add_columns(
+            func.escape_html(topic_column_sa(), type_=Text).label("escaped_topic_name"),
+            column("rendered_content", Text),
+        )
 
     search_fields = {}
     with get_sqlalchemy_connection() as sa_conn:
         for row in sa_conn.execute(query).mappings():
             message_id = row["message_id"]
-            topic_name: str = row[DB_TOPIC_NAME]
+            escaped_topic_name: str = row["escaped_topic_name"]
             rendered_content: str = row["rendered_content"]
             content_matches = row.get("content_matches", [])
             topic_matches = row.get("topic_matches", [])
             search_fields[str(message_id)] = get_search_fields(
                 rendered_content,
-                topic_name,
+                escaped_topic_name,
                 content_matches,
                 topic_matches,
             )