diff --git a/packages/manager/.changeset/pr-12336-fixed-1749131430455.md b/packages/manager/.changeset/pr-12336-fixed-1749131430455.md
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..0bc9787129e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/packages/manager/.changeset/pr-12336-fixed-1749131430455.md
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+---
+"@linode/manager": Fixed
+---
+
+Queries from search should properly be converted to strings ([#12336](https://github.com/linode/manager/pull/12336))
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/factories/firewalls.ts b/packages/manager/src/factories/firewalls.ts
index 1ee6eb51490..5c2804b1a63 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/factories/firewalls.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/src/factories/firewalls.ts
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ export const firewallTemplateRulesFactory =
   });
 
 export const firewallFactory = Factory.Sync.makeFactory<Firewall>({
-  created: '2020-01-01 00:00:00',
+  created: '2020-01-01T00:00:00',
   entities: [
     {
       id: 1,
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ export const firewallFactory = Factory.Sync.makeFactory<Firewall>({
   rules: firewallRulesFactory.build(),
   status: 'enabled',
   tags: [],
-  updated: '2020-01-01 00:00:00',
+  updated: '2020-01-01T00:00:00',
 });
 
 export const firewallEntityfactory =
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/features/Search/refinedSearch.ts b/packages/manager/src/features/Search/refinedSearch.ts
index fefeb882078..5d6e49027a6 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/features/Search/refinedSearch.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/src/features/Search/refinedSearch.ts
@@ -57,6 +57,9 @@ export const refinedSearch = (
 };
 
 export const formatQuery = (query: string) => {
+  if (!query || typeof query !== 'string') {
+    return '';
+  }
   return query.trim().replace(' && ', ' AND ').replace(' || ', ' OR ');
 };
 
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/features/Search/utils.ts b/packages/manager/src/features/Search/utils.ts
index 30b372c25f5..4fcde240dd2 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/features/Search/utils.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/src/features/Search/utils.ts
@@ -113,7 +113,11 @@ export const search = (
   entities: SearchableItem[],
   inputValue: string
 ): SearchResults => {
-  if (!inputValue || inputValue === '') {
+  if (
+    !inputValue ||
+    typeof inputValue !== 'string' ||
+    inputValue.trim() === ''
+  ) {
     return { combinedResults: [], searchResultsByEntity: emptyResults };
   }
 
diff --git a/packages/manager/src/routes/search/index.ts b/packages/manager/src/routes/search/index.ts
index 949ee8b007e..2acc9b8fc3e 100644
--- a/packages/manager/src/routes/search/index.ts
+++ b/packages/manager/src/routes/search/index.ts
@@ -3,15 +3,11 @@ import { createRoute } from '@tanstack/react-router';
 import { rootRoute } from '../root';
 import { SearchRoute } from './SearchRoute';
 
-type SearchSearchParams = {
-  query: string;
-};
-
 const searchRoute = createRoute({
   component: SearchRoute,
   getParentRoute: () => rootRoute,
   path: 'search',
-  validateSearch: (search: SearchSearchParams) => search,
+  validateSearch: (params) => ({ query: String(params.query) }),
 });
 
 const searchLandingRoute = createRoute({