diff --git a/services/nexus/nexus.service.js b/services/nexus/nexus.service.js
index 936a12c4e9..d575173ead 100644
--- a/services/nexus/nexus.service.js
+++ b/services/nexus/nexus.service.js
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ const nexus2ResolveApiSchema = Joi.object({
 const queryParamSchema = Joi.object({
   server: optionalUrl.required(),
   queryOpt: Joi.string()
-    .regex(/(:[\w.]+=[\w-. ]+)+/i)
+    .regex(/(:[\w.]+=[^:]*)+/i)
     .optional(),
   nexusVersion: Joi.equal('2', '3'),
 }).required()
@@ -240,10 +240,17 @@ module.exports = class Nexus extends BaseJsonService {
       name: artifactId,
       sort: 'version',
     }
-    if (repo === 's') {
-      qs.prerelease = 'true'
-    } else if (repo !== 'r') {
-      qs.repository = repo
+
+    switch (repo) {
+      case 's':
+        qs.prerelease = 'true'
+        break
+      case 'r':
+        qs.prerelease = 'false'
+        break
+      default:
+        qs.repository = repo
+        break
     }
 
     if (queryOpt) {
diff --git a/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js b/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js
index 21c9ed661a..d0275d04c4 100644
--- a/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js
+++ b/services/nexus/nexus.tester.js
@@ -281,3 +281,15 @@ t.create('Nexus 3 - repository version with query')
     label: 'nexus',
     message: isVersion,
   })
+
+t.create('Nexus 3 - search release version without snapshots')
+  .get(
+    // Limit the version from above, so that any later artifacts don't break this test.
+    `/r/org.pentaho.adaptive/daemon.json?server=https://nexus.pentaho.org&nexusVersion=3&queryOpt=${encodeURIComponent(
+      ':maven.baseVersion=<8.1.0.1'
+    )}`
+  )
+  .expectBadge({
+    label: 'nexus',
+    message: 'v8.1.0.0-365',
+  })