diff --git a/persistence/src/main/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremController.java b/persistence/src/main/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremController.java
index 1214812..b6bb7b9 100644
--- a/persistence/src/main/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremController.java
+++ b/persistence/src/main/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremController.java
@@ -53,8 +53,8 @@ public class TheoremController {
         }
 
         if (branch.contains("_") || branch.contains("-")) {
-            branch = branch.replace("_", "\\s");
-            branch = branch.replace("-", "\\s");
+            branch = branch.replace("_", " ");
+            branch = branch.replace("-", " ");
         }
 
         LOG.debug("Querying for theorems with branch {}", branch);
@@ -122,8 +122,8 @@ public class TheoremController {
         name = name.toLowerCase();
 
         if (name.contains("_") || name.contains("-")) {
-            name = name.replace("-", "\\s");
-            name = name.replace("-", "\\s");
+            name = name.replace("-", " ");
+            name = name.replace("-", " ");
         }
 
         LOG.debug("Querying for theorems with name {}", name);
diff --git a/persistence/src/test/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremControllerTest.java b/persistence/src/test/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremControllerTest.java
index 6be6200..c65ed44 100644
--- a/persistence/src/test/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremControllerTest.java
+++ b/persistence/src/test/java/edu/msudenver/tsp/persistence/controller/TheoremControllerTest.java
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ public class TheoremControllerTest {
 
         when(theoremRepository.findByBranch(anyString())).thenReturn(listOfTheorems);
 
-        final ResponseEntity<List<Theorem>> responseEntity = theoremController.getAllTheoremsByBranch("test");
+        final ResponseEntity<List<Theorem>> responseEntity = theoremController.getAllTheoremsByBranch("test-branch");
 
         assertNotNull(responseEntity);
         assertEquals(HttpStatus.OK, responseEntity.getStatusCode());
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ public class TheoremControllerTest {
     public void testGetAllTheoremsByBranch_noTheoremsFound() {
        when(theoremRepository.findByBranch(anyString())).thenReturn(Collections.emptyList());
 
-       final ResponseEntity<List<Theorem>> responseEntity = theoremController.getAllTheoremsByBranch("test nonexistent branch");
+       final ResponseEntity<List<Theorem>> responseEntity = theoremController.getAllTheoremsByBranch("test_nonexistent_branch");
 
        assertNotNull(responseEntity);
        assertFalse(responseEntity.hasBody());