diff --git a/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractEntitySearchStrategy.cs b/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractEntitySearchStrategy.cs
index 8534751eb..b9cbce1d2 100644
--- a/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractEntitySearchStrategy.cs
+++ b/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractEntitySearchStrategy.cs
@@ -43,6 +43,13 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.ILSpyX.Search
 			if (apiVisibility == ApiVisibility.All)
 				return true;
 
+			// The query parser sets IncludePrivateApi when the user types `<` or `>` —
+			// characteristic of compiler-generated names (state-machines, display classes,
+			// anonymous closures). Bypass the public-only filter so those names actually
+			// surface as results when the user is hunting for them specifically.
+			if (searchRequest.IncludePrivateApi)
+				return true;
+
 			while (entity != null)
 			{
 				if (apiVisibility == ApiVisibility.PublicOnly)
diff --git a/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractSearchStrategy.cs b/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractSearchStrategy.cs
index 1078d29b5..c225d0ab3 100644
--- a/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractSearchStrategy.cs
+++ b/ICSharpCode.ILSpyX/Search/AbstractSearchStrategy.cs
@@ -55,6 +55,14 @@ namespace ICSharpCode.ILSpyX.Search
 		public Regex? RegEx;
 		public bool FullNameSearch;
 		public bool OmitGenerics;
+		// When set, CheckVisibility bypasses the api-visibility filter so private /
+		// compiler-generated entities (state-machines, display classes, anonymous
+		// closures — anything with `<...>` segments in its metadata name) become
+		// findable. Set by the query parser when the user types `<` or `>` in
+		// their search term: those characters are characteristically present in
+		// compiler-generated names and rare in everyday API names, so they're a
+		// reliable signal that the user wants the visibility filter relaxed.
+		public bool IncludePrivateApi;
 		public string InNamespace;
 		public string InAssembly;
 	}
diff --git a/ILSpy/Search/RunningSearch.cs b/ILSpy/Search/RunningSearch.cs
index 641d9031f..4708a4789 100644
--- a/ILSpy/Search/RunningSearch.cs
+++ b/ILSpy/Search/RunningSearch.cs
@@ -337,6 +337,13 @@ namespace ILSpy.Search
 				}
 				if (!(term.Contains('<') || term.Contains('`')))
 					request.OmitGenerics = true;
+				// Angle brackets are characteristic of compiler-generated names
+				// (`<X>d__N`, `<>c__DisplayClass`, etc.) and rare in everyday API
+				// names — treat them as the user opting in to private /
+				// compiler-generated entities even when the global visibility
+				// setting is PublicOnly.
+				if (term.Contains('<') || term.Contains('>'))
+					request.IncludePrivateApi = true;
 
 				switch (prefix?.ToUpperInvariant())
 				{