diff --git a/packages/repo-tools/src/commands/repo/schema/openapi/lint.ts b/packages/repo-tools/src/commands/repo/schema/openapi/lint.ts
index eacb3ac50d..d19a76af0f 100644
--- a/packages/repo-tools/src/commands/repo/schema/openapi/lint.ts
+++ b/packages/repo-tools/src/commands/repo/schema/openapi/lint.ts
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@ import fs from 'fs-extra';
 import chalk from 'chalk';
 import { runner } from '../../../../lib/runner';
 import { oas } from '@stoplight/spectral-rulesets';
+import { truthy } from '@stoplight/spectral-functions';
 import { DiagnosticSeverity } from '@stoplight/types';
 import { pretty } from '@stoplight/spectral-formatters';
 import { getPathToOpenApiSpec } from '../../../../lib/openapi/helpers';
@@ -35,7 +36,7 @@ async function lint(directoryPath: string, config?: { strict: boolean }) {
   let openapiPath = '';
   try {
     openapiPath = await getPathToOpenApiSpec(directoryPath);
-  } catch {
+  } catch (err) {
     return;
   }
   const openapiFileContent = await fs.readFile(openapiPath, 'utf8');
@@ -47,6 +48,16 @@ async function lint(directoryPath: string, config?: { strict: boolean }) {
   const backstageRuleset = new Ruleset(
     {
       extends: [oas, ruleset],
+      rules: {
+        'allow-reserved-in-params': {
+          given: '$.paths..parameters[*]',
+          then: {
+            field: 'allowReserved',
+            function: truthy,
+          },
+          severity: 'error',
+        },
+      },
       overrides: [
         {
           files: ['*'],
@@ -63,8 +74,8 @@ async function lint(directoryPath: string, config?: { strict: boolean }) {
     } as RulesetDefinition,
     { source: openapiPath },
   );
-
   spectral.setRuleset(backstageRuleset);
+
   // we lint our document using the ruleset we passed to the Spectral object
   const result = await spectral.run(document);
   const errors = result.filter(e => e.severity === DiagnosticSeverity.Error);
diff --git a/packages/repo-tools/src/lib/runner.ts b/packages/repo-tools/src/lib/runner.ts
index b9700cd09b..1e7867df3d 100644
--- a/packages/repo-tools/src/lib/runner.ts
+++ b/packages/repo-tools/src/lib/runner.ts
@@ -37,6 +37,7 @@ export async function runner(
       port: options.startingPort,
       stopPort: options.startingPort + 1_000,
     }));
+  console.log(packages);
   const resultsList = await Promise.all(
     packages.map(pkg =>
       limit(async () => {
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts
index 06b576ba70..8ad27546d6 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.generated.ts
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 /*
- * Copyright 2023 The Backstage Authors
+ * Copyright 2024 The Backstage Authors
  *
  * Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
  * you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
@@ -197,6 +197,7 @@ export const spec = {
             name: 'term',
             in: 'query',
             required: false,
+            allowReserved: true,
             schema: {
               type: 'string',
               default: '',
@@ -208,6 +209,7 @@ export const spec = {
             required: false,
             style: 'deepObject',
             explode: true,
+            allowReserved: true,
             schema: {
               $ref: '#/components/schemas/JsonObject',
             },
@@ -216,6 +218,7 @@ export const spec = {
             name: 'types',
             in: 'query',
             required: false,
+            allowReserved: true,
             schema: {
               type: 'array',
               items: {
@@ -227,6 +230,7 @@ export const spec = {
             name: 'pageCursor',
             in: 'query',
             required: false,
+            allowReserved: true,
             schema: {
               type: 'string',
             },
@@ -235,6 +239,7 @@ export const spec = {
             name: 'pageLimit',
             in: 'query',
             required: false,
+            allowReserved: true,
             schema: {
               type: 'integer',
             },
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
index 47f7e0a1e5..358f94fcf6 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ paths:
         - name: term
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: string
             default: ''
@@ -140,6 +141,7 @@ paths:
           required: false
           style: deepObject
           explode: true
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             # JsonObject is used here instead of the full ZOD schema definition as
             #   resolution of recursive schemas isn't possible with the library we're using
@@ -148,6 +150,7 @@ paths:
         - name: types
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: array
             items:
@@ -155,10 +158,12 @@ paths:
         - name: pageCursor
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: string
         - name: pageLimit
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: integer
diff --git a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
index 7c89a8c750..59f2f95afe 100644
--- a/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
+++ b/plugins/search-backend/src/service/router.test.ts
@@ -99,7 +99,6 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
       mockSearchEngine.query.mockRejectedValueOnce(error);
 
       const response = await request(app).get('/query');
-      console.log((response as any).text);
 
       expect(response.status).toEqual(500);
       expect(response.body).toMatchObject(
@@ -127,6 +126,8 @@ describe('createRouter', () => {
       'types[0]=first-type&types[1]=second-type',
       'filters[prop]=value',
       'pageCursor=foo',
+      // https://github.com/backstage/backstage/issues/23973
+      'term=foo+bar',
     ])('accepts valid query string "%s"', async queryString => {
       const response = await request(app).get(`/query?${queryString}`);
 
diff --git a/plugins/todo-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml b/plugins/todo-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
index 7408927b99..98f92103fb 100644
--- a/plugins/todo-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
+++ b/plugins/todo-backend/src/schema/openapi.yaml
@@ -104,6 +104,7 @@ paths:
         - name: orderBy
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: string
             pattern: '^(text|tag|author|viewUrl|repoFilePath)=(asc|desc)$'
@@ -121,6 +122,7 @@ paths:
         - name: offset
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: integer
             minimum: 0
@@ -128,6 +130,7 @@ paths:
         - name: limit
           in: query
           required: false
+          allowReserved: true
           schema:
             type: integer
             minimum: 1