diff --git a/src/jv.c b/src/jv.c
index 979d188e85..f051d730df 100644
--- a/src/jv.c
+++ b/src/jv.c
@@ -1342,7 +1342,8 @@ int jv_contains(jv a, jv b) {
   } else if (jv_get_kind(a) == JV_KIND_ARRAY) {
     r = jv_array_contains(jv_copy(a), jv_copy(b));
   } else if (jv_get_kind(a) == JV_KIND_STRING) {
-    r = strstr(jv_string_value(a), jv_string_value(b)) != 0;
+    r = _jq_memmem(jv_string_value(a), jv_string_length_bytes(jv_copy(a)),
+                   jv_string_value(b), jv_string_length_bytes(jv_copy(b))) != 0;
   } else {
     r = jv_equal(jv_copy(a), jv_copy(b));
   }
diff --git a/tests/jq.test b/tests/jq.test
index 7e2dd430a2..041ca1eab9 100644
--- a/tests/jq.test
+++ b/tests/jq.test
@@ -1091,6 +1091,11 @@ null
 {}
 [true, true, false]
 
+# containment operator (embedded NULs!)
+[contains("foo"), contains("\u0000b"), contains("\u0000z"),  contains("bar"), contains("baz")]
+"foo\u0000bar"
+[true, true, false, true, false]
+
 # Try/catch and general `?` operator
 [.[]|try if . == 0 then error("foo") elif . == 1 then .a elif . == 2 then empty else . end catch .]
 [0,1,2,3]