diff --git a/server/pkg/dal/runner_gval.go b/server/pkg/dal/runner_gval.go
index 683dff7de..ffef813e6 100644
--- a/server/pkg/dal/runner_gval.go
+++ b/server/pkg/dal/runner_gval.go
@@ -149,6 +149,12 @@ var (
 			},
 			OutType: &TypeText{},
 		},
+		"instr": {
+			Handler: func(args ...string) string {
+				return fmt.Sprintf("instr(%s, %s)", args[0], args[1])
+			},
+			OutType: &TypeNumber{},
+		},
 
 		// @todo implement; the commented versions are not good enough
 		// "like": {
diff --git a/server/store/adapters/rdbms/drivers/postgres/ql.go b/server/store/adapters/rdbms/drivers/postgres/ql.go
index b27ee14fd..9f2abd6e7 100644
--- a/server/store/adapters/rdbms/drivers/postgres/ql.go
+++ b/server/store/adapters/rdbms/drivers/postgres/ql.go
@@ -21,6 +21,17 @@ var (
 				return exp.NewSQLFunctionExpression("CONCAT", aa...)
 			},
 		},
+		"instr": {
+			Handler: func(args ...exp.Expression) exp.Expression {
+				// need to force text type on all arguments
+				aa := make([]any, len(args))
+				for a := range args {
+					aa[a] = exp.NewCastExpression(exp.NewLiteralExpression("?", args[a]), "TEXT")
+				}
+
+				return exp.NewSQLFunctionExpression("INSTR", args[0], args[1])
+			},
+		},
 
 		// filtering
 		"now": {