diff --git a/mongoengine/fields.py b/mongoengine/fields.py
index d1f9b665..11366dd0 100644
--- a/mongoengine/fields.py
+++ b/mongoengine/fields.py
@@ -449,7 +449,17 @@ class DictField(BaseField):
                                   'contain "." or "$" characters')
 
     def lookup_member(self, member_name):
-        return self.basecls(db_field=member_name)
+        return DictField(basecls=self.basecls, db_field=member_name)
+
+    def prepare_query_value(self, op, value):
+        match_operators = ['contains', 'icontains', 'startswith',
+                           'istartswith', 'endswith', 'iendswith',
+                           'exact', 'iexact']
+
+        if op in match_operators and isinstance(value, basestring):
+            return StringField().prepare_query_value(op, value)
+
+        return super(DictField,self).prepare_query_value(op, value)
 
 
 class MapField(BaseField):
diff --git a/tests/fields.py b/tests/fields.py
index 62bd3a1f..00b1c886 100644
--- a/tests/fields.py
+++ b/tests/fields.py
@@ -262,12 +262,14 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
 
         BlogPost.drop_collection()
 
-    def test_dict_validation(self):
+    def test_dict_field(self):
         """Ensure that dict types work as expected.
         """
         class BlogPost(Document):
             info = DictField()
 
+        BlogPost.drop_collection()
+
         post = BlogPost()
         post.info = 'my post'
         self.assertRaises(ValidationError, post.validate)
@@ -282,7 +284,24 @@ class FieldTest(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertRaises(ValidationError, post.validate)
 
         post.info = {'title': 'test'}
-        post.validate()
+        post.save()
+
+        post = BlogPost()
+        post.info = {'details': {'test': 'test'}}
+        post.save()
+
+        post = BlogPost()
+        post.info = {'details': {'test': 3}}
+        post.save()
+
+        self.assertEquals(BlogPost.objects.count(), 3)
+        self.assertEquals(BlogPost.objects.filter(info__title__exact='test').count(), 1)
+        self.assertEquals(BlogPost.objects.filter(info__details__test__exact='test').count(), 1)
+
+        # Confirm handles non strings or non existing keys
+        self.assertEquals(BlogPost.objects.filter(info__details__test__exact=5).count(), 0)
+        self.assertEquals(BlogPost.objects.filter(info__made_up__test__exact='test').count(), 0)
+        BlogPost.drop_collection()
 
     def test_embedded_document_validation(self):
         """Ensure that invalid embedded documents cannot be assigned to
diff --git a/tests/queryset.py b/tests/queryset.py
index 777f9e36..6c0b686f 100644
--- a/tests/queryset.py
+++ b/tests/queryset.py
@@ -1539,7 +1539,7 @@ class QuerySetTest(unittest.TestCase):
         t = Test(testdict={'f': 'Value'})
         t.save()
 
-        self.assertEqual(len(Test.objects(testdict__f__startswith='Val')), 0)
+        self.assertEqual(len(Test.objects(testdict__f__startswith='Val')), 1)
         self.assertEqual(len(Test.objects(testdict__f='Value')), 1)
         Test.drop_collection()