diff --git a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
index 5de6c7d856..a8678a04be 100644
--- a/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/browse-by/browse-by-metadata-page/browse-by-metadata-page.component.ts
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   /**
    * The authority key (may be undefined) associated with {@link #value}.
    */
-   authority: string;
+  authority: string;
 
   /**
    * The current startsWith option (fetched and updated from query-params)
@@ -122,19 +122,19 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
   fetchThumbnails: boolean;
 
   public constructor(protected route: ActivatedRoute,
-                     protected browseService: BrowseService,
-                     protected dsoService: DSpaceObjectDataService,
-                     protected paginationService: PaginationService,
-                     protected router: Router,
-                     @Inject(APP_CONFIG) public appConfig: AppConfig) {
+    protected browseService: BrowseService,
+    protected dsoService: DSpaceObjectDataService,
+    protected paginationService: PaginationService,
+    protected router: Router,
+    @Inject(APP_CONFIG) public appConfig: AppConfig) {
 
     this.fetchThumbnails = this.appConfig.browseBy.showThumbnails;
     this.paginationConfig = Object.assign(new PaginationComponentOptions(), {
-        id: BBM_PAGINATION_ID,
-        currentPage: 1,
-        pageSize: this.appConfig.browseBy.pageSize,
-        });
-    }
+      id: BBM_PAGINATION_ID,
+      currentPage: 1,
+      pageSize: this.appConfig.browseBy.pageSize,
+    });
+  }
 
 
   ngOnInit(): void {
@@ -149,19 +149,28 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
           return [Object.assign({}, routeParams, queryParams),currentPage,currentSort];
         })
       ).subscribe(([params, currentPage, currentSort]: [Params, PaginationComponentOptions, SortOptions]) => {
-          this.browseId = params.id || this.defaultBrowseId;
-          this.authority = params.authority;
-          this.value = +params.value || params.value || '';
-          this.startsWith = +params.startsWith || params.startsWith;
-          if (isNotEmpty(this.value)) {
-            this.updatePageWithItems(
-              browseParamsToOptions(params, currentPage, currentSort, this.browseId, this.fetchThumbnails), this.value, this.authority);
-          } else {
-            this.updatePage(browseParamsToOptions(params, currentPage, currentSort, this.browseId, false));
-          }
-          this.updateParent(params.scope);
-          this.updateLogo();
-        }));
+        this.browseId = params.id || this.defaultBrowseId;
+        this.authority = params.authority;
+
+        if(typeof params.value === "string"){
+          this.value = params.value.trim();
+        }
+
+        this.value = +params.value || params.value || '';
+        
+        if(typeof params.startsWith === "string"){
+          this.startsWith = params.startsWith.trim();
+        }
+
+        if (isNotEmpty(this.value)) {
+          this.updatePageWithItems(
+            browseParamsToOptions(params, currentPage, currentSort, this.browseId, this.fetchThumbnails), this.value, this.authority);
+        } else {
+          this.updatePage(browseParamsToOptions(params, currentPage, currentSort, this.browseId, false));
+        }
+        this.updateParent(params.scope);
+        this.updateLogo();
+      }));
     this.updateStartsWithTextOptions();
 
   }
@@ -213,8 +222,8 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
         true,
         true,
         ...linksToFollow() as FollowLinkConfig<DSpaceObject>[]).pipe(
-        getFirstSucceededRemoteData()
-      );
+          getFirstSucceededRemoteData()
+        );
     }
   }
 
@@ -278,9 +287,9 @@ export class BrowseByMetadataPageComponent implements OnInit, OnDestroy {
  * @returns BrowseEntrySearchOptions instance
  */
 export function getBrowseSearchOptions(defaultBrowseId: string,
-                                       paginationConfig: PaginationComponentOptions,
-                                       sortConfig: SortOptions,
-                                       fetchThumbnails?: boolean) {
+  paginationConfig: PaginationComponentOptions,
+  sortConfig: SortOptions,
+  fetchThumbnails?: boolean) {
   if (!hasValue(fetchThumbnails)) {
     fetchThumbnails = false;
   }
@@ -297,15 +306,15 @@ export function getBrowseSearchOptions(defaultBrowseId: string,
  * @param fetchThumbnail   Optional parameter for requesting thumbnail images
  */
 export function browseParamsToOptions(params: any,
-                                      paginationConfig: PaginationComponentOptions,
-                                      sortConfig: SortOptions,
-                                      metadata?: string,
-                                      fetchThumbnail?: boolean): BrowseEntrySearchOptions {
+  paginationConfig: PaginationComponentOptions,
+  sortConfig: SortOptions,
+  metadata?: string,
+  fetchThumbnail?: boolean): BrowseEntrySearchOptions {
   return new BrowseEntrySearchOptions(
     metadata,
     paginationConfig,
     sortConfig,
-    +params.startsWith || params.startsWith,
+    params.startsWith,
     params.scope,
     fetchThumbnail
   );