diff --git a/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/incident-list.tsx b/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/incident-list.tsx
index f4d2b40402..8ead9478d5 100644
--- a/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/incident-list.tsx
+++ b/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/incident-list.tsx
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 "use client";
 import { Card, Title, Subtitle, Button, Badge } from "@tremor/react";
-import React, { useMemo, useState } from "react";
+import React, { useEffect, useMemo, useState } from "react";
 import type {
   IncidentDto,
   PaginatedIncidentsDto,
@@ -16,13 +16,14 @@ import { InitialFacetsData } from "@/features/filter/api";
 import { FacetsPanelServerSide } from "@/features/filter/facet-panel-server-side";
 import { Icon } from "@tremor/react";
 import {
+  EmptyStateCard,
   KeepLoader,
   PageSubtitle,
   PageTitle,
   SeverityBorderIcon,
   UISeverity,
 } from "@/shared/ui";
-import { BellIcon, BellSlashIcon } from "@heroicons/react/24/outline";
+import { BellIcon, BellSlashIcon, MagnifyingGlassIcon } from "@heroicons/react/24/outline";
 import { UserStatefulAvatar } from "@/entities/users/ui";
 import { getStatusIcon, getStatusColor } from "@/shared/lib/status-utils";
 import { useUser } from "@/entities/users/model/useUser";
@@ -52,6 +53,7 @@ import EnhancedDateRangePickerV2, {
 } from "@/components/ui/DateRangePickerV2";
 import { useTimeframeState } from "@/components/ui/useTimeframeState";
 import { PaginationState } from "@/features/filter/pagination";
+import { AlertsRulesBuilder } from "@/features/presets/presets-manager";
 
 const AssigneeLabel = ({ email }: { email: string }) => {
   const user = useUser(email);
@@ -74,7 +76,8 @@ export function IncidentList({
     DEFAULT_INCIDENTS_SORTING,
   ]);
 
-  const [filterCel, setFilterCel] = useState<string | null>(null);
+  const [filterCel, setFilterCel] = useState<string | null>("");
+  const [searchCel, setSearchCel] = useState<string | null>(null);
 
   const [dateRange, setDateRange] = useTimeframeState({
     enableQueryParams: true,
@@ -98,6 +101,7 @@ export function IncidentList({
     limit: incidentsPagination.limit,
     offset: incidentsPagination.offset,
     sorting: incidentsSorting[0],
+    searchCel: searchCel,
     filterCel: filterCel,
     timeFrame: dateRange,
   });
@@ -227,14 +231,44 @@ export function IncidentList({
       limit: DEFAULT_INCIDENTS_PAGE_SIZE,
       offset: 0,
     });
+    setSearchCel("");
     setClearFiltersToken(uuidV4());
   };
 
+  useEffect(() => {
+    setIncidentsPagination((current) => ({
+      ...current,
+      offset: 0,
+    }));
+  }, [filterCel, searchCel]);
+
   function renderIncidents() {
     if (incidentsLoading) {
       return <KeepLoader></KeepLoader>;
     }
 
+    const hasFilterCel = !!filterCel;
+    const hasSearchCel = !!searchCel;
+    const showSearchEmptyState =
+      incidents?.items.length === 0 && hasSearchCel;
+    const showFilterEmptyState =
+      incidents?.items.length === 0 && hasFilterCel && !hasSearchCel;
+
+    if (showSearchEmptyState) {
+      return (
+        <div className="flex-1 flex items-center h-full w-full">
+          <div className="flex flex-col justify-center items-center w-full p-4">
+            <EmptyStateCard
+              noCard
+              title="No Incidents Matching Your CEL Query"
+              description="Check your CEL query and try again"
+              icon={MagnifyingGlassIcon}
+            />
+          </div>
+        </div>
+      );
+    }
+
     if (incidents && incidents.items.length > 0) {
       return (
         <IncidentsTable
@@ -253,7 +287,7 @@ export function IncidentList({
       return <IncidentsNotFoundPlaceholder />;
     }
 
-    if (facetsCel && incidents?.items.length === 0) {
+    if (facetsCel && showFilterEmptyState) {
       return (
         <IncidentsNotFoundForFiltersPlaceholder
           onClearFilters={handleClearFilters}
@@ -333,20 +367,30 @@ export function IncidentList({
               <IncidentListError incidentError={incidentsError} />
             ) : null}
             {incidentsError ? null : (
-              <div className="flex flex-row gap-5">
-                <FacetsPanelServerSide
-                  className="mt-14"
-                  entityName={"incidents"}
-                  facetsConfig={facetsConfig}
-                  facetOptionsCel={facetsCel}
-                  usePropertyPathsSuggestions={true}
-                  clearFiltersToken={clearFiltersToken}
-                  initialFacetsData={initialFacetsData}
-                  onCelChange={setFilterCel}
-                  revalidationToken={filterRevalidationToken}
+              <div className="flex flex-col gap-3">
+                <AlertsRulesBuilder
+                  key={clearFiltersToken || "default"}
+                  defaultQuery=""
+                  entityName="incidents"
+                  showSave={false}
+                  showSqlImport={false}
+                  shouldSetQueryParam={false}
+                  onCelChanges={setSearchCel}
                 />
-                <div className="flex flex-col gap-5 flex-1 min-w-0">
-                  {renderIncidents()}
+                <div className="flex flex-row gap-5">
+                  <FacetsPanelServerSide
+                    entityName={"incidents"}
+                    facetsConfig={facetsConfig}
+                    facetOptionsCel={facetsCel}
+                    usePropertyPathsSuggestions={true}
+                    clearFiltersToken={clearFiltersToken}
+                    initialFacetsData={initialFacetsData}
+                    onCelChange={setFilterCel}
+                    revalidationToken={filterRevalidationToken}
+                  />
+                  <div className="flex flex-col gap-5 flex-1 min-w-0">
+                    {renderIncidents()}
+                  </div>
                 </div>
               </div>
             )}
diff --git a/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/useIncidentsTableData.tsx b/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/useIncidentsTableData.tsx
index 8b2b975cff..3f2d7f0b5d 100644
--- a/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/useIncidentsTableData.tsx
+++ b/keep-ui/features/incidents/incident-list/ui/useIncidentsTableData.tsx
@@ -19,6 +19,7 @@ export interface IncidentsTableDataQuery {
   limit: number;
   offset: number;
   sorting: { id: string; desc: boolean };
+  searchCel: string | null;
   filterCel: string | null;
   timeFrame: TimeFrameV2 | null;
 }
@@ -129,25 +130,38 @@ export const useIncidentsTableData = (query: IncidentsTableDataQuery) => {
   }, [JSON.stringify(query)]);
 
   const mainCelQuery = useMemo(() => {
-    const filterArray = ["is_candidate == false", dateRangeCel];
+    if (query.searchCel === null) {
+      return null;
+    }
 
-    return filterArray.filter(Boolean).join(" && ");
-  }, [dateRangeCel]);
+    const filterArray = ["is_candidate == false", query.searchCel, dateRangeCel];
+    return filterArray
+      .filter(Boolean)
+      .map((cel) => `(${cel})`)
+      .join(" && ");
+  }, [dateRangeCel, query.searchCel]);
 
   useEffect(() => {
-    if (query.filterCel === null) {
+    if (query.filterCel === null || mainCelQuery === null) {
       return;
     }
 
+    const filterCel = query.filterCel ? `(${query.filterCel})` : "";
     setIncidentsQueryState({
       candidate: null,
       predicted: null,
       limit: query.limit,
       offset: query.offset,
       sorting: query.sorting,
-      cel: [mainCelQuery, query.filterCel].filter(Boolean).join(" && "),
+      cel: [mainCelQuery, filterCel].filter(Boolean).join(" && "),
     });
-  }, [query.sorting, query.filterCel, query.limit, query.offset, mainCelQuery]);
+  }, [
+    query.sorting,
+    query.filterCel,
+    query.limit,
+    query.offset,
+    mainCelQuery,
+  ]);
 
   const {
     data: paginatedIncidentsFromHook,
@@ -214,7 +228,7 @@ export const useIncidentsTableData = (query: IncidentsTableDataQuery) => {
     isEmptyState: defaultIncidents?.count === 0,
     predictedIncidents,
     isPredictedLoading,
-    facetsCel: mainCelQuery,
+    facetsCel: mainCelQuery ?? "",
     incidentChangeToken,
     incidentsError,
   };
diff --git a/keep-ui/features/presets/presets-manager/ui/alerts-rules-builder.tsx b/keep-ui/features/presets/presets-manager/ui/alerts-rules-builder.tsx
index ecc571bc13..e6bc2d91d7 100644
--- a/keep-ui/features/presets/presets-manager/ui/alerts-rules-builder.tsx
+++ b/keep-ui/features/presets/presets-manager/ui/alerts-rules-builder.tsx
@@ -1,3 +1,6 @@
+// TODO: Separate or fix naming — this file powers CEL search for both alerts and incidents
+// (via entityName). Consider a shared CelRulesBuilder or entity-specific wrappers later.
+
 import { useCallback, useEffect, useRef, useState } from "react";
 import Modal from "@/components/ui/Modal";
 import { Button, Textarea } from "@tremor/react";
@@ -37,6 +40,13 @@ const staticOptions = [
   { value: 'message.contains("CPU")', label: 'message.contains("CPU")' },
 ];
 
+const incidentStaticOptions = [
+  { value: 'severity == "critical"', label: 'severity == "critical"' },
+  { value: 'status == "firing"', label: 'status == "firing"' },
+  { value: 'name.contains("database")', label: 'name.contains("database")' },
+  { value: 'assignee != ""', label: 'assignee != ""' },
+];
+
 const CustomOption = (props: any) => {
   return (
     <components.Option {...props}>
@@ -145,6 +155,8 @@ type AlertsRulesBuilderProps = {
   minimal?: boolean;
   showToast?: boolean;
   shouldSetQueryParam?: boolean;
+  /** @todo shared with incidents — see file-level TODO about splitting/renaming */
+  entityName?: "alerts" | "incidents";
 };
 
 const SQL_QUERY_PLACEHOLDER = `SELECT *
@@ -191,6 +203,7 @@ export const AlertsRulesBuilder = ({
   showToast = false,
   shouldSetQueryParam = true,
   onCelChanges,
+  entityName = "alerts",
 }: AlertsRulesBuilderProps) => {
   const router = useRouter();
   const pathname = usePathname();
@@ -199,7 +212,15 @@ export const AlertsRulesBuilder = ({
 
   const { deletePreset } = usePresetActions();
 
-  const { data: alertFields } = useFacetPotentialFields("alerts");
+  const { data: alertFields } = useFacetPotentialFields(entityName);
+  const staticCelOptions =
+    entityName === "incidents" ? incidentStaticOptions : staticOptions;
+  const celPlaceholder =
+    entityName === "incidents"
+      ? 'Use CEL to filter incidents e.g. name.contains("database").'
+      : 'Use CEL to filter your alerts e.g. source.contains("kibana").';
+  const celInputId =
+    entityName === "incidents" ? "incidents-cel-input" : "alerts-cel-input";
 
   const [isGUIOpen, setIsGUIOpen] = useState(false);
   const [isImportSQLOpen, setImportSQLOpen] = useState(false);
@@ -366,8 +387,8 @@ export const AlertsRulesBuilder = ({
             <div className="flex-grow relative" ref={wrapperRef}>
               <div className="relative">
                 <CelInput
-                  id="alerts-cel-input"
-                  placeholder='Use CEL to filter your alerts e.g. source.contains("kibana").'
+                  id={celInputId}
+                  placeholder={celPlaceholder}
                   value={celRules}
                   fieldsForSuggestions={alertFields}
                   onValueChange={setCELRules}
@@ -380,7 +401,7 @@ export const AlertsRulesBuilder = ({
               {showSuggestions && (
                 <div className="absolute z-10 w-full">
                   <Select
-                    options={staticOptions}
+                    options={staticCelOptions}
                     onChange={handleSelectChange}
                     menuIsOpen={true}
                     components={
diff --git a/keep/api/core/incidents.py b/keep/api/core/incidents.py
index 4bac2f2938..2415a268ae 100644
--- a/keep/api/core/incidents.py
+++ b/keep/api/core/incidents.py
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@
 from keep.api.models.incident import IncidentSorting
 from keep.api.models.query import SortOptionsDto
 from keep.api.core.cel_to_sql.ast_nodes import DataType
+from keep.api.utils.cel_utils import preprocess_cel_expression
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
 
@@ -204,6 +205,7 @@ def __build_base_incident_query(
     is_visible_filter_present = False
 
     if cel:
+        cel = preprocess_cel_expression(cel)
         cel_to_sql_result = cel_to_sql_instance.convert_to_sql_str_v2(cel)
         sql_filter = cel_to_sql_result.sql
         involved_fields = cel_to_sql_result.involved_fields
@@ -568,6 +570,9 @@ def get_incident_facets_data(
     else:
         facets = static_facets
 
+    if facet_options_query and facet_options_query.cel:
+        facet_options_query.cel = preprocess_cel_expression(facet_options_query.cel)
+
     def base_query_factory(
         facet_property_path: str,
         involved_fields: PropertyMetadataInfo,
diff --git a/keep/api/utils/cel_utils.py b/keep/api/utils/cel_utils.py
index c1712c17b4..241de82e9e 100644
--- a/keep/api/utils/cel_utils.py
+++ b/keep/api/utils/cel_utils.py
@@ -40,4 +40,20 @@ def replace_matched(match):
         pattern, replace_matched, cel_expression, flags=re.IGNORECASE
     )
 
-    return modified_expression
+    known_severities = {severity.value.lower(): severity.order for severity in AlertSeverity}
+    remaining_pattern = (
+        r'(\bseverity\b)\s*([=><!]=?)\s*(?:"([^"]*)"|\'([^\']*)\'|(\w+))'
+    )
+
+    def replace_remaining(match):
+        value = (match.group(3) or match.group(4) or match.group(5) or "").lower()
+        order = known_severities.get(value)
+        if order is not None:
+            return f"{match.group(1)} {match.group(2)} {order}"
+        if value.isdigit():
+            return match.group(0)
+        return "false"
+
+    return re.sub(
+        remaining_pattern, replace_remaining, modified_expression, flags=re.IGNORECASE
+    )