diff --git a/docs/api/databases/knex.md b/docs/api/databases/knex.md
index 4d3764ca55..fc57770c75 100644
--- a/docs/api/databases/knex.md
+++ b/docs/api/databases/knex.md
@@ -63,7 +63,7 @@ The Knex specific adapter options are:
 - `name {string}` (**required**) - The name of the table
 - `schema {string}` (_optional_) - The name of the schema table prefix (example: `schema.table`)
 - `tableOptions {only: boolean` (_optional_) - For PostgreSQL only. Argument for passing options to knex db builder. ONLY keyword is used before the tableName to discard inheriting tables' data. (https://knexjs.org/guide/query-builder.html#common)
-
+- `extendedOperators {[string]: string}` (_optional_) - A map defining additional operators for the query builder. Example: `{ $fulltext: '@@' }` for PostgreSQL full text search. See [Knex source](https://github.com/knex/knex/blob/master/lib/formatter/wrappingFormatter.js#L10) for operators supported by Knex.
 
 The [common API options](./common.md#options) are:
 
diff --git a/packages/knex/src/adapter.ts b/packages/knex/src/adapter.ts
index 0d27a81bf8..a9751c72a5 100644
--- a/packages/knex/src/adapter.ts
+++ b/packages/knex/src/adapter.ts
@@ -50,7 +50,13 @@ export class KnexAdapter<
         ...options.filters,
         $and: (value: any) => value
       },
-      operators: [...(options.operators || []), '$like', '$notlike', '$ilike']
+      operators: [
+        ...(options.operators || []),
+        ...Object.keys(options.extendedOperators || {}),
+        '$like',
+        '$notlike',
+        '$ilike'
+      ]
     })
   }
 
@@ -82,6 +88,11 @@ export class KnexAdapter<
 
   knexify(knexQuery: Knex.QueryBuilder, query: Query = {}, parentKey?: string): Knex.QueryBuilder {
     const knexify = this.knexify.bind(this)
+    const { extendedOperators = {} } = this.getOptions({} as ServiceParams)
+    const operatorsMap = {
+      ...OPERATORS,
+      ...extendedOperators
+    }
 
     return Object.keys(query || {}).reduce((currentQuery, key) => {
       const value = query[key]
@@ -110,7 +121,7 @@ export class KnexAdapter<
         return (currentQuery as any)[method](column, value)
       }
 
-      const operator = OPERATORS[key as keyof typeof OPERATORS] || '='
+      const operator = operatorsMap[key as keyof typeof operatorsMap] || '='
 
       return operator === '='
         ? currentQuery.where(column, value)
diff --git a/packages/knex/src/declarations.ts b/packages/knex/src/declarations.ts
index 064283c6ee..6a4429fd89 100644
--- a/packages/knex/src/declarations.ts
+++ b/packages/knex/src/declarations.ts
@@ -8,6 +8,9 @@ export interface KnexAdapterOptions extends AdapterServiceOptions {
   tableOptions?: {
     only?: boolean
   }
+  extendedOperators?: {
+    [key: string]: string
+  }
 }
 
 export interface KnexAdapterTransaction {
diff --git a/packages/knex/test/index.test.ts b/packages/knex/test/index.test.ts
index 7dbb736c38..475ec3ff16 100644
--- a/packages/knex/test/index.test.ts
+++ b/packages/knex/test/index.test.ts
@@ -117,7 +117,15 @@ const clean = async () => {
     table.boolean('created')
     return table
   })
-
+  await db.schema.dropTableIfExists(peopleExtendedOps.fullName)
+  await db.schema.createTable(peopleExtendedOps.fullName, (table) => {
+    table.increments('id')
+    table.string('name')
+    table.integer('age')
+    table.integer('time')
+    table.boolean('created')
+    return table
+  })
   await db.schema.dropTableIfExists(users.fullName)
   await db.schema.createTable(users.fullName, (table) => {
     table.increments('id')
@@ -181,6 +189,7 @@ type ServiceTypes = {
   'people-customid': KnexService<Person>
   users: KnexService<Person>
   todos: KnexService<Todo>
+  'people-extended-ops': KnexService<Person>
 }
 
 class TodoService extends KnexService<Todo> {
@@ -217,6 +226,16 @@ const todos = new TodoService({
   name: 'todos'
 })
 
+const peopleExtendedOps = new KnexService({
+  Model: db,
+  name: 'people-extended-ops',
+  events: ['testing'],
+  extendedOperators: {
+    $neq: '<>', // Not equal (alternative syntax)
+    $startsWith: 'like' // Same as $like but with a different name
+  }
+})
+
 describe('Feathers Knex Service', () => {
   const app = feathers<ServiceTypes>()
     .hooks({
@@ -228,6 +247,7 @@ describe('Feathers Knex Service', () => {
     .use('people-customid', peopleId)
     .use('users', users)
     .use('todos', todos)
+    .use('people-extended-ops', peopleExtendedOps)
   const peopleService = app.service('people')
 
   peopleService.hooks({
@@ -722,7 +742,64 @@ describe('Feathers Knex Service', () => {
     })
   })
 
+  describe('extendedOperators', () => {
+    const extendedService = app.service('people-extended-ops')
+    let testData: Person[]
+
+    beforeEach(async () => {
+      testData = await Promise.all([
+        extendedService.create({
+          name: 'StartWithA',
+          age: 25
+        }),
+        extendedService.create({
+          name: 'MiddleAMiddle',
+          age: 30
+        }),
+        extendedService.create({
+          name: 'EndWithA',
+          age: 35
+        })
+      ])
+    })
+
+    afterEach(async () => {
+      try {
+        for (const item of testData) {
+          await extendedService.remove(item.id)
+        }
+      } catch (error: unknown) {}
+    })
+
+    it('supports custom operators through extendedOperators option', async () => {
+      // Test the $startsWith custom operator
+      const startsWithResults = await extendedService.find({
+        paginate: false,
+        query: {
+          name: {
+            $startsWith: 'Start%' // LIKE operator with % wildcard
+          }
+        }
+      })
+
+      assert.strictEqual(startsWithResults.length, 1)
+      assert.strictEqual(startsWithResults[0].name, 'StartWithA')
+
+      // Test that regular operators still work alongside extended ones
+      const combinedResults = await extendedService.find({
+        paginate: false,
+        query: {
+          $and: [{ name: { $neq: 'EndWithA' } }, { age: { $gt: 26 } }]
+        }
+      })
+
+      assert.strictEqual(combinedResults.length, 1)
+      assert.strictEqual(combinedResults[0].name, 'MiddleAMiddle')
+    })
+  })
+
   testSuite(app, errors, 'users')
   testSuite(app, errors, 'people')
   testSuite(app, errors, 'people-customid', 'customid')
+  testSuite(app, errors, 'people-extended-ops')
 })