diff --git a/beets/dbcore/db.py b/beets/dbcore/db.py
index 55c78c88d..94396f81b 100755
--- a/beets/dbcore/db.py
+++ b/beets/dbcore/db.py
@@ -23,6 +23,8 @@ import threading
 import sqlite3
 import contextlib
 
+from unidecode import unidecode
+
 import beets
 from beets.util import functemplate
 from beets.util import py3_path
@@ -995,6 +997,7 @@ class Database:
             return re.search(pattern, str(value)) is not None
 
         conn.create_function("regexp", 2, regexp)
+        conn.create_function("unidecode", 1, unidecode)
 
     def _close(self):
         """Close the all connections to the underlying SQLite database
diff --git a/beetsplug/bareasc.py b/beetsplug/bareasc.py
index 218369364..3343786f9 100644
--- a/beetsplug/bareasc.py
+++ b/beetsplug/bareasc.py
@@ -42,6 +42,14 @@ class BareascQuery(StringFieldQuery):
         val = unidecode(val)
         return pattern in val
 
+    def col_clause(self):
+        """Compare ascii version of the pattern."""
+        clause = f"unidecode({self.field})"
+        if self.pattern.islower():
+            clause = f"lower({clause})"
+
+        return rf"{clause} LIKE ? ESCAPE '\'", [f"%{unidecode(self.pattern)}%"]
+
 
 class BareascPlugin(BeetsPlugin):
     """Plugin to provide bare-ASCII option for beets matching."""
diff --git a/docs/changelog.rst b/docs/changelog.rst
index f1cca7570..7a5ecdfe7 100644
--- a/docs/changelog.rst
+++ b/docs/changelog.rst
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ New features:
 
 * --from-logfile now parses log files using a UTF-8 encoding in `beets/beets/ui/commands.py`.
   :bug:`4693` 
+* :doc:`/plugins/bareasc` lookups have been made faster
 * :ref:`list-cmd` lookups using the pattern operator `::` have been made faster
 * Added additional error handling for `spotify` plugin.
   :bug:`4686`