diff --git a/internal/templating/engine_test.go b/internal/templating/engine_test.go
index b7dd23f38..0dfcb89d8 100644
--- a/internal/templating/engine_test.go
+++ b/internal/templating/engine_test.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package templating
 import (
 	"testing"
 
+	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/require"
 )
 
@@ -20,3 +21,57 @@ func TestEngineAlternateSeparator(t *testing.T) {
 	}, tags)
 	require.Equal(t, "", field)
 }
+
+func TestEngineWithWildcardTemplate(t *testing.T) {
+	var (
+		defaultTmpl, err = NewDefaultTemplateWithPattern("measurement*")
+		templates        = []string{
+			"taskmanagerTask.alarm-detector.Assign.alarmDefinitionId metricsType.process.nodeId.x.alarmDefinitionId.measurement.field rule=1",
+			"taskmanagerTask.*.*.*.*                                 metricsType.process.nodeId.measurement rule=2",
+		}
+	)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	engine, err := NewEngine(".", defaultTmpl, templates)
+	require.NoError(t, err)
+
+	for _, testCase := range []struct {
+		line        string
+		measurement string
+		field       string
+		tags        map[string]string
+	}{
+		{
+			line:        "taskmanagerTask.alarm-detector.Assign.alarmDefinitionId.timeout_errors.duration.p75",
+			measurement: "duration",
+			field:       "p75",
+			tags: map[string]string{
+				"metricsType":       "taskmanagerTask",
+				"process":           "alarm-detector",
+				"nodeId":            "Assign",
+				"x":                 "alarmDefinitionId",
+				"alarmDefinitionId": "timeout_errors",
+				"rule":              "1",
+			},
+		},
+		{
+			line:        "taskmanagerTask.alarm-detector.Assign.numRecordsInPerSecond.m5_rate",
+			measurement: "numRecordsInPerSecond",
+			tags: map[string]string{
+				"metricsType": "taskmanagerTask",
+				"process":     "alarm-detector",
+				"nodeId":      "Assign",
+				"rule":        "2",
+			},
+		},
+	} {
+		t.Run(testCase.line, func(t *testing.T) {
+			measurement, tags, field, err := engine.Apply(testCase.line)
+			require.NoError(t, err)
+
+			assert.Equal(t, testCase.measurement, measurement)
+			assert.Equal(t, testCase.field, field)
+			assert.Equal(t, testCase.tags, tags)
+		})
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/templating/node.go b/internal/templating/node.go
index 83ab1a40c..53d028fd0 100644
--- a/internal/templating/node.go
+++ b/internal/templating/node.go
@@ -55,32 +55,44 @@ func (n *node) search(line string) *Template {
 
 // recursiveSearch performs the actual recursive search
 func (n *node) recursiveSearch(lineParts []string) *Template {
-	// Nothing to search
+	// nothing to search
 	if len(lineParts) == 0 || len(n.children) == 0 {
 		return n.template
 	}
 
-	// If last element is a wildcard, don't include it in this search since it's sorted
-	// to the end but lexicographically it would not always be and sort.Search assumes
-	// the slice is sorted.
-	length := len(n.children)
-	if n.children[length-1].value == "*" {
+	var (
+		hasWildcard bool
+		length      = len(n.children)
+	)
+
+	// exclude last child from search if it is a wildcard. sort.Search expects
+	// a lexicographically sorted set of children and we have artificially sorted
+	// wildcards to the end of the child set
+	// wildcards will be searched seperately if no exact match is found
+	if hasWildcard = n.children[length-1].value == "*"; hasWildcard {
 		length--
 	}
 
-	// Find the index of child with an exact match
 	i := sort.Search(length, func(i int) bool {
 		return n.children[i].value >= lineParts[0]
 	})
 
-	// Found an exact match, so search that child sub-tree
-	if i < len(n.children) && n.children[i].value == lineParts[0] {
-		return n.children[i].recursiveSearch(lineParts[1:])
+	// given an exact match is found within children set
+	if i < length && n.children[i].value == lineParts[0] {
+		// decend into the matching node
+		if tmpl := n.children[i].recursiveSearch(lineParts[1:]); tmpl != nil {
+			// given a template is found return it
+			return tmpl
+		}
 	}
-	// Not an exact match, see if we have a wildcard child to search
-	if n.children[len(n.children)-1].value == "*" {
-		return n.children[len(n.children)-1].recursiveSearch(lineParts[1:])
+
+	// given no template is found and the last child is a wildcard
+	if hasWildcard {
+		// also search the wildcard child node
+		return n.children[length].recursiveSearch(lineParts[1:])
 	}
+
+	// fallback to returning template at this node
 	return n.template
 }