diff --git a/capability/policy/ipld.go b/capability/policy/ipld.go
index 36f1519..2aea8d8 100644
--- a/capability/policy/ipld.go
+++ b/capability/policy/ipld.go
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ func statementToIPLD(statement Statement) (datamodel.Node, error) {
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
-		err = listBuilder.AssembleValue().AssignString(statement.pattern)
+		err = listBuilder.AssembleValue().AssignString(string(statement.pattern))
 		if err != nil {
 			return nil, err
 		}
diff --git a/capability/policy/match.go b/capability/policy/match.go
index 0564113..ee65967 100644
--- a/capability/policy/match.go
+++ b/capability/policy/match.go
@@ -112,7 +112,7 @@ func matchStatement(statement Statement, node ipld.Node) bool {
 			if err != nil {
 				return false
 			}
-			return globMatch(s.pattern, v)
+			return s.pattern.match(v)
 		}
 	case KindAll:
 		if s, ok := statement.(quantifier); ok {
diff --git a/capability/policy/policy.go b/capability/policy/policy.go
index 55072b6..157be8f 100644
--- a/capability/policy/policy.go
+++ b/capability/policy/policy.go
@@ -3,6 +3,8 @@ package policy
 // https://github.com/ucan-wg/delegation/blob/4094d5878b58f5d35055a3b93fccda0b8329ebae/README.md#policy
 
 import (
+	"errors"
+
 	"github.com/ipld/go-ipld-prime"
 
 	"github.com/ucan-wg/go-ucan/capability/policy/selector"
@@ -87,9 +89,23 @@ func Or(stmts ...Statement) Statement {
 	return connective{kind: KindOr, statements: stmts}
 }
 
+type wildcardPattern string
+
+func parseWildcardPattern(pattern string) (wildcardPattern, error) {
+	if !validateGlobPattern(pattern) {
+		return "", errors.New("invalid wildcard pattern")
+	}
+
+	return wildcardPattern(pattern), nil
+}
+
+func (wp wildcardPattern) match(str string) bool {
+	return globMatch(string(wp), str)
+}
+
 type wildcard struct {
 	selector selector.Selector
-	pattern  string
+	pattern  wildcardPattern
 }
 
 func (n wildcard) Kind() string {
@@ -97,7 +113,12 @@ func (n wildcard) Kind() string {
 }
 
 func Like(selector selector.Selector, pattern string) (Statement, error) {
-	return wildcard{selector: selector, pattern: pattern}, nil
+	parsedPattern, err := parseWildcardPattern(pattern)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
+	}
+
+	return wildcard{selector: selector, pattern: parsedPattern}, nil
 }
 
 type quantifier struct {