(customize-set-variable case-fold-search nil) Or bind that variable (option) in your own command that is otherwise just a wrapper around `query-replace`. This has the advantage that it doesn't change the variable value for general use, outside of query-replacing. See also variable `case-replace`, which controls case for the replacement text. See also `C-h f query-replace`, where it says, for example: > Matching is independent of case if `case-fold-search` is non-nil and FROM-STRING has no uppercase letters. Replacement transfers the case pattern of the old text to the new text, if `case-replace` and `case-fold-search` are non-nil and FROM-STRING has no uppercase See also the comments below, and Emacs bug #[20687](http://debbugs.gnu.org/cgi/bugreport.cgi?bug=20687), which show how you can patch `perform-replace` to let you toggle case folding during `query-replace`. --- Note too that the existing code for `perform-replace` binds `case-fold-search` in this way (note the variables on which it depends): (case-fold-search (if (and case-fold-search search-upper-case) (isearch-no-upper-case-p from-string regexp-flag) case-fold-search))