diff --git a/src/calibre/library/server/base.py b/src/calibre/library/server/base.py
index 0097276348..57e5e702fa 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/server/base.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/server/base.py
@@ -57,13 +57,15 @@ class LibraryServer(ContentServer, MobileServer, XMLServer, OPDSServer, Cache):
 
     server_name = __appname__ + '/' + __version__
 
-    def __init__(self, db, opts, embedded=False, show_tracebacks=True):
+    def __init__(self, db, opts, embedded=False, show_tracebacks=True,
+                 ignore_search_restriction=True):
         self.db = db
         for item in self.db:
             item
             break
         self.opts = opts
         self.embedded = embedded
+        self.ignore_search_restriction=ignore_search_restriction
         self.state_callback = None
         self.max_cover_width, self.max_cover_height = \
                         map(int, self.opts.max_cover.split('x'))
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/server/cache.py b/src/calibre/library/server/cache.py
index 9fec2c2737..6f6c21e60c 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/server/cache.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/server/cache.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ class Cache(object):
         old = self._search_cache.pop(search, None)
         if old is None or old[0] <= self.db.last_modified():
             matches = self.db.data.search(search, return_matches=True,
-                    ignore_search_restriction=True)
+                    ignore_search_restriction=self.ignore_search_restriction)
             if not matches:
                 matches = []
             self._search_cache[search] = (utcnow(), frozenset(matches))
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/server/main.py b/src/calibre/library/server/main.py
index 5ca82c6b98..2fad001a86 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/server/main.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/server/main.py
@@ -32,6 +32,8 @@ def option_parser():
             help=_('Write process PID to the specified file'))
     parser.add_option('--daemonize', default=False, action='store_true',
             help='Run process in background as a daemon. No effect on windows.')
+    parser.add_option('--restriction', default=None,
+            help='Specifies a restriction to be used for this invocation.')
     return parser
 
 def daemonize(stdin='/dev/null', stdout='/dev/null', stderr='/dev/null'):
@@ -83,7 +85,9 @@ def main(args=sys.argv):
     if opts.with_library is None:
         opts.with_library = prefs['library_path']
     db = LibraryDatabase2(opts.with_library)
-    server = LibraryServer(db, opts)
+    server = LibraryServer(db, opts, ignore_search_restriction=False)
+    if opts.restriction:
+        db.data.set_search_restriction('search:' + opts.restriction)
     server.start()
     return 0
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/server/mobile.py b/src/calibre/library/server/mobile.py
index c3667a2077..391ad70bfd 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/server/mobile.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/server/mobile.py
@@ -181,7 +181,8 @@ class MobileServer(object):
             num = int(num)
         except ValueError:
             raise cherrypy.HTTPError(400, 'num: %s is not an integer'%num)
-        ids = self.db.data.parse(search) if search and search.strip() else self.db.data.universal_set()
+        ids = self.db.search(search, return_matches=True,
+                             ignore_search_restriction=self.ignore_search_restriction)
         FM = self.db.FIELD_MAP
         items = [r for r in iter(self.db) if r[FM['id']] in ids]
         if sort is not None:
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/server/xml.py b/src/calibre/library/server/xml.py
index 036a2051bf..5649208036 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/server/xml.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/server/xml.py
@@ -45,7 +45,8 @@ class XMLServer(object):
 
         order = order.lower().strip() == 'ascending'
 
-        ids = self.db.data.parse(search) if search and search.strip() else self.db.data.universal_set()
+        ids = self.db.search(search, return_matches=True,
+                             ignore_search_restriction=self.ignore_search_restriction)
 
         FM = self.db.FIELD_MAP