diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
index 0a4b7a26ba..8d89ec76ed 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
@@ -310,7 +310,6 @@ class BooksModel(QAbstractTableModel): # {{{
     def sort(self, col, order, reset=True):
         if not self.db:
             return
-        self.about_to_be_sorted.emit(self.db.id)
         if not isinstance(order, bool):
             order = order == Qt.AscendingOrder
         label = self.column_map[col]
@@ -321,6 +320,7 @@ class BooksModel(QAbstractTableModel): # {{{
             self._sort(field, order, reset)
 
     def _sort(self, label, order, reset):
+        self.about_to_be_sorted.emit(self.db.id)
         self.db.sort(label, order)
         if reset:
             self.reset()
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/views.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/views.py
index e87e7226e1..0b0cecc1ea 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/views.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/views.py
@@ -246,6 +246,36 @@ class BooksView(QTableView): # {{{
                 self.sortByColumn(idx, Qt.DescendingOrder)
         else:
             self._model.sort_by_named_field(field, order, reset)
+
+    def multisort(self, fields, reset=True, only_if_different=False):
+        if len(fields) == 0:
+            return
+        sh = self.cleanup_sort_history(self._model.sort_history,
+                                       ignore_column_map=True)
+        if only_if_different and len(sh) >= len(fields):
+            ret=True
+            for i,t in enumerate(fields):
+                if t[0] != sh[i][0]:
+                    ret = False
+                    break
+            if ret:
+                return
+
+        for n,d in reversed(fields):
+            if n in self._model.db.field_metadata.keys():
+                sh.insert(0, (n, d))
+        sh = self.cleanup_sort_history(sh, ignore_column_map=True)
+        self._model.sort_history = [tuple(x) for x in sh]
+        self._model.resort(reset=reset)
+        col = fields[0][0]
+        dir = Qt.AscendingOrder if fields[0][1] else Qt.DescendingOrder
+        if col in self.column_map:
+            col = self.column_map.index(col)
+            hdrs = self.horizontalHeader()
+            try:
+                hdrs.setSortIndicator(col, dir)
+            except:
+                pass
     # }}}
 
     # Ondevice column {{{
@@ -290,14 +320,14 @@ class BooksView(QTableView): # {{{
             state = self.get_state()
             self.write_state(state)
 
-    def cleanup_sort_history(self, sort_history):
+    def cleanup_sort_history(self, sort_history, ignore_column_map=False):
         history = []
         for col, order in sort_history:
             if not isinstance(order, bool):
                 continue
             if col == 'date':
                 col = 'timestamp'
-            if col in self.column_map:
+            if ignore_column_map or col in self.column_map:
                 if (not history or history[-1][0] != col):
                     history.append([col, order])
         return history
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index 4d696afe91..5b22ad6787 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -592,7 +592,8 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
             candidates = self.universal_set()
         if len(candidates) == 0:
             return matches
-        self.test_location_is_valid(location, query)
+        if location not in self.all_search_locations:
+            return matches
 
         if len(location) > 2 and location.startswith('@') and \
                     location[1:] in self.db_prefs['grouped_search_terms']:
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py b/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py
index 10d8b64a0d..a50ca20fc1 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py
@@ -19,8 +19,8 @@ If this module is run, it will perform a series of unit tests.
 import sys, string, operator
 
 from calibre.utils.pyparsing import CaselessKeyword, Group, Forward, \
-        CharsNotIn, Suppress, OneOrMore, MatchFirst, alphas, alphanums, \
-        Optional, ParseException, QuotedString, Word
+        CharsNotIn, Suppress, OneOrMore, MatchFirst, CaselessLiteral, \
+        Optional, NoMatch, ParseException, QuotedString
 from calibre.constants import preferred_encoding
 from calibre.utils.icu import sort_key
 
@@ -128,9 +128,12 @@ class SearchQueryParser(object):
         self._tests_failed = False
         self.optimize = optimize
         # Define a token
-        self.standard_locations = locations
-        location     = Optional(Word(alphas+'#', bodyChars=alphanums+'_')+Suppress(':'),
-                                default='all')
+        standard_locations = map(lambda x : CaselessLiteral(x)+Suppress(':'),
+                locations)
+        location = NoMatch()
+        for l in standard_locations:
+            location |= l
+        location     = Optional(location, default='all')
         word_query   = CharsNotIn(string.whitespace + '()')
         #quoted_query = Suppress('"')+CharsNotIn('"')+Suppress('"')
         quoted_query = QuotedString('"', escChar='\\')
@@ -247,14 +250,7 @@ class SearchQueryParser(object):
                 raise ParseException(query, len(query), 'undefined saved search', self)
         return self._get_matches(location, query, candidates)
 
-    def test_location_is_valid(self, location, query):
-        if location not in self.standard_locations:
-            raise ParseException(query, len(query),
-                    _('No column exists with lookup name ') + location, self)
-
     def _get_matches(self, location, query, candidates):
-        location = location.lower()
-        self.test_location_is_valid(location, query)
         if self.optimize:
             return self.get_matches(location, query, candidates=candidates)
         else: