diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
index 435b5c4c07..debdaa4151 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
@@ -21,6 +21,7 @@ from calibre.utils.date import dt_factory, qt_to_dt, isoformat
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import set_metadata as _set_metadata
 from calibre.utils.search_query_parser import SearchQueryParser
 from calibre.library.caches import _match, CONTAINS_MATCH, EQUALS_MATCH, REGEXP_MATCH
+from calibre.library.cli import parse_series_string
 from calibre import strftime, isbytestring, prepare_string_for_xml
 from calibre.constants import filesystem_encoding
 from calibre.gui2.library import DEFAULT_SORT
@@ -708,17 +709,7 @@ class BooksModel(QAbstractTableModel): # {{{
                     return False
                 val = qt_to_dt(val, as_utc=False)
         elif typ == 'series':
-            val = unicode(value.toString()).strip()
-            pat = re.compile(r'\[([.0-9]+)\]')
-            match = pat.search(val)
-            if match is not None:
-                val = pat.sub('', val).strip()
-                s_index = float(match.group(1))
-            elif val:
-                if tweaks['series_index_auto_increment'] == 'next':
-                    s_index = self.db.get_next_cc_series_num_for(val, label=label)
-                else:
-                    s_index = 1.0
+            val, s_index = parse_series_string(self.db, label, value.toString())
         self.db.set_custom(self.db.id(row), val, extra=s_index,
                            label=label, num=None, append=False, notify=True)
         return True
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index d4afaabcdc..06cf07bb67 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -620,6 +620,10 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser):
         elif field == 'title': field = 'sort'
         elif field == 'authors': field = 'author_sort'
         as_string = field not in ('size', 'rating', 'timestamp')
+
+        if self.first_sort:
+            subsort = True
+            self.first_sort = False
         if self.field_metadata[field]['is_custom']:
             if self.field_metadata[field]['datatype'] == 'series':
                 fcmp = functools.partial(self.seriescmp,
@@ -638,10 +642,6 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser):
         else:
             fcmp = functools.partial(self.cmp, self.FIELD_MAP[field],
                                      subsort=subsort, asstr=as_string)
-
-        if self.first_sort:
-            subsort = True
-            self.first_sort = False
         self._map.sort(cmp=fcmp, reverse=not ascending)
         self._map_filtered = [id for id in self._map if id in self._map_filtered]
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/cli.py b/src/calibre/library/cli.py
index 3f71c98238..058b879b55 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/cli.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/cli.py
@@ -7,11 +7,11 @@ __docformat__ = 'restructuredtext en'
 Command line interface to the calibre database.
 '''
 
-import sys, os, cStringIO
+import sys, os, cStringIO, re
 from textwrap import TextWrapper
 
 from calibre import terminal_controller, preferred_encoding, prints
-from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser, prefs
+from calibre.utils.config import OptionParser, prefs, tweaks
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.meta import get_metadata
 from calibre.library.database2 import LibraryDatabase2
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.opf2 import OPFCreator, OPF
@@ -680,9 +680,31 @@ def command_catalog(args, dbpath):
 
 # end of GR additions
 
+def parse_series_string(db, label, value):
+    val = unicode(value).strip()
+    s_index = None
+    pat = re.compile(r'\[([.0-9]+)\]')
+    match = pat.search(val)
+    if match is not None:
+        val = pat.sub('', val).strip()
+        s_index = float(match.group(1))
+    elif val:
+        if tweaks['series_index_auto_increment'] == 'next':
+            s_index = db.get_next_cc_series_num_for(val, label=label)
+        else:
+            s_index = 1.0
+    return val, s_index
+
 def do_set_custom(db, col, id_, val, append):
-    db.set_custom(id_, val, label=col, append=append)
-    prints('Data set to: %r'%db.get_custom(id_, label=col, index_is_id=True))
+    if db.custom_column_label_map[col]['datatype'] == 'series':
+        val, s_index = parse_series_string(db, col, val)
+        db.set_custom(id_, val, extra=s_index, label=col, append=append)
+        prints('Data set to: %r[%4.2f]'%
+               (db.get_custom(id_, label=col, index_is_id=True),
+                db.get_custom_extra(id_, label=col, index_is_id=True)))
+    else:
+        db.set_custom(id_, val, label=col, append=append)
+        prints('Data set to: %r'%db.get_custom(id_, label=col, index_is_id=True))
 
 def set_custom_option_parser():
     parser = get_parser(_(
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
index 52084fcda1..e039f5a817 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
@@ -308,8 +308,8 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
             self.conn.commit()
         return changed
 
-    def set_custom(self, id_, val, extra=None, label=None, num=None,
-                   append=False, notify=True):
+    def set_custom(self, id_, val, label=None, num=None,
+                   append=False, notify=True, extra=None):
         if label is not None:
             data = self.custom_column_label_map[label]
         if num is not None: