diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
index d918991aad..9b25545252 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
@@ -783,6 +783,12 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
             books_to_refresh = self.db.set_custom(id, val, label=dfm['label'],
                                                   extra=extra, commit=False,
                                                   allow_case_change=True)
+        elif dest.startswith('#') and dest.endswith('_index'):
+            label = self.db.field_metadata[dest[:-6]]['label']
+            series = self.db.get_custom(id, label=label, index_is_id=True)
+            books_to_refresh = self.db.set_custom(id, series, label=label,
+                                                  extra=val, commit=False,
+                                                  allow_case_change=True)
         else:
             if dest == 'comments':
                 setter = self.db.set_comment
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index 97ddaeb51a..be996063d5 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -123,14 +123,22 @@ REGEXP_MATCH   = 2
 def _match(query, value, matchkind):
     if query.startswith('..'):
         query = query[1:]
-        prefix_match_ok = False
+        sq = query[1:]
+        internal_match_ok = True
     else:
-        prefix_match_ok = True
+        internal_match_ok = False
     for t in value:
         t = icu_lower(t)
         try:     ### ignore regexp exceptions, required because search-ahead tries before typing is finished
             if (matchkind == EQUALS_MATCH):
-                if prefix_match_ok and query[0] == '.':
+                if internal_match_ok:
+                    if query == t:
+                        return True
+                    comps = [c.strip() for c in t.split('.') if c.strip()]
+                    for comp in comps:
+                        if sq == comp:
+                            return True
+                elif query[0] == '.':
                     if t.startswith(query[1:]):
                         ql = len(query) - 1
                         if (len(t) == ql) or (t[ql:ql+1] == '.'):