diff --git a/src/calibre/db/search.py b/src/calibre/db/search.py
index 5a02a5e5da..334bc046d8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/search.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/search.py
@@ -525,8 +525,35 @@ class Parser(SearchQueryParser):
                                         candidates, upf)
                 return self.keypair_search(query, field_iter, candidates, upf)
 
+        # check for user categories
+        if len(location) >= 2 and location.startswith('@'):
+            return self.get_user_category_matches(location[1:], icu_lower(query), candidates)
+
         return matches
 
+    def get_user_category_matches(self, location, query, candidates):
+        matches = set()
+        if len(query) < 2:
+            return matches
+
+        user_cats = self.dbcache.pref('user_categories')
+        c = set(candidates)
+
+        if query.startswith('.'):
+            check_subcats = True
+            query = query[1:]
+        else:
+            check_subcats = False
+
+        for key in user_cats:
+            if key == location or (check_subcats and key.startswith(location + '.')):
+                for (item, category, ign) in user_cats[key]:
+                    s = self.get_matches(category, '=' + item, candidates=c)
+                    c -= s
+                    matches |= s
+        if query == 'false':
+            return candidates - matches
+        return matches
 
 class Search(object):
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/tests/metadata.db b/src/calibre/db/tests/metadata.db
index 4bd6dfe4f9..94748877b6 100644
Binary files a/src/calibre/db/tests/metadata.db and b/src/calibre/db/tests/metadata.db differ
diff --git a/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py b/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
index 2fa49033c0..627a692860 100644
--- a/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
+++ b/src/calibre/db/tests/reading.py
@@ -220,6 +220,7 @@ class ReadingTest(BaseTest):
 
             # TODO: Tests for searching the size column and
             # cover:true|false
+            # TODO: Tests for user categories searching
         )}
         old = None