diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index 7b4c66c8b8..8365cfe773 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -254,6 +254,12 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
             if field_metadata[key]['datatype'] == 'composite':
                 self.composites.append((key, field_metadata[key]['rec_index']))
 
+        self.enumerations = []
+        for key in field_metadata:
+            if field_metadata[key]['datatype'] == 'enumeration':
+                self.enumerations.append((field_metadata[key]['display']['enum_values'][0],
+                                          field_metadata[key]['rec_index']))
+
     def __getitem__(self, row):
         return self._data[self._map_filtered[row]]
 
@@ -691,6 +697,10 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
                     mi = db.get_metadata(id, index_is_id=True)
                     for k,c in self.composites:
                         self._data[id][c] = mi.get(k, None)
+                if len(self.enumerations) > 0:
+                    for v,c in self.enumerations:
+                        if self._data[id][c] is None:
+                            self._data[id][c] = v
             except IndexError:
                 return None
         try:
@@ -711,6 +721,10 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
                 mi = db.get_metadata(id, index_is_id=True)
                 for k,c in self.composites:
                     self._data[id][c] = mi.get(k)
+            if len(self.enumerations) > 0:
+                for v,c in self.self._data[id][c]:
+                    if self._data[id][c] is None:
+                        self._data[id][c] =  v
         self._map[0:0] = ids
         self._map_filtered[0:0] = ids
 
@@ -740,6 +754,10 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
                     mi = db.get_metadata(item[0], index_is_id=True)
                     for k,c in self.composites:
                         item[c] = mi.get(k)
+                if len(self.enumerations) > 0:
+                    for v,c in self.enumerations:
+                        if item[c] is None:
+                            item[c] = v
 
         self._map = [i[0] for i in self._data if i is not None]
         if field is not None:
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
index 9444746c2a..dc3a67e860 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
@@ -525,30 +525,18 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
             display = data['display']
             table, lt = self.custom_table_names(data['num'])
             if data['normalized']:
-                if data['datatype'] == 'enumeration':
-                    query = '%s.value'
-                    line = '''
-                    val_for_enum(\'
-                        SELECT {table}.value FROM {lt}
-                        AS link INNER JOIN {table} ON(link.value={table}.id)
-                        WHERE link.book=?\',
-                    \'{default}\', books.id) custom_{num}
-                    '''.format(lt=lt, table=table,
-                               default=data['display']['enum_values'][0],
-                               num=data['num'])
-                else:
-                    query = '%s.value'
-                    if data['is_multiple']:
-                        query = 'group_concat(%s.value, "|")'
-                        if not display.get('sort_alpha', False):
-                            query = 'sort_concat(link.id, %s.value)'
-                    line = '''(SELECT {query} FROM {lt} AS link INNER JOIN
-                        {table} ON(link.value={table}.id) WHERE link.book=books.id)
-                        custom_{num}
-                    '''.format(query=query%table, lt=lt, table=table, num=data['num'])
-                    if data['datatype'] == 'series':
-                        line += ''',(SELECT extra FROM {lt} WHERE {lt}.book=books.id)
-                            custom_index_{num}'''.format(lt=lt, num=data['num'])
+                query = '%s.value'
+                if data['is_multiple']:
+                    query = 'group_concat(%s.value, "|")'
+                    if not display.get('sort_alpha', False):
+                        query = 'sort_concat(link.id, %s.value)'
+                line = '''(SELECT {query} FROM {lt} AS link INNER JOIN
+                    {table} ON(link.value={table}.id) WHERE link.book=books.id)
+                    custom_{num}
+                '''.format(query=query%table, lt=lt, table=table, num=data['num'])
+                if data['datatype'] == 'series':
+                    line += ''',(SELECT extra FROM {lt} WHERE {lt}.book=books.id)
+                        custom_index_{num}'''.format(lt=lt, num=data['num'])
             else:
                 line = '''
                 (SELECT value FROM {table} WHERE book=books.id) custom_{num}
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/sqlite.py b/src/calibre/library/sqlite.py
index 9682bd7ec6..7a86447090 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/sqlite.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/sqlite.py
@@ -115,18 +115,6 @@ def pynocase(one, two, encoding='utf-8'):
             pass
     return cmp(one.lower(), two.lower())
 
-def enum_col_value(select, def_val, id, conn=None):
-    try:
-        v = conn.get(select, (id,), all=False)
-        if v is None:
-            v = def_val
-    except Exception, e:
-        if DEBUG:
-            print 'enum_col_value failed'
-            print e
-        v = def_val
-    return v
-
 def load_c_extensions(conn, debug=DEBUG):
     try:
         conn.enable_load_extension(True)
@@ -176,8 +164,6 @@ class DBThread(Thread):
         self.conn.create_function('author_to_author_sort', 1,
                 _author_to_author_sort)
         self.conn.create_function('uuid4', 0, lambda : str(uuid.uuid4()))
-        self.conn.create_function('val_for_enum', 3,
-                                  partial(enum_col_value, conn=self.conn))
         # Dummy functions for dynamically created filters
         self.conn.create_function('books_list_filter', 1, lambda x: 1)