diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py b/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py
index 466a800656..dbcfc7f13b 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser.py
@@ -221,8 +221,8 @@ class Parser(object):
             return ['and', lhs, self.and_expression()]
 
         # Account for the optional 'and'
-        if (self.token_type() in [self.WORD, self.QUOTED_WORD] and
-                        self.lcase_token() != 'or'):
+        if ((self.token_type() in [self.WORD, self.QUOTED_WORD] or self.token() == '(')
+                    and self.lcase_token() != 'or'):
             return ['and', lhs, self.and_expression()]
         return lhs
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser_test.py b/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser_test.py
index 15a29d42f6..6f7ba1ca45 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser_test.py
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/search_query_parser_test.py
@@ -322,6 +322,7 @@ class Tester(SearchQueryParser):
              'author:S\\"calzi': {343},
              '"S\\"calzi"': {343},
              'M\\\\cMurtry': {427},
+             'author:Tolstoy (tag:txt OR tag:pdf)': set([55, 56]),
              }
     fields = {'title':0, 'author':1, 'publisher':2, 'tag':3}