diff --git a/src/calibre/devices/usbms/books.py b/src/calibre/devices/usbms/books.py
index 8c92aa8a6e..cfebe796a3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/devices/usbms/books.py
+++ b/src/calibre/devices/usbms/books.py
@@ -203,6 +203,8 @@ class CollectionsBookList(BookList):
                     val = [orig_val]
                 elif fm['datatype'] == 'text' and fm['is_multiple']:
                     val = orig_val
+                elif fm['datatype'] == 'composite' and fm['is_multiple']:
+                    val = [v.strip() for v in val.split(fm['is_multiple'])]
                 else:
                     val = [val]
 
diff --git a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/base.py b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/base.py
index ff22cd3608..167ae52fa3 100644
--- a/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/base.py
+++ b/src/calibre/ebooks/metadata/book/base.py
@@ -483,7 +483,7 @@ class Metadata(object):
                         self_tags = self.get(x, [])
                         self.set_user_metadata(x, meta) # get... did the deepcopy
                         other_tags = other.get(x, [])
-                        if meta['is_multiple']:
+                        if meta['datatype'] == 'text' and meta['is_multiple']:
                             # Case-insensitive but case preserving merging
                             lotags = [t.lower() for t in other_tags]
                             lstags = [t.lower() for t in self_tags]
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
index 0683f2cb91..8a97183ffe 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/dialogs/metadata_bulk.py
@@ -519,6 +519,8 @@ class MetadataBulkDialog(ResizableDialog, Ui_MetadataBulkDialog):
                 val = [] if fm['is_multiple'] else ['']
             elif not fm['is_multiple']:
                 val = [val]
+            elif fm['datatype'] == 'composite':
+                val = [v.strip() for v in val.split(fm['is_multiple'])]
             elif field == 'authors':
                 val = [v.replace('|', ',') for v in val]
         else:
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/columns.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/columns.py
index 03a50e6f3a..92aafccce0 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/columns.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/columns.py
@@ -163,8 +163,9 @@ class ConfigWidget(ConfigWidgetBase, Ui_Form):
             elif '*edited' in self.custcols[c]:
                 cc = self.custcols[c]
                 db.set_custom_column_metadata(cc['colnum'], name=cc['name'],
-                                                   label=cc['label'],
-                                                   display = self.custcols[c]['display'])
+                                              label=cc['label'],
+                                              display = self.custcols[c]['display'],
+                                              notify=False)
                 if '*must_restart' in self.custcols[c]:
                     must_restart = True
         return must_restart
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/create_custom_column.py b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/create_custom_column.py
index f476845f8b..fcbaaf181f 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/create_custom_column.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/preferences/create_custom_column.py
@@ -41,6 +41,8 @@ class CreateCustomColumn(QDialog, Ui_QCreateCustomColumn):
                         'text':_('Yes/No'), 'is_multiple':False},
                     10:{'datatype':'composite',
                         'text':_('Column built from other columns'), 'is_multiple':False},
+                    11:{'datatype':'*composite',
+                        'text':_('Column built from other columns, behaves like tags'), 'is_multiple':True},
                 }
 
     def __init__(self, parent, editing, standard_colheads, standard_colnames):
@@ -99,7 +101,9 @@ class CreateCustomColumn(QDialog, Ui_QCreateCustomColumn):
         c = parent.custcols[col]
         self.column_name_box.setText(c['label'])
         self.column_heading_box.setText(c['name'])
-        ct = c['datatype'] if not c['is_multiple'] else '*text'
+        ct = c['datatype']
+        if c['is_multiple']:
+            ct = '*' + ct
         self.orig_column_number = c['colnum']
         self.orig_column_name = col
         column_numbers = dict(map(lambda x:(self.column_types[x]['datatype'], x),
@@ -109,7 +113,7 @@ class CreateCustomColumn(QDialog, Ui_QCreateCustomColumn):
         if ct == 'datetime':
             if c['display'].get('date_format', None):
                 self.date_format_box.setText(c['display'].get('date_format', ''))
-        elif ct == 'composite':
+        elif ct in ['composite', '*composite']:
             self.composite_box.setText(c['display'].get('composite_template', ''))
             sb = c['display'].get('composite_sort', 'text')
             vals = ['text', 'number', 'date', 'bool']
@@ -167,7 +171,7 @@ class CreateCustomColumn(QDialog, Ui_QCreateCustomColumn):
             getattr(self, 'date_format_'+x).setVisible(col_type == 'datetime')
         for x in ('box', 'default_label', 'label', 'sort_by', 'sort_by_label',
                   'make_category'):
-            getattr(self, 'composite_'+x).setVisible(col_type == 'composite')
+            getattr(self, 'composite_'+x).setVisible(col_type in ['composite', '*composite'])
         for x in ('box', 'default_label', 'label'):
             getattr(self, 'enum_'+x).setVisible(col_type == 'enumeration')
         self.use_decorations.setVisible(col_type in ['text', 'composite', 'enumeration'])
@@ -187,8 +191,8 @@ class CreateCustomColumn(QDialog, Ui_QCreateCustomColumn):
                     'because these names are reserved for the index of a series column.'))
         col_heading = unicode(self.column_heading_box.text()).strip()
         col_type = self.column_types[self.column_type_box.currentIndex()]['datatype']
-        if col_type == '*text':
-            col_type='text'
+        if col_type[0] == '*':
+            col_type = col_type[1:]
             is_multiple = True
         else:
             is_multiple = False
@@ -249,11 +253,10 @@ class CreateCustomColumn(QDialog, Ui_QCreateCustomColumn):
         elif col_type == 'text' and is_multiple:
             display_dict = {'is_names': self.is_names.isChecked()}
 
-        if col_type in ['text', 'composite', 'enumeration']:
+        if col_type in ['text', 'composite', 'enumeration'] and not is_multiple:
             display_dict['use_decorations'] = self.use_decorations.checkState()
 
         if not self.editing_col:
-            db.field_metadata
             self.parent.custcols[key] = {
                     'label':col,
                     'name':col_heading,
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index 5f4cfcba07..4d696afe91 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -751,7 +751,7 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
 
                     if loc not in exclude_fields: # time for text matching
                         if is_multiple_cols[loc] is not None:
-                            vals = item[loc].split(is_multiple_cols[loc])
+                            vals = [v.strip() for v in item[loc].split(is_multiple_cols[loc])]
                         else:
                             vals = [item[loc]] ### make into list to make _match happy
                         if _match(q, vals, matchkind):
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
index 8eed121b21..187d718a39 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/custom_columns.py
@@ -182,7 +182,7 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
             else:
                 is_category = False
             if v['is_multiple']:
-                is_m = '|'
+                is_m = ',' if v['datatype'] == 'composite' else '|'
             else:
                 is_m = None
             tn = 'custom_column_{0}'.format(v['num'])
@@ -318,7 +318,7 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
         self.conn.commit()
 
     def set_custom_column_metadata(self, num, name=None, label=None,
-            is_editable=None, display=None):
+            is_editable=None, display=None, notify=True):
         changed = False
         if name is not None:
             self.conn.execute('UPDATE custom_columns SET name=? WHERE id=?',
@@ -340,6 +340,9 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
 
         if changed:
             self.conn.commit()
+        if notify:
+            self.notify('metadata', [])
+
         return changed
 
     def set_custom_bulk_multiple(self, ids, add=[], remove=[],
@@ -595,7 +598,7 @@ class CustomColumns(object):
             raise ValueError('%r is not a supported data type'%datatype)
         normalized  = datatype not in ('datetime', 'comments', 'int', 'bool',
                 'float', 'composite')
-        is_multiple = is_multiple and datatype in ('text',)
+        is_multiple = is_multiple and datatype in ('text', 'composite')
         num = self.conn.execute(
                 ('INSERT INTO '
                 'custom_columns(label,name,datatype,is_multiple,editable,display,normalized)'
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/database2.py b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
index 7b4d52dbcd..aad33e808e 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/database2.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/database2.py
@@ -1354,6 +1354,7 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
             cat = tb_cats[category]
             if cat['datatype'] == 'composite' and \
                                 cat['display'].get('make_category', False):
+                tids[category] = {}
                 tcategories[category] = {}
                 md.append((category, cat['rec_index'], cat['is_multiple'],
                            cat['datatype'] == 'composite'))
@@ -1401,9 +1402,18 @@ class LibraryDatabase2(LibraryDatabase, SchemaUpgrade, CustomColumns):
                     except:
                         prints('get_categories: item', val, 'is not in', cat, 'list!')
                 else:
-                    vals = book[dex].split(mult)
+                    vals = [v.strip() for v in book[dex].split(mult) if v]
+                    if is_comp:
+                        for val in vals:
+                            if val not in tids:
+                                tids[cat][val] = (0, val)
+                            item = tcategories[cat].get(val, None)
+                            if not item:
+                                item = tag_class(val, val)
+                                tcategories[cat][val] = item
+                            item.c += 1
+                            item.id = val
                     for val in vals:
-                        if not val: continue
                         try:
                             (item_id, sort_val) = tids[cat][val] # let exceptions fly
                             item = tcategories[cat].get(val, None)