diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py b/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py
index eae6dc79c3..fa7ba3c56d 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/custom_column_widgets.py
@@ -551,7 +551,11 @@ class BulkBool(BulkBase, Bool):
 
     def setup_ui(self, parent):
         self.make_widgets(parent, QComboBox)
-        items = [_('Yes'), _('No'), _('Undefined')]
+        items = [_('Yes'), _('No')]
+        if tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] == 'no':
+            items.append('')
+        else:
+            items.append(_('Undefined'))
         icons = [I('ok.png'), I('list_remove.png'), I('blank.png')]
         self.main_widget.blockSignals(True)
         for icon, text in zip(icons, items):
@@ -560,7 +564,10 @@ class BulkBool(BulkBase, Bool):
 
     def getter(self):
         val = self.main_widget.currentIndex()
-        return {2: None, 1: False, 0: True}[val]
+        if tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] == 'no':
+            return {2: False, 1: False, 0: True}[val]
+        else:
+            return {2: None, 1: False, 0: True}[val]
 
     def setter(self, val):
         val = {None: 2, False: 1, True: 0}[val]
@@ -576,6 +583,14 @@ class BulkBool(BulkBase, Bool):
             val = False
         self.db.set_custom_bulk(book_ids, val, num=self.col_id, notify=notify)
 
+    def a_c_checkbox_changed(self):
+        if not self.ignore_change_signals:
+            if tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] == 'no' and \
+                                    self.main_widget.currentIndex() == 2:
+                self.a_c_checkbox.setChecked(False)
+            else:
+                self.a_c_checkbox.setChecked(True)
+
 class BulkInt(BulkBase):
 
     def setup_ui(self, parent):
diff --git a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
index 48668d3376..88008e7ec4 100644
--- a/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
+++ b/src/calibre/gui2/library/models.py
@@ -685,7 +685,7 @@ class BooksModel(QAbstractTableModel): # {{{
                 self.dc[col] = functools.partial(bool_type, idx=idx)
                 self.dc_decorator[col] = functools.partial(
                             bool_type_decorator, idx=idx,
-                            bool_cols_are_tristate=tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] == 'yes')
+                            bool_cols_are_tristate=tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] != 'no')
             elif datatype == 'rating':
                 self.dc[col] = functools.partial(rating_type, idx=idx)
             elif datatype == 'series':
diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index 1330d10e59..70e1fec131 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -528,7 +528,7 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
                 location[i] = db_col[loc]
 
             # get the tweak here so that the string lookup and compare aren't in the loop
-            bools_are_tristate = tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] == 'yes'
+            bools_are_tristate = tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] != 'no'
 
             for loc in location: # location is now an array of field indices
                 if loc == db_col['authors']:
@@ -812,7 +812,10 @@ class SortKeyGenerator(object):
                 val = self.string_sort_key(val)
 
             elif dt == 'bool':
-                val = {True: 1, False: 2, None: 3}.get(val, 3)
+                if tweaks['bool_custom_columns_are_tristate'] == 'no':
+                    val = {True: 1, False: 2, None: 2}.get(val, 2)
+                else:
+                    val = {True: 1, False: 2, None: 3}.get(val, 3)
 
             yield val