diff --git a/src/object-store/src/parser/parser.cpp b/src/object-store/src/parser/parser.cpp
index 07b97bb4..dab01c63 100644
--- a/src/object-store/src/parser/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/object-store/src/parser/parser.cpp
@@ -24,8 +24,8 @@
 #include <pegtl/analyze.hh>
 #include <pegtl/trace.hh>
 
-// String operators (e.g. AND, OR, NOT) can't be followed by [A-z0-9_].
-#define string_operator_t(s) seq< pegtl_istring_t(s), not_at< identifier_other > >
+// String tokens can't be followed by [A-z0-9_].
+#define string_token_t(s) seq< pegtl_istring_t(s), not_at< identifier_other > >
 
 using namespace pegtl;
 
@@ -57,9 +57,9 @@ struct int_num : plus< digit > {};
 
 struct number : seq< minus, sor< float_num, hex_num, int_num > > {};
 
-struct true_value : pegtl_istring_t("true") {};
-struct false_value : pegtl_istring_t("false") {};
-struct null_value : pegtl_istring_t("null") {};
+struct true_value : string_token_t("true") {};
+struct false_value : string_token_t("false") {};
+struct null_value : string_token_t("null") {};
 
 // key paths
 struct key_path : list< seq< sor< alpha, one< '_' > >, star< sor< alnum, one< '_', '-' > > > >, one< '.' > > {};
@@ -70,37 +70,34 @@ struct argument : seq< one< '$' >, must< argument_index > > {};
 
 // expressions and operators
 struct expr : sor< dq_string, sq_string, number, argument, true_value, false_value, null_value, key_path > {};
-struct case_insensitive : pegtl_istring_t("[c]"){};
+struct case_insensitive : pegtl_istring_t("[c]") {};
 
-struct eq : seq< sor< two< '=' >, one< '=' > >, opt< case_insensitive > >{};
+struct eq : seq< sor< two< '=' >, one< '=' > >, star< blank >, opt< case_insensitive > >{};
 struct noteq : pegtl::string< '!', '=' > {};
 struct lteq : pegtl::string< '<', '=' > {};
 struct lt : one< '<' > {};
 struct gteq : pegtl::string< '>', '=' > {};
 struct gt : one< '>' > {};
-struct contains : pegtl_istring_t("contains") {};
-struct begins : pegtl_istring_t("beginswith") {};
-struct ends : pegtl_istring_t("endswith") {};
+struct contains : string_token_t("contains") {};
+struct begins : string_token_t("beginswith") {};
+struct ends : string_token_t("endswith") {};
 
-template<typename A, typename B>
-struct pad_plus : seq< plus< B >, A, plus< B > > {};
-
-struct padded_oper : pad_plus< seq< sor< contains, begins, ends>, opt< case_insensitive > >, blank > {};
-struct symbolic_oper : pad< sor< eq, noteq, lteq, lt, gteq, gt >, blank > {};
+struct string_oper : seq< sor< contains, begins, ends>, star< blank >, opt< case_insensitive > > {};
+struct symbolic_oper : sor< eq, noteq, lteq, lt, gteq, gt > {};
 
 // predicates
-struct comparison_pred : seq< expr, sor< padded_oper, symbolic_oper >, expr > {};
+struct comparison_pred : seq< expr, pad< sor< string_oper, symbolic_oper >, blank >, expr > {};
 
 struct pred;
 struct group_pred : if_must< one< '(' >, pad< pred, blank >, one< ')' > > {};
-struct true_pred : pegtl_istring_t("truepredicate") {};
-struct false_pred : pegtl_istring_t("falsepredicate") {};
+struct true_pred : string_token_t("truepredicate") {};
+struct false_pred : string_token_t("falsepredicate") {};
 
-struct not_pre : seq< sor< one< '!' >, string_operator_t("not") > > {};
+struct not_pre : seq< sor< one< '!' >, string_token_t("not") > > {};
 struct atom_pred : seq< opt< not_pre >, pad< sor< group_pred, true_pred, false_pred, comparison_pred >, blank > > {};
 
-struct and_op : pad< sor< two< '&' >, string_operator_t("and") >, blank > {};
-struct or_op : pad< sor< two< '|' >, string_operator_t("or") >, blank > {};
+struct and_op : pad< sor< two< '&' >, string_token_t("and") >, blank > {};
+struct or_op : pad< sor< two< '|' >, string_token_t("or") >, blank > {};
 
 struct or_ext : if_must< or_op, pred > {};
 struct and_ext : if_must< and_op, pred > {};
diff --git a/src/object-store/tests/parser.cpp b/src/object-store/tests/parser.cpp
index 15c5cf2c..d7058d32 100644
--- a/src/object-store/tests/parser.cpp
+++ b/src/object-store/tests/parser.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ static std::vector<std::string> valid_queries = {
     "falsepredicate",
     " TRUEPREDICATE ",
     " FALSEPREDICATE ",
+    "truepredicates = falsepredicates", // keypaths
 
     // characters/strings
     "\"\" = ''",
@@ -25,6 +26,9 @@ static std::vector<std::string> valid_queries = {
     "10. = -.034",
     "10.0 = 5.034",
     "true = false",
+    "truelove = false",
+    "true = falsey",
+    "nullified = null",
     "_ = a",
     "_a = _.aZ",
     "a09._br.z = __-__.Z-9",
@@ -34,10 +38,13 @@ static std::vector<std::string> valid_queries = {
     // operators
     "0=0",
     "0 = 0",
+    "0 =[c] 0",
     "0!=0",
     "0 != 0",
     "0==0",
     "0 == 0",
+    "0==[c]0",
+    "0 == [c] 0",
     "0>0",
     "0 > 0",
     "0>=0",
@@ -47,6 +54,9 @@ static std::vector<std::string> valid_queries = {
     "0<=0",
     "0 <= 0",
     "0 contains 0",
+    "a CONTAINS[c] b",
+    "a contains [c] b",
+    "'a'CONTAINS[c]b",
     "0 BeGiNsWiTh 0",
     "0 ENDSWITH 0",
     "contains contains 'contains'",
@@ -103,7 +113,6 @@ static std::vector<std::string> invalid_queries = {
     "1.0. = 1",
     "1-0 = 1",
     "0x = 1",
-    "truey = false",
     "- = a",
     "a..b = a",
     "a$a = a",
@@ -116,6 +125,7 @@ static std::vector<std::string> invalid_queries = {
     "0===>0",
     "0 <> 0",
     "0 contains1",
+    "a contains_something",
     "endswith 0",
 
     // atoms/groups