diff --git a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala
index a1fa2045..3a82dd1f 100644
--- a/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala
+++ b/modules/query/shared/src/main/scala/docspell/query/internal/ExprUtil.scala
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package docspell.query.internal
 
+import cats.data.{NonEmptyList => Nel}
+
 import docspell.query.ItemQuery.Expr._
 import docspell.query.ItemQuery._
 
@@ -11,12 +13,14 @@ object ExprUtil {
   def reduce(expr: Expr): Expr =
     expr match {
       case AndExpr(inner) =>
-        if (inner.tail.isEmpty) reduce(inner.head)
-        else AndExpr(inner.map(reduce))
+        val nodes = spliceAnd(inner)
+        if (nodes.tail.isEmpty) reduce(nodes.head)
+        else AndExpr(nodes.map(reduce))
 
       case OrExpr(inner) =>
-        if (inner.tail.isEmpty) reduce(inner.head)
-        else OrExpr(inner.map(reduce))
+        val nodes = spliceOr(inner)
+        if (nodes.tail.isEmpty) reduce(nodes.head)
+        else OrExpr(nodes.map(reduce))
 
       case NotExpr(inner) =>
         inner match {
@@ -62,4 +66,19 @@ object ExprUtil {
       case CustomFieldIdMatch(_, _, _) =>
         expr
     }
+
+  private def spliceAnd(nodes: Nel[Expr]): Nel[Expr] =
+    nodes.flatMap {
+      case Expr.AndExpr(inner) =>
+        spliceAnd(inner)
+      case node =>
+        Nel.of(node)
+    }
+  private def spliceOr(nodes: Nel[Expr]): Nel[Expr] =
+    nodes.flatMap {
+      case Expr.OrExpr(inner) =>
+        spliceOr(inner)
+      case node =>
+        Nel.of(node)
+    }
 }
diff --git a/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/FulltextExtractTest.scala b/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/FulltextExtractTest.scala
index 0c3b555a..8b1fe312 100644
--- a/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/FulltextExtractTest.scala
+++ b/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/FulltextExtractTest.scala
@@ -52,6 +52,6 @@ class FulltextExtractTest extends FunSuite {
 
   test("wrong fulltext search position") {
     assertFts("name:test (| date:2021-02 content:yes)", Result.UnsupportedPosition)
-    assertFts("name:test (& date:2021-02 content:yes)", Result.UnsupportedPosition) //TODO
+    assertFtsSuccess("name:test (& date:2021-02 content:yes)", "yes".some)
   }
 }
diff --git a/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/internal/ItemQueryParserTest.scala b/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/internal/ItemQueryParserTest.scala
index 61dfdf86..52e35fc4 100644
--- a/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/internal/ItemQueryParserTest.scala
+++ b/modules/query/shared/src/test/scala/docspell/query/internal/ItemQueryParserTest.scala
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 package docspell.query.internal
 
+import cats.implicits._
+
 import munit._
 import docspell.query.ItemQueryParser
 import docspell.query.ItemQuery
@@ -40,4 +42,20 @@ class ItemQueryParserTest extends FunSuite {
     val q = ItemQueryParser.parseUnsafe("")
     assertEquals(ItemQuery.all, q)
   }
+
+  test("splice inner and nodes") {
+    val raw = "(& name:hello (& date:2021-02 name:world) (& name:hello) )"
+    val q   = ItemQueryParser.parseUnsafe(raw)
+    val expect =
+      ItemQueryParser.parseUnsafe("name:hello date:2021-02 name:world name:hello")
+    assertEquals(expect.copy(raw = raw.some), q)
+  }
+
+  test("splice inner or nodes") {
+    val raw = "(| name:hello (| date:2021-02 name:world) (| name:hello) )"
+    val q   = ItemQueryParser.parseUnsafe(raw)
+    val expect =
+      ItemQueryParser.parseUnsafe("(| name:hello date:2021-02 name:world name:hello )")
+    assertEquals(expect.copy(raw = raw.some), q)
+  }
 }