diff --git a/library/Icinga/Web/Widget/FilterEditor.php b/library/Icinga/Web/Widget/FilterEditor.php
index 2d64e4c2b..dd84a5e52 100644
--- a/library/Icinga/Web/Widget/FilterEditor.php
+++ b/library/Icinga/Web/Widget/FilterEditor.php
@@ -216,25 +216,22 @@ class FilterEditor extends AbstractWidget
         $filter = $this->getFilter();
 
         if ($search !== null) {
-            if (empty($this->searchColumns)) {
-                if (strpos($search, '=') === false) {
-                    Notification::error(mt('monitoring', 'Cannot search here'));
-                    return $this;
-                } else {
-                    list($k, $v) = preg_split('/=/', $search);
-                    $filter = $this->mergeRootExpression($filter, trim($k), '=', ltrim($v));
-                }
-            } else {
-                if (false === $this->resetSearchColumns($filter)) {
+            if (strpos($search, '=') !== false) {
+                list($k, $v) = preg_split('/=/', $search);
+                $filter = $this->mergeRootExpression($filter, trim($k), '=', ltrim($v));
+            } elseif (! empty($this->searchColumns)) {
+                if (! $this->resetSearchColumns($filter)) {
                     $filter = Filter::matchAll();
                 }
-
                 $filters = array();
                 $search = ltrim($search);
                 foreach ($this->searchColumns as $searchColumn) {
                     $filters[] = Filter::expression($searchColumn, '=', "*$search*");
                 }
                 $filter->andFilter(new FilterOr($filters));
+            } else {
+                Notification::error(mt('monitoring', 'Cannot search here'));
+                return $this;
             }
 
             $url = $this->url()->setQueryString(