diff --git a/plugins/MoobotFactoids.py b/plugins/MoobotFactoids.py
index 9d0899c2a..43f1627df 100644
--- a/plugins/MoobotFactoids.py
+++ b/plugins/MoobotFactoids.py
@@ -77,10 +77,10 @@ class OptionList(object):
         while True:
             token = lexer.get_token()
             if not token:
-                raise SyntaxError, 'Missing ")"'
+                return '(%s' % ''.join(ret) #)
             elif token == ')':
                 if len(ret) > 1:
-                    return ret
+                    return [x for x in ret if x != '|']
                 elif len(ret) == 1:
                         return '(%s)' % ret[0]
                 else:
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ class OptionList(object):
             elif token == '(':
                 ret.append(self._insideParens(lexer))
             elif token == '|':
-                continue
+                ret.append(token)
             else:
                 ret.append(token)
 
@@ -106,9 +106,19 @@ class OptionList(object):
             elif token == '(':
                 ret.append(self._insideParens(lexer))
             elif token == ')':
-                raise SyntaxError, 'Spurious ")"'
-            else:
+                if ret: #(
+                    ret[-1] += ')'
+                else: #(
+                    ret.append(')')
+            elif token == '|':
                 ret.append(token)
+            else:
+                if ret and ret[-1] == '|':
+                    pipe = ret.pop()
+                    first = ret.pop()
+                    ret.append(pipe.join([first, token]))
+                else:
+                    ret.append(token)
         return ret
 
 def tokenize(s):
diff --git a/test/test_MoobotFactoids.py b/test/test_MoobotFactoids.py
index 53719a027..0907779f4 100644
--- a/test/test_MoobotFactoids.py
+++ b/test/test_MoobotFactoids.py
@@ -38,18 +38,29 @@ except ImportError:
 
 if sqlite is not None:
     MoobotFactoids = Owner.loadPluginModule('MoobotFactoids')
+    MF = MoobotFactoids
     class OptionListTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         def testEmptyParens(self):
-            self.assertEqual(MoobotFactoids.tokenize('()'), ['()'])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('()'), ['()'])
 
         def testNoBarParens(self):
-            self.assertEqual(MoobotFactoids.tokenize('(foo)'), ['(foo)'])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('(foo)'), ['(foo)'])
 
         def testDanglingParens(self):
-            self.assertEqual(MoobotFactoids.tokenize('(foo'), ['(foo'])
-            self.assertEqual(MoobotFactoids.tokenize('(foo|bar'),['(foo|bar'])
-            self.assertEqual(MoobotFactoids.tokenize('foo)'), ['foo)'])
-            self.assertEqual(MoobotFactoids.tokenize('foo|bar)'),['foo|bar)'])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('(foo'), ['(foo'])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('(foo|bar'),['(foo|bar'])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('foo)'), ['foo)'])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('foo|bar)'),['foo|bar)'])
+
+        def testPipesOutsideParens(self):
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('1|2'), ['1|2'])
+
+        def testStandardBehavior(self):
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('(foo|bar)'), [['foo', 'bar']])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('(foo|bar|baz)'),
+                             [['foo','bar','baz']])
+            self.assertEqual(MF.tokenize('(foo|(bar|baz))'),
+                             [['foo', ['bar', 'baz']]])
 
     class FactoidsTestCase(PluginTestCase, PluginDocumentation):
         plugins = ('MoobotFactoids', 'User', 'Utilities')