diff --git a/lisp/gnus/gnus-search.el b/lisp/gnus/gnus-search.el
index 44f43b073c..f20f9586d2 100644
--- a/lisp/gnus/gnus-search.el
+++ b/lisp/gnus/gnus-search.el
@@ -1036,7 +1036,7 @@ gnus-search-imap-search-keys
   '(body cc bcc from header keyword larger smaller subject text to uid x-gm-raw
 	 answered before deleted draft flagged on since recent seen sentbefore
 	 senton sentsince unanswered undeleted undraft unflagged unkeyword
-	 unseen all)
+         unseen all new not old or)
   "Known IMAP search keys.")
 
 ;; imap interface
@@ -1072,9 +1072,9 @@ gnus-search-imap-search-keys
       ;; A bit of backward-compatibility slash convenience: if the
       ;; query string doesn't start with any known IMAP search
       ;; keyword, assume it is a "TEXT" search.
-      (unless (and (string-match "\\`[^[:blank:]]+" q-string)
+      (unless (and (string-match "\\`(*\\([^[:blank:]]+\\)" q-string)
 		   (memql (intern-soft (downcase
-					(match-string 0 q-string)))
+                                        (match-string 1 q-string)))
 			  gnus-search-imap-search-keys))
 	(setq q-string (concat "TEXT " q-string)))