diff --git a/kitty/search_query_parser.py b/kitty/search_query_parser.py
index 0f64d7a9f..bd89cdb86 100644
--- a/kitty/search_query_parser.py
+++ b/kitty/search_query_parser.py
@@ -223,13 +223,15 @@ class Parser:
         return self.base_token()
 
     def base_token(self) -> SearchTreeNode:
-        tt = self.token(advance=True)
-        assert tt is not None
         if self.token_type() is TokenType.QUOTED_WORD:
+            tt = self.token(advance=True)
+            assert tt is not None
             if self.allow_no_location:
                 return TokenNode('all', tt)
             raise ParseException(f'No location specified before {tt}')
 
+        tt = self.token(advance=True)
+        assert tt is not None
         words = tt.split(':')
         # The complexity here comes from having colon-separated search
         # values. That forces us to check that the first "word" in a colon-
diff --git a/kitty_tests/search_query_parser.py b/kitty_tests/search_query_parser.py
index 19c55e621..9e93a012d 100644
--- a/kitty_tests/search_query_parser.py
+++ b/kitty_tests/search_query_parser.py
@@ -8,20 +8,23 @@ from . import BaseTest
 class TestSQP(BaseTest):
 
     def test_search_query_parser(self):
-        from kitty.search_query_parser import search
+        from kitty.search_query_parser import search, ParseException
         locations = 'id'
         universal_set = {1, 2, 3, 4, 5}
 
         def get_matches(location, query, candidates):
             return {x for x in candidates if query == str(x)}
 
-        def t(q, expected):
+        def t(q, expected=set()):
             actual = search(q, locations, universal_set, get_matches)
             self.ae(actual, expected)
 
         t('id:1', {1})
+        t('id:"1"', {1})
         t('id:1 and id:1', {1})
         t('id:1 or id:2', {1, 2})
-        t('id:1 and id:2', set())
+        t('id:1 and id:2')
         t('not id:1', universal_set - {1})
         t('(id:1 or id:2) and id:1', {1})
+        self.assertRaises(ParseException, t, '1')
+        self.assertRaises(ParseException, t, '"id:1"')