diff --git a/autotests/unit/lib/advancedqueryparsertest.cpp b/autotests/unit/lib/advancedqueryparsertest.cpp
--- a/autotests/unit/lib/advancedqueryparsertest.cpp
+++ b/autotests/unit/lib/advancedqueryparsertest.cpp
@@ -285,7 +285,6 @@
     qDebug() << "  result term" << testTerm;
     qDebug() << "expected term" << expectedTerm;
 
-    QEXPECT_FAIL("", "no optimization", Continue);
     QCOMPARE(testTerm, expectedTerm);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/lib/term.h b/src/lib/term.h
--- a/src/lib/term.h
+++ b/src/lib/term.h
@@ -136,10 +136,7 @@
     else if (rhs.isEmpty())
         return lhs;
 
-    Term t(Term::And);
-    t.addSubTerm(lhs);
-    t.addSubTerm(rhs);
-    return t;
+    return {lhs, Term::And, rhs};
 }
 
 inline Term operator ||(const Term& lhs, const Term& rhs)
@@ -149,10 +146,7 @@
     else if (rhs.isEmpty())
         return lhs;
 
-    Term t(Term::Or);
-    t.addSubTerm(lhs);
-    t.addSubTerm(rhs);
-    return t;
+    return {lhs, Term::Or, rhs};
 }
 
 inline Term operator !(const Term& rhs)
diff --git a/src/lib/term.cpp b/src/lib/term.cpp
--- a/src/lib/term.cpp
+++ b/src/lib/term.cpp
@@ -117,8 +117,18 @@
     : d(new Private)
 {
     d->m_op = op;
-    d->m_subTerms << lhs;
-    d->m_subTerms << rhs;
+
+    if (lhs.operation() == op) {
+        d->m_subTerms << lhs.subTerms();
+    } else {
+        d->m_subTerms << lhs;
+    }
+
+    if (rhs.operation() == op) {
+        d->m_subTerms << rhs.subTerms();
+    } else {
+        d->m_subTerms << rhs;
+    }
 }
 
 Term::~Term()