diff --git a/ui/medashare/cli.py b/ui/medashare/cli.py
index b593e45..b4b7993 100644
--- a/ui/medashare/cli.py
+++ b/ui/medashare/cli.py
@@ -1552,26 +1552,17 @@ def cmd_search(options, persona, objstr, cache):
 	_type = args.pop(0)
 
 	searches = [ (x[0], ) + tuple(x[1:].split('=', 1)) for x in args ]
-	#print(repr(searches), file=_real_stderr)
+	#_debprint(repr(searches))
 
-	# base object
-	mdofile = aliased(orm.MetaDataObject)
-	# hashes of base object
-	htfile = aliased(orm.HashTable)
+	propmap = aliased(orm.PropertyMapping)
 
-	sel = select(mdofile.data).execution_options(yield_per=10).where(
-		# we are operating on files
-		mdofile.type == 'file',
-		# we get all the hashes for the files
-		mdofile.uuid == htfile.uuid)
+	# propobj only returns what can match query
+	propobj = select(propmap.obj)
 
-	for i in searches:
-		# hashes to metadata objects
-		htmd = aliased(orm.HashTable)
-		# metadataobjects
-		mdomd = aliased(orm.MetaDataObject)
+	onlyexclusions = True
 
-		propmap = aliased(orm.PropertyMapping)
+	for i in searches:
+		propmapsub = aliased(orm.PropertyMapping)
 		skeymap = aliased(orm.StringTable)
 		svaluemap = aliased(orm.StringTable)
 
@@ -1581,32 +1572,79 @@ def cmd_search(options, persona, objstr, cache):
 			op, key = i
 			value = None
 
-		subq = select(func.count(propmap.id)).where(
-		    # match to metadata objects
-		    htfile.hash == htmd.hash,
-		    # we get all the metadata for those hashes
-		    htmd.uuid == mdomd.uuid,
-		    mdomd.type == 'metadata',
-
-		    # find their properties
-		    mdomd.uuid == propmap.obj,
-
+		subq = select(propmapsub.obj).where(
 		    # that match the key
-		    propmap.keyid == skeymap.id, skeymap.str == key)
+		    propmapsub.keyid == skeymap.id, skeymap.str == key)
 
 		if value is not None:
-			subq = subq.where(propmap.valueid == svaluemap.id,
+			subq = subq.where(propmapsub.valueid == svaluemap.id,
 			    svaluemap.str == value)
 
-		subq = subq.scalar_subquery()
+		#subq = subq.subquery()
 
 		if op == '+':
-			sel = sel.where(subq != 0)
+			onlyexclusions = False
+			propobj = propobj.where(propmap.obj.in_(subq))
 		elif op == '-':
-			sel = sel.where(subq == 0)
+			propobj = propobj.where(propmap.obj.notin_(subq))
 		else:
 			raise ValueError('unhandled op: %s' % repr(op))
 
+	# propobj should have all the ones we need selected, map back to
+	# the object we need
+
+	# base object (file)
+	mdofile = aliased(orm.MetaDataObject)
+	# hashes of base object
+	htfile = aliased(orm.HashTable)
+
+	# hashes to metadata objects
+	htmd = aliased(orm.HashTable)
+	# metadataobjects
+	mdomd = aliased(orm.MetaDataObject)
+
+	sel = select(mdofile.data).where(
+		# we are operating on files
+		mdofile.type == 'file',
+		# we get all the hashes for the files
+		mdofile.uuid == htfile.uuid,
+		htfile.hash == htmd.hash,
+		mdomd.uuid == htmd.uuid,
+		mdomd.type == 'metadata',
+	)
+
+	if onlyexclusions:
+		sel = sel.where(mdomd.uuid.in_(propobj))
+
+		# base object (file)
+		mdofile = aliased(orm.MetaDataObject)
+		# hashes of base object
+		htfile = aliased(orm.HashTable)
+
+		# hashes to metadata objects
+		htmd = aliased(orm.HashTable)
+		# metadataobjects
+		mdomd = aliased(orm.MetaDataObject)
+
+		# query for hashes w/o metadata
+		selwomd = select(mdofile.data).where(
+			# we are operating on files
+			mdofile.type == 'file',
+			# we get all the hashes for the files
+			mdofile.uuid == htfile.uuid,
+			htfile.hash.notin_(
+				select(htmd.hash).where(
+					htmd.uuid == mdomd.uuid, mdomd.type == 'metadata'
+				)
+			)
+		)
+
+		sel = sel.union(selwomd)
+	else:
+		sel = sel.where(mdomd.uuid.in_(propobj))
+
+	sel = sel.execution_options(yield_per=10)
+
 	#_debprint('sel:', _getquery(sel, objstr))
 
 	with objstr._ses() as session:
@@ -2348,12 +2386,26 @@ class _TestCases(unittest.TestCase):
 			_debprint('remaining objs:', repr(fullobjs))
 			self.fail('Unable to find objects %s in dump' % missing)
 
+	def save_db(f): # pragma: no cover
+		@functools.wraps(f)
+		def wrapper(self, *args, **kwargs):
+			try:
+				return f(self, *args, **kwargs)
+			except:
+				shutil.copyfile(self.storefname,
+				    '/tmp/failure.sqlite3')
+				raise
+
+		return wrapper
+
+	#@save_db
 	def run_command_file(self, f):
 		with open(f) as fp:
 			cmds = json.load(fp)
 
 		# setup object store
 		storefname = self.tempdir / 'storefname'
+		self.storefname = storefname
 		identfname = self.tempdir / 'identfname'
 		cachefname = self.tempdir / 'cachefname'
 
@@ -2474,7 +2526,7 @@ class _TestCases(unittest.TestCase):
 				with self.assertRaises(SystemExit) as cm:
 					try:
 						main()
-					except AssertionError:
+					except AssertionError: # pragma: no cover
 						# used to nab a copy of the
 						# failed sqlite3 db
 						if False: