diff --git a/static/js/pandora/Query.js b/static/js/pandora/Query.js
index ae4d61b..8fec673 100644
--- a/static/js/pandora/Query.js
+++ b/static/js/pandora/Query.js
@@ -89,7 +89,6 @@ pandora.Query = (function() {
     function parseFind(str) {
         // takes a find query string, returns useful information about the application's state
         // (selected lists, find input key/value (and index of the corresponding condition), query object)
-        str = str || '';
         var conditions,
             index, indices,
             ret = {
@@ -98,61 +97,65 @@ pandora.Query = (function() {
                 query: {conditions: [], operator: ''}
             },
             subconditions = str.match(/\[.*?\]/g) || [];
-        // replace subconditions with placeholder,
-        // so we can later split by main operator
-        subconditions.forEach(function(subcondition, i) {
-            subconditions[i] = subcondition.substr(1, subcondition.length - 2);
-            str = str.replace(subconditions[i], i);
-        });
-        if (str.indexOf(',') > -1) {
-            ret.query.operator = '&';
-        } else if (str.indexOf('|') > -1) {
-            ret.query.operator = '|';
-        }
-        ret.query.conditions = (
-            ret.query.operator == '' ? [str] : str.split(ret.query.operator == '&' ? ',' : '|')
-        ).map(function(condition, i) {
-            var kv, ret;
-            if (condition[0] == '[') {
-                // re-insert subcondition
-                ret = parseFind(subconditions[parseInt(condition.substr(1, condition.length - 2))]).query;
-            } else {
-                kv = ((condition.indexOf(':') > -1 ? '' : ':') + condition).split(':');
-                ret = Ox.extend({key: kv[0]}, parseValue(kv[1]));
+        if (str.length) {
+            // replace subconditions with placeholder,
+            // so we can later split by main operator
+            subconditions.forEach(function(subcondition, i) {
+                subconditions[i] = subcondition.substr(1, subcondition.length - 2);
+                str = str.replace(subconditions[i], i);
+            });
+            if (str.indexOf(',') > -1) {
+                ret.query.operator = '&';
+            } else if (str.indexOf('|') > -1) {
+                ret.query.operator = '|';
             }
-            return ret;
-        });
-        // a list is selected if exactly one condition in an & query
-        // has "list" as key and "" as operator
-        if (ret.query.operator != '|') {
-            index = oneCondition(ret.query.conditions, 'list', '');
-            if (index > -1 && !ret.query.conditions[index].conditions) {
-                ret.list = ret.query.conditions[index].value;
-            }
-        }
-        // find is populated if exactly one condition in an & query
-        // has a findKey as key and "" as operator
-        // or if all conditions in an | query have the same group id as key
-        if (ret.query.operator == '|') {
-            ret.find = {index: -1, key: 'advanced', value: ''};
-            Ox.map(pandora.user.ui.groups, function(key) {
-                if (everyCondition(ret.query.conditions, key, '=')) {
-                    ret.find.key = '';
-                    return false;
+            ret.query.conditions = (
+                ret.query.operator == '' ? [str] : str.split(ret.query.operator == '&' ? ',' : '|')
+            ).map(function(condition, i) {
+                var kv, ret;
+                if (condition[0] == '[') {
+                    // re-insert subcondition
+                    ret = parseFind(subconditions[parseInt(condition.substr(1, condition.length - 2))]).query;
+                } else {
+                    kv = ((condition.indexOf(':') > -1 ? '' : ':') + condition).split(':');
+                    ret = Ox.extend({key: kv[0]}, parseValue(kv[1]));
                 }
+                return ret;
             });
-        } else {
-            indices = Ox.map(pandora.site.findKeys, function(findKey) {
-                var key = findKey.id == 'all' ? '' : findKey.id, 
-                    index = oneCondition(ret.query.conditions, key, '');
-                return index > -1 ? index : null;
-            });
-            if (indices.length) {
-                ret.find = indices.length == 1 && !ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].conditions ? {
-                    index: indices[0],
-                    key: ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].key,
-                    value: ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].value
-                } : {index: -1, key: 'advanced', value: ''}
+            // a list is selected if exactly one condition in an & query
+            // has "list" as key and "" as operator
+            if (ret.query.operator != '|') {
+                index = oneCondition(ret.query.conditions, 'list', '');
+                if (index > -1 && !ret.query.conditions[index].conditions) {
+                    ret.list = ret.query.conditions[index].value;
+                }
+            }
+            // find is populated if exactly one condition in an & query
+            // has a findKey as key and "" as operator
+            // or if all conditions in an | query have the same group id as key
+            if (ret.query.operator == '|') {
+                ret.find = {index: -1, key: 'advanced', value: ''};
+                Ox.map(pandora.user.ui.groups, function(key) {
+                    if (everyCondition(ret.query.conditions, key, '=')) {
+                        ret.find.key = '';
+                        return false;
+                    }
+                });
+            } else {
+                indices = Ox.map(pandora.site.findKeys, function(findKey) {
+                    var key = findKey.id == 'all' ? '' : findKey.id, 
+                        index = oneCondition(ret.query.conditions, key, '');
+                    return index > -1 ? index : null;
+                });
+                Ox.print('INDICES', indices, indices.length == 1 && !ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].conditions)
+                if (indices.length) {
+                    ret.find = indices.length == 1 && !ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].conditions ? {
+                        index: indices[0],
+                        key: ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].key,
+                        value: ret.query.conditions[indices[0]].value
+                    } : {index: -1, key: 'advanced', value: ''}
+                }
+                Ox.print('FIND', ret.find)
             }
         }
         return ret;
@@ -200,7 +203,7 @@ pandora.Query = (function() {
                 query = Ox.unserialize(str.substr(1)),
                 sort = []
             if ('find' in query) {
-                data = parseFind(query.find);
+                data = parseFind(query.find || '');
                 Ox.print(Ox.repeat('-', 120));
                 Ox.print('STATE', data);
                 Ox.print(Ox.repeat('-', 120));
diff --git a/static/js/pandora/ui/browser.js b/static/js/pandora/ui/browser.js
index 382eb84..1f09858 100644
--- a/static/js/pandora/ui/browser.js
+++ b/static/js/pandora/ui/browser.js
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ pandora.ui.browser = function() {
                 };
             },
             items: function(data, callback) {
-                pandora.api.find($.extend(data, {
-                    query: pandora.Query.toObject()
+                pandora.api.find(Ox.extend(data, {
+                    query: pandora.user.ui.query
                 }), callback);
             },
             keys: ['director', 'id', 'posterRatio', 'title', 'year'],
diff --git a/static/js/pandora/ui/findElement.js b/static/js/pandora/ui/findElement.js
index e46657c..59c9750 100644
--- a/static/js/pandora/ui/findElement.js
+++ b/static/js/pandora/ui/findElement.js
@@ -46,10 +46,12 @@ pandora.ui.findElement = function() {
                                 var key = data.selected[0].id;
                                 if (key == 'advanced') {
                                     pandora.$ui.filterDialog = pandora.ui.filterDialog().open();
+                                    pandora.$ui.findInput.options({placeholder: 'Edit...'})
                                 } else {
                                     pandora.$ui.mainMenu.checkItem('findMenu_find_' + key);
                                     pandora.$ui.findInput.options({
-                                        autocomplete: autocompleteFunction()
+                                        autocomplete: autocompleteFunction(),
+                                        placeholder: ''
                                     }).focus();
                                 }
                             }
@@ -67,7 +69,7 @@ pandora.ui.findElement = function() {
                     })
                     .bindEvent({
                         focus: function(data) {
-                            if (findKey == 'advanced') {
+                            if (pandora.$ui.findSelect.value() == 'advanced') {
                                 pandora.$ui.filterDialog = pandora.ui.filterDialog().open();
                             }
                         },
diff --git a/static/js/pandora/ui/group.js b/static/js/pandora/ui/group.js
index 32ad127..cfb87ec 100644
--- a/static/js/pandora/ui/group.js
+++ b/static/js/pandora/ui/group.js
@@ -65,7 +65,8 @@ pandora.ui.group = function(id) {
                 } else {
                     if (index == -1) {
                         index = pandora.user.ui.query.conditions.length;
-                        pandora.user.ui.query.operator = '&'
+                        pandora.user.ui.query.operator = index ? '&' : '';
+                        Ox.print('$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$$', index, pandora.user.ui.query.operator)
                     }
                     if (conditions.length == 0) {
                         pandora.user.ui.query.conditions.splice(index, 1);
@@ -82,7 +83,6 @@ pandora.ui.group = function(id) {
                     }
                 }
                 pandora.Query.updateGroups();
-                Ox.print('---------', pandora.user.ui.query, pandora.user.ui.groupsData)
                 pandora.URL.push(pandora.Query.toString());
                 pandora.reloadGroups(i);
             }
@@ -104,55 +104,37 @@ pandora.ui.group = function(id) {
                 i_ = pandora.user.ui.groups.indexOf(id_);
             if (i_ == -1) {
                 // new group was not part of old group set
-                if (pandora.user.queryGroups[i].query.conditions.length) {
+                if (pandora.user.ui.groupsData[i].selected.length) {
                     // if group with selection gets replaced, reload
-                    pandora.user.queryGroups[i].query.conditions = [];
+                    pandora.user.ui.query.conditions.splice(pandora.user.ui.groupsData[i].index, 1);
+                    pandora.Query.updateGroups();
+                    pandora.URL.push(pandora.Query.toString());
                     pandora.reloadGroups(i);
                 }
-                pandora.user.queryGroups[i] = getGroupObject(id_);
                 pandora.user.ui.groups[i] = id_;
                 pandora.UI.set({groups: pandora.user.ui.groups});
                 replaceGroup(i, id_);
             } else {
                 // swap two existing groups
-                var group = $.extend({}, pandora.user.queryGroups[i]);
-                pandora.user.queryGroups[i] = pandora.user.queryGroups[i_];
-                pandora.user.queryGroups[i_] = group;
+                var groupsData = Ox.clone(pandora.user.ui.groupsData[i]);
+                pandora.user.ui.groupsData[i] = pandora.user.ui.groupsData[i_];
+                pandora.user.ui.groupsData[i_] = groupsData;
                 pandora.user.ui.groups[i] = id_;
                 pandora.user.ui.groups[i_] = id;
                 pandora.UI.set({groups: pandora.user.ui.groups});
-                replaceGroup(i, id_, pandora.user.queryGroups[i].query);
-                replaceGroup(i_, id, pandora.user.queryGroups[i_].query);
+                replaceGroup(i, id_);
+                replaceGroup(i_, id);
             }
             function replaceGroup(i, id, query) {
                 // if query is passed, selected items will be derived from it
                 var isOuter = i % 4 == 0;
                 pandora.$ui[isOuter ? 'browser' : 'groupsInnerPanel'].replaceElement(
                     isOuter ? i / 2 : i - 1,
-                    pandora.$ui.groups[i] = pandora.ui.group(id, query)
+                    pandora.$ui.groups[i] = pandora.ui.group(id)
                 );
             }
         })
         .appendTo(that.$bar.$element);
-    if (!query) {
-        // if query is set, group object has already been taken care of
-        pandora.user.queryGroups[i] = getGroupObject(id);
-    }
-    function getGroupObject(id) {
-        var i = pandora.user.ui.groups.indexOf(id),
-            title = Ox.getObjectById(pandora.site.groups, id).title,
-            width = pandora.getGroupWidth(i, panelWidth);
-        return {
-            id: id,
-            element: that,
-            query: {
-                conditions: [],
-                operator: '|'
-            },
-            size: width.list,
-            title: title
-        };
-    }
     return that;
 };