diff --git a/src/htmlparser/ElementNode.lua b/src/htmlparser/ElementNode.lua
index 22ee7c6..11a6c22 100644
--- a/src/htmlparser/ElementNode.lua
+++ b/src/htmlparser/ElementNode.lua
@@ -149,34 +149,37 @@ local function select(self, s)
     childrenonly = false
     if part == "*" then goto nextpart end
     local excludes, filter = Set:new()
-    local halfword = ""
-    for t, w, c in string.gmatch(part,
-      "([:%[#.]?)" ..        -- t = an optional :, [, #, or .
-      "([^:%(%[#.%]%)]+)" .. -- w = 1 or more of anything not :, (, [, #, ., ], or )
-      "(%]?)%)?"               -- followed by an uncaptured optional ] and/or )
-    ) do
-      -- this if..elseif.. block will match the pattern like "[src='aaa.jpg']"
-      if t == "[" and c ~= "]" then
-        halfword = t .. w
-        goto nextw
-      elseif c == "" and halfword ~= "" then
-        halfword = halfword .. t .. w
-        goto nextw
-      elseif t ~= "[" and c == "]" then
-        halfword = halfword .. t .. w .. c
-        t, w = "[", string.sub(halfword, 2, -2)
-        halfword = ""
+    local start, pos = 0, 0
+    while true do
+      local switch, type, name, eq, quote
+      start, pos, switch, type, name, eq, quote = string.find(part,
+        "(%(?%)?)" ..         -- switch = a possible ( or ) switching the filter on or off
+        "([:%[#.]?)" ..       -- type = a possible :, [, #, or .
+        "(%w+)" ..            -- name = 1 or more alfanumeric chars
+        "([|%*~%$!%^]?=?)" .. -- eq = a possible |=, *=, ~=, $=, !=, ^=, or =
+        "(['\"]?)",           -- quote = a ' or " delimiting a possible attribute value
+        pos + 1
+      )
+      if not name then break end
+      if ":" == type then
+        filter = name
+        goto nextname
       end
-
-      if t == ":" then filter = w goto nextw end
-      local matched = match(t, w)
+      if ")" == switch then
+        filter = nil
+      end
+      if "[" == type and "" ~= quote then
+        local value
+        start, pos, value = string.find(part, "(%b" .. quote .. quote .. ")]", pos)
+        name = name .. eq .. value
+      end
+      local matched = match(type, name)
       if filter == "not" then
         excludes = excludes + matched
       else
         resultset = resultset * matched
       end
-      filter = nil
-      ::nextw::
+      ::nextname::
     end
     resultset = resultset - excludes
     subjects = Set:new(resultset)
diff --git a/tst/init.lua b/tst/init.lua
index e6c17b7..afdf52a 100644
--- a/tst/init.lua
+++ b/tst/init.lua
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ end
 function test_attr_equal()
 	local tree = htmlparser.parse([[
 		<n a1 a2= a3='' a4=""
-			a5='a"5"' a6="a'6'" a7='#.[] :()' a8='|*+-=?$^%&/'
+			a5='a"5"' a6="a'6'" a7='#.[]:()' a8='|*+-=?$^%&/'
 			a9=a9
-		a10 a11="a11.js.jpg"></n>
+		a10></n>
 	]])
 	assert_equal(1, #tree.nodes, "top level")
 	assert(tree("[a1='']")[1], "a1=''")
@@ -94,16 +94,11 @@ function test_attr_equal()
 	assert(tree("[a4='']")[1], "a4=''")
 	assert(tree("[a5='a\"5\"']")[1], "a5='a\"5\"'")
 	assert(tree("[a6=\"a'6'\"]")[1], "a6=\"a'6'\"")
-	-- not these characters
-	-- (because these have a special meaning as id, class, or attribute selector, hierarchy separator, or filter command)
-	-- they can occur in the HTML, but not in a selector string
-	-- assert(tree("[a7='#.[] :()']")[n], "a7='#.[] :()'")
+	assert(tree("[a7='#.[]:()']")[1], "a7='#.[]:()'")
 	assert(tree("[a8='|*+-=?$^%&/']")[1], "a8='|*+-=?$^%&/'")
 	assert(tree("[a9='a9']")[1], "a9='a9'")
 	assert(tree("[a10='']")[1], "a10=''")
 	assert(tree("[a10=]")[1], "a10=")
-	-- An excepton for a7. Some times we may select javascript or img nodes with attr selector [src="a.js"] or [src="a.jpg"]
-	assert(tree("[a11='a11.js.jpg']")[1], "a11=")
 end
 
 function test_attr_notequal()