diff --git a/lib/query.cc b/lib/query.cc
index 435f7229..56f90e1c 100644
--- a/lib/query.cc
+++ b/lib/query.cc
@@ -165,6 +165,19 @@ notmuch_query_create_with_syntax (notmuch_database_t *notmuch,
     return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
+static void
+_notmuch_query_cache_terms (notmuch_query_t *query)
+{
+    /* Xapian doesn't support skip_to on terms from a query since
+     *  they are unordered, so cache a copy of all terms in
+     *  something searchable.
+     */
+
+    for (Xapian::TermIterator t = query->xapian_query.get_terms_begin ();
+	 t != query->xapian_query.get_terms_end (); ++t)
+	query->terms.insert (*t);
+}
+
 static notmuch_status_t
 _notmuch_query_ensure_parsed_xapian (notmuch_query_t *query)
 {
@@ -173,15 +186,7 @@ _notmuch_query_ensure_parsed_xapian (notmuch_query_t *query)
 	    query->notmuch->query_parser->
 	    parse_query (query->query_string, NOTMUCH_QUERY_PARSER_FLAGS);
 
-	/* Xapian doesn't support skip_to on terms from a query since
-	 *  they are unordered, so cache a copy of all terms in
-	 *  something searchable.
-	 */
-
-	for (Xapian::TermIterator t = query->xapian_query.get_terms_begin ();
-	     t != query->xapian_query.get_terms_end (); ++t)
-	    query->terms.insert (*t);
-
+	_notmuch_query_cache_terms (query);
 	query->parsed = true;
 
     } catch (const Xapian::Error &error) {
@@ -203,11 +208,18 @@ _notmuch_query_ensure_parsed_xapian (notmuch_query_t *query)
 static notmuch_status_t
 _notmuch_query_ensure_parsed_sexpr (notmuch_query_t *query)
 {
+    notmuch_status_t status;
+
     if (query->parsed)
 	return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 
-    return _notmuch_sexp_string_to_xapian_query (query->notmuch, query->query_string,
-						 query->xapian_query);
+    status = _notmuch_sexp_string_to_xapian_query (query->notmuch, query->query_string,
+						   query->xapian_query);
+    if (status)
+	return status;
+
+    _notmuch_query_cache_terms (query);
+    return NOTMUCH_STATUS_SUCCESS;
 }
 
 static notmuch_status_t
diff --git a/test/T081-sexpr-search.sh b/test/T081-sexpr-search.sh
index 44cb681f..be243fc0 100755
--- a/test/T081-sexpr-search.sh
+++ b/test/T081-sexpr-search.sh
@@ -525,4 +525,44 @@ notmuch search: Syntax error in query
 EOF
 test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
 
+test_begin_subtest "Search, exclude \"deleted\" messages from search"
+notmuch config set search.exclude_tags deleted
+generate_message '[subject]="Not deleted"'
+not_deleted_id=$gen_msg_id
+generate_message '[subject]="Deleted"'
+notmuch new > /dev/null
+notmuch tag +deleted id:$gen_msg_id
+deleted_id=$gen_msg_id
+output=$(notmuch search --query=sexp '(subject deleted)' | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted (inbox unread)"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search, exclude \"deleted\" messages from message search --exclude=false"
+output=$(notmuch search --query=sexp --exclude=false --output=messages '(subject deleted)' | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "id:$not_deleted_id
+id:$deleted_id"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search, exclude \"deleted\" messages from search, overridden"
+notmuch search --query=sexp '(and (subject deleted) (tag deleted))' | notmuch_search_sanitize > OUTPUT
+cat <<EOF > EXPECTED
+thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Deleted (deleted inbox unread)
+EOF
+test_expect_equal_file EXPECTED OUTPUT
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search, exclude \"deleted\" messages from threads"
+add_message '[subject]="Not deleted reply"' '[in-reply-to]="<$gen_msg_id>"'
+output=$(notmuch search --query=sexp '(subject deleted)' | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted (inbox unread)
+thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/2] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted reply (deleted inbox unread)"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search, don't exclude \"deleted\" messages when --exclude=flag specified"
+output=$(notmuch search --query=sexp --exclude=flag '(subject deleted)' | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted (inbox unread)
+thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/2] Notmuch Test Suite; Deleted (deleted inbox unread)"
+
+test_begin_subtest "Search, don't exclude \"deleted\" messages from search if not configured"
+notmuch config set search.exclude_tags
+output=$(notmuch search --query=sexp '(subject deleted)' | notmuch_search_sanitize)
+test_expect_equal "$output" "thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [1/1] Notmuch Test Suite; Not deleted (inbox unread)
+thread:XXX   2001-01-05 [2/2] Notmuch Test Suite; Deleted (deleted inbox unread)"
+
 test_done