diff --git a/src/realm/query_engine.cpp b/src/realm/query_engine.cpp
index 447a0a17fef..2109dca6ff4 100644
--- a/src/realm/query_engine.cpp
+++ b/src/realm/query_engine.cpp
@@ -326,7 +326,7 @@ void StringNode<Equal>::_search_index_init()
     }
 }
 
-bool StringNode<Equal>::try_consume_condition(StringNode<Equal>* other)
+void StringNode<Equal>::consume_condition(StringNode<Equal>* other)
 {
     // If a search index is present, don't try to combine conditions since index search is most likely faster.
     // Assuming N elements to search and M conditions to check:
@@ -334,22 +334,19 @@ bool StringNode<Equal>::try_consume_condition(StringNode<Equal>* other)
     // 2) no search index, combine conditions:      O(N)
     // 3) no search index, conditions not combined: O(N*M)
     // In practice N is much larger than M, so if we have a search index, choose 1, otherwise if possible choose 2.
-    if (!m_condition_column->has_search_index() && m_condition_column == other->m_condition_column) {
-        REALM_ASSERT(other->m_needles.empty());
-        if (m_needles.empty()) {
-            m_needles.insert(bool(m_value) ? StringData(*m_value) : StringData());
-        }
-        if (bool(other->m_value)) {
-            m_needle_storage.push_back(StringBuffer());
-            m_needle_storage.back().append(*other->m_value);
-            m_needles.insert(StringData(m_needle_storage.back().data(), m_needle_storage.back().size()));
-        }
-        else {
-            m_needles.insert(StringData());
-        }
-        return true;
+    REALM_ASSERT(m_condition_column == other->m_condition_column);
+    REALM_ASSERT(other->m_needles.empty());
+    if (m_needles.empty()) {
+        m_needles.insert(bool(m_value) ? StringData(*m_value) : StringData());
+    }
+    if (bool(other->m_value)) {
+        m_needle_storage.push_back(StringBuffer());
+        m_needle_storage.back().append(*other->m_value);
+        m_needles.insert(StringData(m_needle_storage.back().data(), m_needle_storage.back().size()));
+    }
+    else {
+        m_needles.insert(StringData());
     }
-    return false;
 }
 
 // Requirements of template types:
diff --git a/src/realm/query_engine.hpp b/src/realm/query_engine.hpp
index d7fcf69b7a9..7c2210ebc46 100644
--- a/src/realm/query_engine.hpp
+++ b/src/realm/query_engine.hpp
@@ -1186,6 +1186,11 @@ class StringNodeBase : public ParentNode {
         do_verify_column(m_condition_column);
     }
 
+    bool has_search_index() const
+    {
+        return m_condition_column->has_search_index();
+    }
+
     void init() override
     {
         ParentNode::init();
@@ -1549,7 +1554,7 @@ class StringNode<Equal> : public StringNodeEqualBase {
 
     void _search_index_init() override;
 
-    bool try_consume_condition(StringNode<Equal>* other);
+    void consume_condition(StringNode<Equal>* other);
 
     std::unique_ptr<ParentNode> clone(QueryNodeHandoverPatches* patches) const override
     {
@@ -1675,18 +1680,27 @@ class OrNode : public ParentNode {
         m_dD = 10.0;
 
         StringNode<Equal>* first = nullptr;
-        StringNode<Equal>* advance = nullptr;
-        for (auto it = m_conditions.begin(); it != m_conditions.end(); ++it) {
-            if (bool(*it) && (first = dynamic_cast<StringNode<Equal>*>(it->get()))) {
-                for (auto next = it + 1; next != m_conditions.end(); ) {
-                    if ((advance = dynamic_cast<StringNode<Equal>*>(next->get()))) {
-                        if (first->try_consume_condition(advance)) {
-                            next = m_conditions.erase(next);
-                            continue;
-                        }
+        std::sort(m_conditions.begin(), m_conditions.end(),
+                  [](auto& a, auto& b) { return a->m_condition_column_idx < b->m_condition_column_idx; });
+        auto it = m_conditions.begin();
+        while (it != m_conditions.end()) {
+            // Only try to optimize on StringNode<Equal> conditions without search index
+            if (bool(*it) && (first = dynamic_cast<StringNode<Equal>*>(it->get())) && !first->has_search_index()) {
+                auto col_ndx = first->m_condition_column_idx;
+                auto next = it + 1;
+                while (next != m_conditions.end() && (*next)->m_condition_column_idx == col_ndx) {
+                    if (auto advance = dynamic_cast<StringNode<Equal>*>(next->get())) {
+                        first->consume_condition(advance);
+                        next = m_conditions.erase(next);
+                    }
+                    else {
+                        ++next;
                     }
-                    ++next;
                 }
+                it = next;
+            }
+            else {
+                ++it;
             }
         }
 
diff --git a/test/test_parser.cpp b/test/test_parser.cpp
index c2433095f35..01d184eb5dd 100644
--- a/test/test_parser.cpp
+++ b/test/test_parser.cpp
@@ -2770,7 +2770,7 @@ TEST(Parser_ChainedStringEqualQueries)
     rd.shuffle(populated_data.begin(), populated_data.end());
     std::string query;
     bool first = true;
-    size_t column_to_query = 0;
+    char column_to_query = 0;
     for (auto s : populated_data) {
         std::string column_name(1, 'a' + column_to_query);
         query += (first ? "" : " or " ) + column_name + " == '" + s + "'";