diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterCompiler.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterCompiler.java
index 6fcb5a71..ecec3709 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterCompiler.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/filter/FilterCompiler.java
@@ -274,17 +274,32 @@ public class FilterCompiler  {
 
     }
 
+    private int endOfFlags(int position) {
+        int endIndex = position;
+        char[] currentChar = new char[1];
+        while (filter.inBounds(endIndex)) {
+            currentChar[0] = filter.charAt(endIndex);
+            if (PatternFlag.parseFlags(currentChar) > 0) {
+                endIndex++;
+                continue;
+            }
+            break;
+        }
+        return endIndex;
+    }
+
     private PatternNode readPattern() {
         int begin = filter.position();
         int closingIndex = filter.nextIndexOfUnescaped(PATTERN);
         if (closingIndex == -1) {
             throw new InvalidPathException("Pattern not closed. Expected " + PATTERN + " in " + filter);
         } else {
-            if(filter.inBounds(closingIndex+1)) {
-                int equalSignIndex = filter.nextIndexOf('=');
-                int endIndex = equalSignIndex > closingIndex ? equalSignIndex : filter.nextIndexOfUnescaped(CLOSE_PARENTHESIS);
-                CharSequence flags = filter.subSequence(closingIndex + 1, endIndex);
-                closingIndex += flags.length();
+            if (filter.inBounds(closingIndex+1)) {
+                int endFlagsIndex = endOfFlags(closingIndex + 1);
+                if (endFlagsIndex > closingIndex) {
+                    CharSequence flags = filter.subSequence(closingIndex + 1, endFlagsIndex);
+                    closingIndex += flags.length();
+                }
             }
             filter.setPosition(closingIndex + 1);
         }
diff --git a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/InlineFilterTest.java b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/InlineFilterTest.java
index 1a130344..a988cf0b 100644
--- a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/InlineFilterTest.java
+++ b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/InlineFilterTest.java
@@ -210,6 +210,16 @@ public class InlineFilterTest extends BaseTest {
         assertHasOneResult("[\"x\"]", "$[?(@ =~ /\\/|x/)]", conf);
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void escape_pattern_after_literal() {
+        assertHasOneResult("[\"x\"]", "$[?(@ == \"abc\" || @ =~ /\\/|x/)]", conf);
+    }
+
+    @Test
+    public void escape_pattern_before_literal() {
+        assertHasOneResult("[\"x\"]", "$[?(@ =~ /\\/|x/ || @ == \"abc\")]", conf);
+    }
+
     @Test
     public void filter_evaluation_does_not_break_path_evaluation() {
         assertHasOneResult("[{\"s\": \"fo\", \"expected_size\": \"m\"}, {\"s\": \"lo\", \"expected_size\": 2}]", "$[?(@.s size @.expected_size)]", conf);