diff --git a/client/client.c b/client/client.c
index 6e465bce..6a217c7f 100644
--- a/client/client.c
+++ b/client/client.c
@@ -168,22 +168,28 @@ input_complete(int arg UNUSED, int key UNUSED)
 static int
 input_help(int arg, int key UNUSED)
 {
-  int i, in_string, in_path;
+  int i, in_string, in_bracket;
 
   if (arg != 1)
     return rl_insert(arg, '?');
 
-  in_string = in_path = 0;
+  in_string = in_bracket = 0;
   for (i = 0; i < rl_point; i++)
     {
+   
       if (rl_line_buffer[i] == '"')
 	in_string = ! in_string;
-      else if ((rl_line_buffer[i] == '|') && (! in_string))
-	in_path = ! in_path;
+      else if (! in_string)
+        {
+	  if (rl_line_buffer[i] == '[')
+	    in_bracket++;
+	  else if (rl_line_buffer[i] == ']')
+	    in_bracket--;
+        }
     }
 
   /* `?' inside string or path -> insert */
-  if (in_string || in_path)
+  if (in_string || in_bracket)
     return rl_insert(1, '?');
 
   rl_begin_undo_group();		/* HACK: We want to display `?' at point position */
diff --git a/conf/cf-lex.l b/conf/cf-lex.l
index edca7a25..c68a42e4 100644
--- a/conf/cf-lex.l
+++ b/conf/cf-lex.l
@@ -200,6 +200,9 @@ WHITE [ \t]
 \&\& return AND;
 \|\| return OR;
 
+\[\= return PO;
+\=\] return PC;
+
 %%
 
 static int
diff --git a/conf/confbase.Y b/conf/confbase.Y
index fa178d87..e6401f47 100644
--- a/conf/confbase.Y
+++ b/conf/confbase.Y
@@ -45,6 +45,7 @@ CF_DECLS
 
 %token END CLI_MARKER INVALID_TOKEN
 %token GEQ LEQ NEQ AND OR
+%token PO PC
 %token <i> NUM ENUM
 %token <i32> RTRID
 %token <a> IPA
@@ -57,7 +58,7 @@ CF_DECLS
 %type <px> prefix prefix_or_ipa
 
 %nonassoc PREFIX_DUMMY
-%nonassoc '=' '<' '>' '~' '.' GEQ LEQ NEQ AND OR
+%nonassoc '=' '<' '>' '~' '.' GEQ LEQ NEQ AND OR PO PC
 %left '+' '-'
 %left '*' '/' '%'
 %left '!'
diff --git a/filter/config.Y b/filter/config.Y
index fa2453d4..688464d9 100644
--- a/filter/config.Y
+++ b/filter/config.Y
@@ -268,7 +268,7 @@ switch_body: /* EMPTY */ { $$ = NULL; }
 /* CONST '(' expr ')' { $$ = f_new_inst(); $$->code = 'c'; $$->aux = T_INT; $$->a2.i = $3; } */
 
 bgp_path:
-   '|' bgp_path_tail1 '|' { $$ = $2; }
+   PO  bgp_path_tail1 PC  { $$ = $2; }
  | '/' bgp_path_tail2 '/' { $$ = $2; }
  | OR  		      	  { $$ = NULL; } /* special case because of || is a different token */
  ;
diff --git a/filter/filter.c b/filter/filter.c
index 785a0876..623ab291 100644
--- a/filter/filter.c
+++ b/filter/filter.c
@@ -83,9 +83,9 @@ pm_format(struct f_path_mask *p, byte *buf, unsigned int size)
 	}
 
       if (p->any)
-	buf += bsprintf(buf, "* ");
+	buf += bsprintf(buf, " *");
       else
-	buf += bsprintf(buf, "%u ", p->val);
+	buf += bsprintf(buf, " %u", p->val);
 
       p = p->next;
     }
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ val_print(struct f_val v)
   case T_ENUM: PRINTF( "(enum %x)%d", v.type, v.val.i ); break;
   case T_PATH: as_path_format(v.val.ad, buf2, 1020); PRINTF( "(path %s)", buf2 ); break;
   case T_CLIST: int_set_format(v.val.ad, 1, buf2, 1020); PRINTF( "(clist %s)", buf2 ); break;
-  case T_PATH_MASK: pm_format(v.val.path_mask, buf2, 1020); PRINTF( "(pathmask %s)", buf2 ); break;
+  case T_PATH_MASK: pm_format(v.val.path_mask, buf2, 1020); PRINTF( "(pathmask%s)", buf2 ); break;
   default: PRINTF( "[unknown type %x]", v.type );
 #undef PRINTF
   }
diff --git a/filter/test.conf b/filter/test.conf
index 73a65196..96859e53 100644
--- a/filter/test.conf
+++ b/filter/test.conf
@@ -31,24 +31,35 @@ function fifteen()
 }
 
 function paths()
-bgpmask p;
+bgpmask pm1;
+bgpmask pm2;
 bgppath p2;
 clist l;
 {
-	p = / 4 3 2 1 /;
-	print "Testing path masks: ", p;
+	pm1 =  / 4 3 2 1 /;
+	pm2 = [= 4 3 2 1 =];
+	print "Testing path masks: ", pm1, " ", pm2;
 	p2 = prepend( + empty +, 1 );
 	p2 = prepend( p2, 2 );
 	p2 = prepend( p2, 3 );
 	p2 = prepend( p2, 4 );
 	print "Testing paths: ", p2;
-	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~ p;
+	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~ pm1, " ", p2 ~ pm2;
 	print "4 = ", p2.len;
 	p2 = prepend( p2, 5 );
-	print "Should be false: ", p2 ~ p;
-	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~ / ? 4 3 2 1 /, p2, / ? 4 3 2 1 /;
-	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~ / ? 4 3 ? 1 /, p2, / ? 4 3 ? 1 /;
+	print "Should be false: ", p2 ~ pm1, " ", p2 ~ pm2;
+	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~  / ? 4 3 2 1 /,  " ", p2, " ",  / ? 4 3 2 1 /;
+	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~ [= * 4 3 * 1 =], " ", p2, " ", [= * 4 3 * 1 =];
 	print "5 = ", p2.len;
+	
+	pm1 = [= 1 2 * 3 4 5 =];
+	p2 = prepend( + empty +, 5 );
+	p2 = prepend( p2, 4 );
+	p2 = prepend( p2, 3 );
+	p2 = prepend( p2, 3 );
+	p2 = prepend( p2, 2 );
+	p2 = prepend( p2, 1 );
+	print "Should be true: ", p2 ~ pm1, " ", p2, " ", pm1;
 
 	l = - empty -;
 	l = add( l, (1,2) );