diff --git a/openerp/addons/base/test/test_osv_expression.yml b/openerp/addons/base/test/test_osv_expression.yml
index 5ecab625911..97ab6c9e83c 100644
--- a/openerp/addons/base/test/test_osv_expression.yml
+++ b/openerp/addons/base/test/test_osv_expression.yml
@@ -186,21 +186,23 @@
         partner_ids = self.search(cr, uid, [])
         partner_ids.sort()
         max_partner_id = max(partner_ids)
+
+        # Grab test sample data without using a normal
+        # search domain, because we want to test these later,
+        # so we can't rely on them!
         partners = self.browse(cr, uid, partner_ids)
         with_parent = []
         without_parent = []
-        for x in partners:
-            if x.parent_id and x.parent_id.id in partner_ids:
-                with_parent.append(x.id)
-        with_parent.sort()
-        for x in partners:
-            if not x.parent_id:
-                without_parent.append(x.id)
-        without_parent.sort()
         with_website = []
         for x in partners:
+            if x.parent_id:
+                with_parent.append(x.id)
+            else:
+                without_parent.append(x.id)
             if x.website:
                 with_website.append(x.id)
+        with_parent.sort()
+        without_parent.sort()
         with_website.sort()
 
         # We treat null values differently than in SQL. For instance in SQL:
@@ -400,13 +402,9 @@
         res_11.sort()
         res_12.sort()
         res_13.sort()
-
-        print ">>> 11:", res_11
-        #assert res_10 == res_11
+        assert res_10 == res_11
         assert res_10 == res_12
-        print ">>> 12:", res_12
         assert res_10 == res_13
-        print ">>> 13:", res_13
 
         # child_of x returns x and its children (direct or not).
         company = self.browse(cr, uid, ref('ymltest_company3'))
@@ -416,13 +414,13 @@
         res_1.sort()
         res_2 = self.search(cr, uid, [('id', 'child_of', ref('ymltest_company3'))])
         res_2.sort()
-        #res_3 = self.search(cr, uid, [('id', 'child_of', [company.name])]) # TODO
-        #res_3.sort()
+        res_3 = self.search(cr, uid, [('id', 'child_of', [company.name])])
+        res_3.sort()
         res_4 = self.search(cr, uid, [('id', 'child_of', company.name)])
         res_4.sort()
         assert res_1 == expected
         assert res_2 == expected
-        #assert res_3 == expected
+        assert res_3 == expected
         assert res_4 == expected
 -
     Verify that normalize_domain() works.
diff --git a/openerp/osv/expression.py b/openerp/osv/expression.py
index 4d558bdb619..db856381e6b 100644
--- a/openerp/osv/expression.py
+++ b/openerp/osv/expression.py
@@ -391,14 +391,18 @@ class expression(object):
                 return [(left, 'in', recursive_children(ids, left_model, parent or left_model._parent_name))]
 
         def to_ids(value, field_obj):
-            """ Normalize a single id, or a string, or a list of ids to a list of ids.
-            """
+            """Normalize a single id or name, or a list of those, into a list of ids"""
+            names = []
             if isinstance(value, basestring):
-                return [x[0] for x in field_obj.name_search(cr, uid, value, [], 'ilike', context=context, limit=None)]
+                names = [value]
+            if value and isinstance(value, (tuple, list)) and isinstance(value[0], basestring):
+                names = value
+            if names:
+                return flatten([[x[0] for x in field_obj.name_search(cr, uid, n, [], 'ilike', context=context, limit=None)] \
+                                    for n in names])
             elif isinstance(value, (int, long)):
                 return [value]
-            else:
-                return list(value)
+            return list(value)
 
         i = -1
         while i + 1<len(self.__exp):
@@ -505,9 +509,10 @@ class expression(object):
                                 call_null = False
                                 self.__exp[i] = FALSE_LEAF
                         else:
-                            call_null = False
-                            o2m_op = 'not in' if operator in NEGATIVE_TERM_OPERATORS else 'in'
-                            self.__exp[i] = ('id', o2m_op, select_from_where(cr, field._fields_id, field_obj._table, 'id', ids2, operator))
+                            ids2 = select_from_where(cr, field._fields_id, field_obj._table, 'id', ids2, operator)
+                            if ids2:
+                                call_null = False
+                                self.__exp[i] = ('id', 'in', ids2)
 
                     if call_null:
                         o2m_op = 'in' if operator in NEGATIVE_TERM_OPERATORS else 'not in'