diff --git a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/util/selector.py b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/util/selector.py
index a26c4be1dd..8b876500d6 100644
--- a/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/util/selector.py
+++ b/src/ifcopenshell-python/ifcopenshell/util/selector.py
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@ class Selector:
                     filter: "[" filter_key (comparison filter_value)? "]"
                     filter_key: WORD | pset_or_qto
                     filter_value: ESCAPED_STRING | SIGNED_FLOAT | SIGNED_INT | BOOLEAN | NULL
-                    pset_or_qto: /[^.= ][^.=]*[^.= ]/ "." /[^.= ][^.=]*[^.= ](?= +\W+")/
+                    pset_or_qto: /[^\W][^.=]*[^\W]/ "." /[^\W][^.=]*[^\W]/
                     lfunction: and | or
                     inverse_relationship: types | decomposed_by | bounded_by
                     types: "*"