diff --git a/services/search/pkg/search/scope.go b/services/search/pkg/search/scope.go
index ddf966adee..36597ec658 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/search/scope.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/search/scope.go
@@ -15,15 +15,15 @@ var ErrNestedScope = errors.New("scope: must be a top-level restriction")
 // ExtractScope takes the scope restriction out of the query, together with
 // the operator that joined it, and returns the remaining nodes and the scope.
 func ExtractScope(nodes []ast.Node) ([]ast.Node, string, error) {
+	for _, n := range nodes {
+		if group, ok := n.(*ast.GroupNode); ok && hasKey(group.Nodes, "scope") {
+			return nil, "", ErrNestedScope
+		}
+	}
+
 	for i, n := range nodes {
 		node, ok := n.(*ast.StringNode)
-		if !ok {
-			if group, isGroup := n.(*ast.GroupNode); isGroup && hasKey(group.Nodes, "scope") {
-				return nil, "", ErrNestedScope
-			}
-			continue
-		}
-		if !strings.EqualFold(node.Key, "scope") {
+		if !ok || !strings.EqualFold(node.Key, "scope") {
 			continue
 		}
 
diff --git a/services/search/pkg/search/scope_test.go b/services/search/pkg/search/scope_test.go
index 80cd6daa3a..aab6451a9a 100644
--- a/services/search/pkg/search/scope_test.go
+++ b/services/search/pkg/search/scope_test.go
@@ -30,12 +30,15 @@ var _ = DescribeTable("ExtractScope",
 	Entry("a quoted value is not a scope", `name:"scope:1$2!3"`, `name:"scope:1$2!3"`, ``),
 )
 
-var _ = Describe("ExtractScope", func() {
-	It("rejects a scope inside a group", func() {
-		_, _, err := search.ExtractScope(parse(`name:x AND (scope:1$2!3 OR tag:y)`).Nodes)
+var _ = DescribeTable("ExtractScope rejects a nested scope",
+	func(query string) {
+		_, _, err := search.ExtractScope(parse(query).Nodes)
 		Expect(err).To(MatchError(search.ErrNestedScope))
-	})
-})
+	},
+	Entry("inside a group", `name:x AND (scope:1$2!3 OR tag:y)`),
+	Entry("inside a nested group", `name:x AND (tag:y OR (scope:1$2!3))`),
+	Entry("after a top-level scope", `scope:1$2!3 AND (scope:1$2!4)`),
+)
 
 var _ = DescribeTable("ExpandFavorites",
 	func(query, want string) {