diff --git a/ldm/invoke/prompt_parser.py b/ldm/invoke/prompt_parser.py
index 6709f48066..7613c9d93e 100644
--- a/ldm/invoke/prompt_parser.py
+++ b/ldm/invoke/prompt_parser.py
@@ -358,10 +358,11 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
     quoted_fragment = pp.Forward()
     parenthesized_fragment = pp.Forward()
     cross_attention_substitute = pp.Forward()
-    prompt_part = pp.Forward()
 
     def make_text_fragment(x):
         #print("### making fragment for", x)
+        if type(x[0]) is Fragment:
+            assert(False)
         if type(x) is str:
             return Fragment(x)
         elif type(x) is pp.ParseResults or type(x) is list:
@@ -396,8 +397,10 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
 
 
     def parse_fragment_str(x, in_quotes: bool=False, in_parens: bool=False):
-        #print(f"parsing fragment string \"{x}\"")
+        #print(f"parsing fragment string for {x}")
         fragment_string = x[0]
+        #print(f"ppparsing fragment string \"{fragment_string}\"")
+
         if len(fragment_string.strip()) == 0:
             return Fragment('')
 
@@ -406,13 +409,16 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
             fragment_string = fragment_string.replace('"', '\\"')
 
         #fragment_parser = pp.Group(pp.OneOrMore(attention | cross_attention_substitute | (greedy_word.set_parse_action(make_text_fragment))))
-        result = pp.Group(pp.MatchFirst([
-                pp.OneOrMore(prompt_part | quoted_fragment),
-                pp.Empty().set_parse_action(make_text_fragment) + pp.StringEnd()
-        ])).set_name('rr').set_debug(False).parse_string(fragment_string)
-        #result = (pp.OneOrMore(attention | unquoted_word) + pp.StringEnd()).parse_string(x[0])
-        #print("parsed to", result)
-        return result
+        try:
+            result = pp.Group(pp.MatchFirst([
+                    pp.OneOrMore(quoted_fragment | attention | unquoted_word).set_name('pf_str_qfuq'),
+                    pp.Empty().set_parse_action(make_text_fragment) + pp.StringEnd()
+            ])).set_name('blend-result').set_debug(False).parse_string(fragment_string)
+            #print("parsed to", result)
+            return result
+        except pp.ParseException as e:
+            print("parse_fragment_str couldn't parse prompt string:", e)
+            raise
 
     quoted_fragment << pp.QuotedString(quote_char='"', esc_char=None, esc_quote='\\"')
     quoted_fragment.set_parse_action(lambda x: parse_fragment_str(x, in_quotes=True)).set_name('quoted_fragment')
@@ -422,14 +428,21 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
     escaped_rparen = pp.Literal('\\)')#.set_parse_action(lambda x: ')')
     escaped_backslash = pp.Literal('\\\\')#.set_parse_action(lambda x: '"')
 
+    empty = (
+            (lparen + pp.ZeroOrMore(pp.Word(string.whitespace)) + rparen) |
+            (quotes + pp.ZeroOrMore(pp.Word(string.whitespace)) + quotes)).set_debug(False).set_name('empty')
+
+
     def not_ends_with_swap(x):
         #print("trying to match:", x)
         return not x[0].endswith('.swap')
 
-    unquoted_fragment = pp.Combine(pp.OneOrMore(
+    unquoted_word = pp.Combine(pp.OneOrMore(
             escaped_rparen | escaped_lparen | escaped_quote | escaped_backslash |
-            pp.Word(pp.printables, exclude_chars=string.whitespace + '\\"()')))
-    unquoted_fragment.set_parse_action(make_text_fragment).set_name('unquoted_fragment').set_debug(False)
+            (pp.Word(pp.printables, exclude_chars=string.whitespace + '\\"()') + (pp.NotAny(pp.Word('+') | pp.Word('-'))))
+    ))
+
+    unquoted_word.set_parse_action(make_text_fragment).set_name('unquoted_word').set_debug(False)
     #print(unquoted_fragment.parse_string("cat.swap(dog)"))
 
     parenthesized_fragment << pp.Or([
@@ -510,15 +523,16 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
     cross_attention_option_keyword = pp.Or([pp.Keyword("s_start"), pp.Keyword("s_end"), pp.Keyword("t_start"), pp.Keyword("t_end"), pp.Keyword("shape_freedom")])
     cross_attention_option = pp.Group(cross_attention_option_keyword + pp.Literal("=").suppress() + number)
     edited_fragment = pp.MatchFirst([
+        (lparen + rparen).set_parse_action(lambda x: Fragment('')),
         lparen +
             (quoted_fragment |
-                pp.Group(pp.OneOrMore(pp.Word(pp.printables, exclude_chars=string.whitespace + ',').set_parse_action(make_text_fragment)))
+                pp.Group(pp.ZeroOrMore(pp.Word(pp.printables, exclude_chars=string.whitespace + ',').set_parse_action(make_text_fragment)))
             ) +
-            pp.Dict(pp.OneOrMore(comma + cross_attention_option)) +
+            pp.Dict(pp.ZeroOrMore(comma + cross_attention_option)) +
         rparen,
         parenthesized_fragment
     ])
-    cross_attention_substitute << original_fragment + pp.Literal(".swap").suppress() + edited_fragment
+    cross_attention_substitute << original_fragment + pp.Literal(".swap").set_debug(False).suppress() + edited_fragment
 
     original_fragment.set_name('original_fragment').set_debug(debug_cross_attention_control)
     edited_fragment.set_name('edited_fragment').set_debug(debug_cross_attention_control)
@@ -533,24 +547,18 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
     cross_attention_substitute.set_parse_action(make_cross_attention_substitute)
 
 
-    # simple fragments of text
-    # use Or to match the longest
-    prompt_part << pp.MatchFirst([
-            cross_attention_substitute,
-            attention,
-            unquoted_fragment,
-            lparen + unquoted_fragment + rparen # matches case where user has +(term) and just deletes the +
-         ])
-    prompt_part.set_debug(False)
-    prompt_part.set_name("prompt_part")
-
-    empty = (
-            (lparen + pp.ZeroOrMore(pp.Word(string.whitespace)) + rparen) |
-            (quotes + pp.ZeroOrMore(pp.Word(string.whitespace)) + quotes)).set_debug(False).set_name('empty')
-
     # root prompt definition
-    prompt = (pp.OneOrMore(pp.Or([prompt_part, quoted_fragment, empty])) + pp.StringEnd()) \
-        .set_parse_action(lambda x: Prompt(x))
+    debug_root_prompt = False
+    prompt = (pp.OneOrMore(pp.Or([cross_attention_substitute.set_debug(debug_root_prompt),
+                                  attention.set_debug(debug_root_prompt),
+                                  quoted_fragment.set_debug(debug_root_prompt),
+                                  (lparen + (pp.ZeroOrMore(unquoted_word | pp.White().suppress()).leave_whitespace()) + rparen).set_name('parenthesized-uqw').set_debug(debug_root_prompt),
+                                  unquoted_word.set_debug(debug_root_prompt),
+                                  empty.set_parse_action(make_text_fragment).set_debug(debug_root_prompt)])
+                           ) + pp.StringEnd()) \
+        .set_name('prompt') \
+        .set_parse_action(lambda x: Prompt(x)) \
+        .set_debug(debug_root_prompt)
 
     #print("parsing test:", prompt.parse_string("spaced eyes--"))
     #print("parsing test:", prompt.parse_string("eyes--"))
@@ -567,7 +575,7 @@ def build_parser_syntax(attention_plus_base: float, attention_minus_base: float)
         if len(x_unquoted.strip()) == 0:
             # print(' b : just an empty string')
             return Prompt([Fragment('')])
-        # print(' b parsing ', c_unquoted)
+        #print(f' b parsing \'{x_unquoted}\'')
         x_parsed = prompt.parse_string(x_unquoted)
         #print(" quoted prompt was parsed to", type(x_parsed),":", x_parsed)
         return x_parsed[0]
diff --git a/tests/test_prompt_parser.py b/tests/test_prompt_parser.py
index 486265d2f5..4fd7616ade 100644
--- a/tests/test_prompt_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_prompt_parser.py
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ class PromptParserTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertEqual(make_weighted_conjunction([("fire flames", 1)]), parse_prompt("fire flames"))
         self.assertEqual(make_weighted_conjunction([("fire, flames", 1)]), parse_prompt("fire, flames"))
         self.assertEqual(make_weighted_conjunction([("fire, flames , fire", 1)]), parse_prompt("fire, flames , fire"))
+        self.assertEqual(make_weighted_conjunction([("cat hot-dog eating", 1)]), parse_prompt("cat hot-dog eating"))
 
     def test_attention(self):
         self.assertEqual(make_weighted_conjunction([('flames', 0.5)]), parse_prompt("(flames)0.5"))
@@ -106,10 +107,7 @@ class PromptParserTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         #with self.assertRaises(pyparsing.ParseException):
         with self.assertRaises(pyparsing.ParseException):
             parse_prompt('a badly (formed +test prompt')
-        with self.assertRaises(pyparsing.ParseException):
-            parse_prompt('a badly (formed +test )prompt')
-        with self.assertRaises(pyparsing.ParseException):
-            parse_prompt('a badly (formed +test )prompt')
+        self.assertEqual(Conjunction([FlattenedPrompt([Fragment('a badly formed +test prompt',1)])]) , parse_prompt('a badly (formed +test )prompt'))
         with self.assertRaises(pyparsing.ParseException):
             parse_prompt('(((a badly (formed +test )prompt')
         with self.assertRaises(pyparsing.ParseException):
@@ -394,6 +392,9 @@ class PromptParserTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
         # todo handle this
         #self.assertEqual(make_basic_conjunction(['a badly formed +test prompt']),
         #                 parse_prompt('a badly formed +test prompt'))
+        self.assertEqual(Conjunction([FlattenedPrompt([Fragment('a forest landscape', 1),
+                                                                   CrossAttentionControlSubstitute([Fragment('in winter',1)], [Fragment('',1)])])]),
+                         parse_prompt('a forest landscape "in winter".swap()'))
         pass