diff --git a/beets/ui/commands.py b/beets/ui/commands.py
index cc5b14cfe..a4cd77763 100644
--- a/beets/ui/commands.py
+++ b/beets/ui/commands.py
@@ -1145,6 +1145,24 @@ def modify_items(lib, mods, dels, query, write, move, album, confirm):
         for item in changed_items:
             item.try_write()
 
+
+def modify_parse_args(args):
+    """Split the arguments for the modify subcommand into query parts,
+    assignments (field=value), and deletions (field!).  Returns the result as
+    a three-tuple in that order.
+    """
+    mods = []
+    dels = []
+    query = []
+    for arg in args:
+        if arg.endswith('!') and '=' not in arg and ':' not in arg:
+            dels.append(arg[:-1])  # Strip trailing !.
+        elif '=' in arg and ':' not in arg.split('=', 1)[0]:
+            mods.append(arg)
+        else:
+            query.append(arg)
+    return (query, mods, dels)
+
 modify_cmd = ui.Subcommand('modify',
     help='change metadata fields', aliases=('mod',))
 modify_cmd.parser.add_option('-M', '--nomove', action='store_false',
@@ -1162,18 +1180,7 @@ modify_cmd.parser.add_option('-f', '--format', action='store',
 def modify_func(lib, opts, args):
     args = decargs(args)
 
-    # Split the arguments into query parts, assignments (field=value),
-    # and deletions (field!).
-    mods = []
-    dels = []
-    query = []
-    for arg in args:
-        if arg.endswith('!') and '=' not in arg and ':' not in arg:
-            dels.append(arg[:-1])  # Strip trailing !.
-        elif '=' in arg:
-            mods.append(arg)
-        else:
-            query.append(arg)
+    (query, mods, dels) = modify_parse_args(args)
 
     if not mods and not dels:
         raise ui.UserError('no modifications specified')
diff --git a/test/test_ui.py b/test/test_ui.py
index 34d7104b4..d25c94e1f 100644
--- a/test/test_ui.py
+++ b/test/test_ui.py
@@ -238,6 +238,30 @@ class ModifyTest(_common.TestCase):
         mediafile = MediaFile(item.path)
         self.assertIsNone(mediafile.initial_key)
 
+    def test_arg_parsing_colon_query(self):
+        (query, mods, dels) = commands.modify_parse_args(["title:oldTitle",
+                                                          "title=newTitle"])
+        self.assertEqual(query, ["title:oldTitle"])
+        self.assertEqual(mods, ["title=newTitle"])
+
+    def test_arg_parsing_delete(self):
+        (query, mods, dels) = commands.modify_parse_args(["title:oldTitle",
+                                                          "title!"])
+        self.assertEqual(query, ["title:oldTitle"])
+        self.assertEqual(dels, ["title"])
+
+    def test_arg_parsing_query_with_exclaimation(self):
+        (query, mods, dels) = commands.modify_parse_args(["title:oldTitle!",
+                                                          "title=newTitle!"])
+        self.assertEqual(query, ["title:oldTitle!"])
+        self.assertEqual(mods, ["title=newTitle!"])
+
+    def test_arg_parsing_equals_in_value(self):
+        (query, mods, dels) = commands.modify_parse_args(["title:foo=bar",
+                                                          "title=newTitle"])
+        self.assertEqual(query, ["title:foo=bar"])
+        self.assertEqual(mods, ["title=newTitle"])
+
 
 class MoveTest(_common.TestCase):
     def setUp(self):