diff --git a/beets/library.py b/beets/library.py
index 73d551463..b987ef6d4 100644
--- a/beets/library.py
+++ b/beets/library.py
@@ -327,6 +327,16 @@ class SubstringQuery(FieldQuery):
     def match(self, item):
         return self.pattern.lower() in getattr(item, self.field).lower()
 
+class BooleanQuery(MatchQuery):
+    """Matches a boolean field. Pattern should either be a boolean or a
+    string reflecting a boolean.
+    """
+    def __init__(self, field, pattern):
+        super(BooleanQuery, self).__init__(field, pattern)
+        if isinstance(pattern, basestring):
+            self.pattern = util.str2bool(pattern)
+        self.pattern = int(self.pattern)
+
 class SingletonQuery(Query):
     """Matches either singleton or non-singleton items."""
     def __init__(self, sense):
@@ -409,6 +419,8 @@ class CollectionQuery(Query):
         for key, pattern in cls._parse_query(query_string):
             if key is None: # no key specified; match any field
                 subqueries.append(AnySubstringQuery(pattern, default_fields))
+            elif key.lower() == 'comp': # a boolean field
+                subqueries.append(BooleanQuery(key.lower(), pattern))
             elif key.lower() in ITEM_KEYS: # ignore unrecognized keys
                 subqueries.append(SubstringQuery(key.lower(), pattern))
             elif key.lower() == 'singleton':
diff --git a/test/test_query.py b/test/test_query.py
index 1020753d4..7d26b178b 100644
--- a/test/test_query.py
+++ b/test/test_query.py
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 # This file is part of beets.
-# Copyright 2010, Adrian Sampson.
+# Copyright 2011, Adrian Sampson.
 #
 # Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
 # a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
@@ -174,6 +174,7 @@ class MemoryGetTest(unittest.TestCase, AssertsMixin):
         self.album_item.title = 'album item'
         self.single_item = _common.item()
         self.single_item.title = 'singleton item'
+        self.single_item.comp = False
 
         self.lib = beets.library.Library(':memory:')
         self.lib.add(self.single_item)
@@ -191,6 +192,18 @@ class MemoryGetTest(unittest.TestCase, AssertsMixin):
         self.assert_matched(results, 'album item')
         self.assert_done(results)
 
+    def test_compilation_true(self):
+        q = 'comp:true'
+        results = self.lib.get(q)
+        self.assert_matched(results, 'album item')
+        self.assert_done(results)
+
+    def test_compilation_false(self):
+        q = 'comp:false'
+        results = self.lib.get(q)
+        self.assert_matched(results, 'singleton item')
+        self.assert_done(results)
+
 class BrowseTest(unittest.TestCase, AssertsMixin):
     def setUp(self):
         self.lib = beets.library.Library('rsrc' + os.sep + 'test.blb')