diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AbstractSyntaxTree.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AbstractSyntaxTree.java
index 120fc53..0f320a5 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AbstractSyntaxTree.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/AbstractSyntaxTree.java
@@ -85,6 +85,13 @@
 		return group;
 	}
 	
+	protected LinkedHashMap<String, Object> makeRepetition(int min, int max) {
+		LinkedHashMap<String, Object> group = makeGroup("repetition");
+		group.put("min", min);
+		group.put("max", max);
+		return group;
+	}
+	
 	protected LinkedHashMap<String, Object> makePosition(String frame) {
 		LinkedHashMap<String, Object> group = new LinkedHashMap<String, Object>();
 		group.put("@type", "korap:group");
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/PoliqarpPlusTree.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/PoliqarpPlusTree.java
index fc9cead..b989749 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/PoliqarpPlusTree.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/serialize/PoliqarpPlusTree.java
@@ -61,6 +61,7 @@
 	 * @param node The currently processed node. The process(String query) method calls this method with the root.
 	 * @throws QueryException
 	 */
+	@SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
 	private void processNode(ParseTree node) throws QueryException {
 		// Top-down processing
 		if (visited.contains(node)) return;
@@ -102,19 +103,36 @@
 
 		if (nodeCat.equals("sequence")) {
 			LinkedHashMap<String,Object> sequence = makeGroup("sequence");
-			ParseTree emptyTokens = getFirstChildWithCat(node, "emptyTokenSequence");
-			if (emptyTokens!=null) {
-				int[] minmax = parseEmptySegments(emptyTokens);
+			ParseTree distanceNode = getFirstChildWithCat(node, "distance");
+			if (distanceNode!=null) {
+				int[] minmax = parseDistance(distanceNode);
 				LinkedHashMap<String,Object> distance = makeDistance("w", minmax[0], minmax[1]);
 				sequence.put("inOrder", true);
 				ArrayList<Object> distances = new ArrayList<Object>();
 				distances.add(distance);
 				sequence.put("distances", distances);
+				visited.add(distanceNode.getChild(0));
 			}
 			putIntoSuperObject(sequence);
 			objectStack.push(sequence);
 			stackedObjects++;
 		}
+		
+		if (nodeCat.equals("emptyTokenSequence")) {
+			int[] minmax = parseEmptySegments(node);
+			LinkedHashMap<String,Object> object;
+			LinkedHashMap<String,Object> emptyToken = makeToken();
+			if (minmax[0] != 1 || minmax[1] != 1) {
+				object = makeRepetition(minmax[0], minmax[1]);
+				((ArrayList<Object>) object.get("operands")).add(emptyToken);
+			} else {
+				object = emptyToken;
+			}
+			putIntoSuperObject(object);
+			objectStack.push(object);
+			stackedObjects++;
+		}
+		
 
 		if (nodeCat.equals("token")) {
 			LinkedHashMap<String,Object> token = makeToken();
@@ -204,25 +222,6 @@
 			putIntoSuperObject(position);
 			objectStack.push(position);
 			stackedObjects++;
-			// offsets
-			if (hasChild(node, "emptyTokenSequence")) {
-				LinkedHashMap<String,Object> sequence = makeGroup("sequence");
-				ParseTree leftOffset = getNthChildWithCat(node, "emptyTokenSequence", 1);
-				if (leftOffset!=null) {
-					int[] minmax = parseEmptySegments(leftOffset);
-					sequence.put("leftoffset-min", minmax[0]-1);
-					sequence.put("leftoffset-max", minmax[1]-1);
-				}
-				ParseTree rightOffset = getNthChildWithCat(node, "emptyTokenSequence", 2);
-				if (rightOffset!=null) {
-					int[] minmax = parseEmptySegments(rightOffset);
-					sequence.put("rightoffset-min", minmax[0]-1);
-					sequence.put("rightoffset-max", minmax[1]-1);
-				}
-				putIntoSuperObject(sequence);
-				objectStack.push(sequence);
-				stackedObjects++;
-			}
 		}
 
 		if (nodeCat.equals("spanclass")) {
@@ -426,7 +425,6 @@
 			// process possible flags
 			if (flagNode != null) {
 				String flag = getNodeCat(flagNode.getChild(0)).substring(1); //substring removes leading slash '/'
-				System.err.println(flag);
 				if (flag.contains("i")) term.put("caseInsensitive", true);
 				else if (flag.contains("I")) term.put("caseInsensitive", false);
 				if (flag.contains("x")) {
@@ -489,9 +487,23 @@
 		}
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Basically only increases the min and max counters as required by Poliqarp
+	 * @param distanceNode
+	 * @return
+	 */
+	private int[] parseDistance(ParseTree distanceNode) {
+		int[] minmax = parseEmptySegments(distanceNode.getChild(0));
+		Integer min = minmax[0];
+		Integer max = minmax[1];
+		min = cropToMaxValue(min+1);
+		max = cropToMaxValue(max+1);
+		return new int[]{min, max};
+	}
+	
 	private int[] parseEmptySegments(ParseTree emptySegments) {
-		Integer min = 1;
-		Integer max = 1;
+		Integer min = 0;
+		Integer max = 0;
 		ParseTree child;
 		for (int i = 0; i < emptySegments.getChildCount(); i++) {
 			child = emptySegments.getChild(i);
@@ -507,10 +519,27 @@
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		if (max > MAXIMUM_DISTANCE) max = MAXIMUM_DISTANCE;
+		min = cropToMaxValue(min);
+		max = cropToMaxValue(max);
 		return new int[]{min, max};
 	}
 
+	/**
+	 * Ensures that a distance or quantification value does not exceed the allowed maximum value. 
+	 * @param number
+	 * @return The input number if it is below the allowed maximum value, else the maximum value. 
+	 */
+	private int cropToMaxValue(int number) {
+		if (number > MAXIMUM_DISTANCE) {
+			number = MAXIMUM_DISTANCE; 
+			String warning = String.format("You specified a distance between two segments that is greater than " +
+					"the allowed max value of %d. Your query will be re-interpreted using a distance of %d.", MAXIMUM_DISTANCE, MAXIMUM_DISTANCE);
+			warningMsgs.add(warning);
+			log.warn(warning);
+		}
+		return number;
+	}
+
 	private ParserRuleContext parsePoliqarpQuery(String p) throws QueryException {
 		checkUnbalancedPars(p);
 		Lexer poliqarpLexer = new PoliqarpPlusLexer((CharStream) null);
@@ -562,7 +591,11 @@
 				"z.B./x",
 				"\".*?Mann.\"",
 				"\".*?Mann.*?\"",
-				"[orth=\".*?l(au|ie)fen.*?*\"]"
+				"[orth=\".*?l(au|ie)fen.*?*\"]",
+				"[orth=Mann][][orth=Mann]",
+				"startswith(<s>, [][base=Mann])",
+				"[base=der][]{1,102}[base=Mann]",
+				"[base=geht][base=der][]*[base=Mann]"
 		};
 //		PoliqarpPlusTree.verbose=true;
 		for (String q : queries) {
diff --git a/src/test/java/PoliqarpPlusTreeTest.java b/src/test/java/PoliqarpPlusTreeTest.java
index 72edd37..18f2612 100644
--- a/src/test/java/PoliqarpPlusTreeTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/PoliqarpPlusTreeTest.java
@@ -9,7 +9,8 @@
 	
 	PoliqarpPlusTree ppt;
 	String map;
-
+	String expected;
+	String query;
 	
 	private boolean equalsQueryContent(String res, String query) throws QueryException {
 		res = res.replaceAll(" ", "");
@@ -99,7 +100,6 @@
 		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
 		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
 		assertEquals(re5.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
-		
 	}
 	
 	@Test
@@ -176,7 +176,7 @@
 	}
 	
 	@Test
-	public void testEmptyTokens() throws QueryException {
+	public void testDistances() throws QueryException {
 		// [base=der][][base=Mann]
 		String et1 = 
 			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, " +
@@ -217,17 +217,7 @@
 		assertEquals(et3.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
 		
 		
-		// startswith(<s>, [][base=Mann]
-		String et4 = 
-			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:position, frame=frame:startswith, operands=[" +	
-				"{@type=korap:span, key=s}," +
-				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
-					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
-				"], leftOffset={@type=korap:boundary, min=1, max=1}}" +
-			"]}";
-		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree("startswith(<s>, [][base=Mann])");
-		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
-		assertEquals(et4.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
 		
 		// [base=der][]{2,5}[base=Mann][]?[][base=Frau]   nested distances=
 		String et5 = 
@@ -273,9 +263,159 @@
 		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree("[base=der][]+[base=Mann]");
 		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
 		assertEquals(et7.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		// [base=der][]+[base=Mann]
+		String et8 = 
+			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, " +
+			"operands=[" +
+				"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=der, match=match:eq}}," +
+				"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
+			"], inOrder=true, distances=[" +
+				"{@type=korap:distance, key=w, min=2, max=100}" +
+			"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree("[base=der][]{1,102}[base=Mann]");
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(et8.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		// [base=geht][base=der][]*[base=Mann]
+		String et9 = 
+			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+				"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=geht, match=match:eq}}," +
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, " +
+				"operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=der, match=match:eq}}," +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
+				"], inOrder=true, distances=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:distance, key=w, min=1, max=100}" +
+				"]}" +
+			"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree("[base=geht][base=der][]*[base=Mann]");
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(et9.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[base=geht][base=der][]*[base=Mann][base=da]";
+		expected = 
+			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+				"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=geht, match=match:eq}}," +
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, " +
+				"operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=der, match=match:eq}}," +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}," +
+						"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=da, match=match:eq}}" +
+					"]}" +
+				"], inOrder=true, distances=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:distance, key=w, min=1, max=100}" +
+				"]}" +
+			"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[base=geht][base=der][]*contains(<s>,<np>)";
+		expected = 
+			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+				"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=geht, match=match:eq}}," +
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, " +
+				"operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=der, match=match:eq}}," +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:position, frame=frame:contains, operands=[" +
+					  "{@type=korap:span, key=s}," +
+					  "{@type=korap:span, key=np}" +
+					"]}" +
+				"], inOrder=true, distances=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:distance, key=w, min=1, max=100}" +
+				"]}" +
+			"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
 	}
 
 	@Test
+	public void testLeadingTrailingEmptyTokens() throws QueryException {
+		// startswith(<s>, [][base=Mann]
+		String et1 = 
+			"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:position, frame=frame:startswith, operands=[" +	
+				"{@type=korap:span, key=s}," +
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:token}," +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
+				"]}" +
+			"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree("startswith(<s>, [][base=Mann])");
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(et1.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[][base=Mann]";
+		expected = 
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:token}," +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
+				"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[][][base=Mann]";
+		expected = 
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:repetition, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token}" +
+					"], min=2, max=2}," +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
+				"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[][]*[base=Mann]";
+		expected = 
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:repetition, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token}" +
+					"], min=1, max=100}," +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}" +
+				"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[][]*[base=Mann][][]";
+		expected = 
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:repetition, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token}" +
+					"], min=1, max=100}," +
+					"{@type=korap:token, wrap={@type=korap:term, layer=lemma, key=Mann, match=match:eq}}," +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:repetition, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token}" +
+					"], min=2, max=2}" +
+				"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+		
+		query = "[][]*contains(<s>, <np>)[][]";
+		expected = 
+				"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:sequence, operands=[" +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:repetition, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token}" +
+					"], min=1, max=100}," +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:position, frame=frame:contains, operands=[" +
+					  "{@type=korap:span, key=s}," +
+					  "{@type=korap:span, key=np}" +
+					"]}," +
+					"{@type=korap:group, operation=operation:repetition, operands=[" +
+						"{@type=korap:token}" +
+					"], min=2, max=2}" +
+				"]}";
+		ppt = new PoliqarpPlusTree(query);
+		map = ppt.getRequestMap().get("query").toString();
+		assertEquals(expected.replaceAll(" ", ""), map.replaceAll(" ", ""));
+	}
+	
+	@Test
 	public void testCoordinatedFields() throws QueryException {
 		// [base=Mann&(cas=N|cas=A)]
 		String cof1 =