diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/DistanceSpan.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/DistanceSpan.java
index ca643a9..206702b 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/DistanceSpan.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/DistanceSpan.java
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@
 public abstract class DistanceSpan extends SimpleSpans{	
 
 	protected boolean hasMoreFirstSpans;	
-	protected boolean collectPayloads;
+	protected boolean collectPayloads;	
 	protected int minDistance,maxDistance;
 	
 	protected List<CandidateSpan> candidateList;
@@ -67,17 +67,27 @@
 				if (findMatch())					
 					return true;					
 			}			
-			// Forward secondspan
-			if (hasMoreSpans = secondSpans.next())			
+			
+			do { // Forward secondspan 
+				hasMoreSpans = secondSpans.next();
 				setCandidateList();
+			}
+			while (hasMoreSpans && !isSecondSpanValid());
 		}
 		return false;
 	}
 	
+	/** Determine if the current second span is valid. It is always valid in 
+	 * 	TokenDistanceSpan, but it can be invalid in the ElementDistanceSpan,
+	 * 	namely when it is not within a particular element (a sentence or a 
+	 * 	paragraph depends on the element distance unit).
+	 *  
+	 * */
+	protected abstract boolean isSecondSpanValid() throws IOException;
+	
 	/** Collect all possible firstspan instances as candidate spans for
 	 * 	the current secondspan. The candidate spans are within the max 
 	 * 	distance from the current secondspan. 
-	 *  
 	 * */
 	protected abstract void setCandidateList() throws IOException;
 	
diff --git a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementDistanceSpan.java b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementDistanceSpan.java
index 389e989..c097819 100644
--- a/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementDistanceSpan.java
+++ b/src/main/java/de/ids_mannheim/korap/query/spans/ElementDistanceSpan.java
@@ -65,18 +65,18 @@
 	protected void setCandidateList() throws IOException{
  		if (candidateListDocNum == elements.doc() && 
  				candidateListDocNum == secondSpans.doc()){
-			addNewCandidates();
-			candidateListIndex = -1;
+ 			candidateListIndex = -1;
+ 			addNewCandidates();
  		}
  		else {
  			candidateList.clear(); 			
  			if (hasMoreFirstSpans && findSameDoc()){
  				candidateListDocNum = firstSpans.doc();
  				elementPosition=0;
-				addNewCandidates();
-				candidateListIndex = -1;
+ 				candidateListIndex = -1;
+ 				addNewCandidates();				
 			}		
-		} 		
+		}		
 	}
 	
 	/** Add new possible candidates. Candidates must be in an element 
@@ -93,13 +93,17 @@
 			}
 			hasMoreFirstSpans = firstSpans.next();
 		}
-		
+	}
+	
+	@Override
+	protected boolean isSecondSpanValid() throws IOException{
 		if (advanceElementTo(secondSpans)){
 			secondSpanPostion = elementPosition;
 			filterCandidateList(secondSpanPostion);
+			return true;
 		}
 		// second span is not in an element
-		else { candidateList.clear(); }
+		return false;
 	}
 	
 	/** Advance elements until encountering a span.
@@ -113,8 +117,8 @@
 			if (span.start() >= elements.start() &&
 					span.end() <= elements.end()){
 				return true;
-			}
-
+			}			
+			
 			hasMoreElements = elements.next();
 			elementPosition++;
 		}