Index: src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchCompiler.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchCompiler.java	(revision 775)
+++ src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchCompiler.java	(working copy)
@@ -19,10 +19,12 @@
 
 	private boolean caseSensitive = false;
 	private PushbackTokenizer tokenizer;
+	private boolean alternateTokenizing = false;
 
-	public SearchCompiler(boolean caseSensitive, PushbackTokenizer tokenizer) {
+	public SearchCompiler(boolean caseSensitive, boolean alternateTokenizing, PushbackTokenizer tokenizer) {
 		this.caseSensitive = caseSensitive;
 		this.tokenizer = tokenizer;
+		this.alternateTokenizing = alternateTokenizing;
 	}
 	
 	abstract public static class Match {
@@ -177,11 +179,11 @@
 		}
 	}
 	
-	public static Match compile(String searchStr, boolean caseSensitive)
+	public static Match compile(String searchStr, boolean caseSensitive, boolean alternateTokenizing)
 			throws ParseError {
-		return new SearchCompiler(caseSensitive,
+		return new SearchCompiler(caseSensitive, alternateTokenizing,
 				new PushbackTokenizer(
-					new PushbackReader(new StringReader(searchStr))))
+					new PushbackReader(new StringReader(searchStr)), alternateTokenizing))
 			.parse();
 	}
 
@@ -240,8 +242,9 @@
 
 	private Match parsePat() {
 		String tok = tokenizer.readText();
+		String token = alternateTokenizing ? "=" : ":";
 
-		if (tokenizer.readIfEqual(":")) {
+		if (tokenizer.readIfEqual(token)) {
 			String tok2 = tokenizer.readText();
 			if (tok == null) tok = "";
 			if (tok2 == null) tok2 = "";
Index: src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchAction.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchAction.java	(revision 775)
+++ src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/SearchAction.java	(working copy)
@@ -54,6 +54,7 @@
     	bg.add(remove);
     	
     	JCheckBox caseSensitive = new JCheckBox(tr("case sensitive"), false);
+    	JCheckBox alternateTokenizing = new JCheckBox(tr("use = instead of : for key/value separation"), false);
     
     	JPanel p = new JPanel(new GridBagLayout());
     	p.add(label, GBC.eop());
@@ -62,6 +63,7 @@
     	p.add(add, GBC.eol());
     	p.add(remove, GBC.eop());
     	p.add(caseSensitive, GBC.eol());
+    	p.add(alternateTokenizing, GBC.eol());
     	JOptionPane pane = new JOptionPane(p, JOptionPane.INFORMATION_MESSAGE, JOptionPane.OK_CANCEL_OPTION, null){
     		@Override public void selectInitialValue() {
     			input.requestFocusInWindow();
@@ -73,10 +75,26 @@
     		return;
     	lastSearch = input.getText();
     	SearchAction.SearchMode mode = replace.isSelected() ? SearchAction.SearchMode.replace : (add.isSelected() ? SearchAction.SearchMode.add : SearchAction.SearchMode.remove);
-    	search(lastSearch, mode, caseSensitive.isSelected());
+    	search(lastSearch, mode, caseSensitive.isSelected(), alternateTokenizing.isSelected());
     }
 
-	public static void search(String search, SearchMode mode, boolean caseSensitive) {
+    /**
+     * To stay compatible, the old call
+     * @param search Text to search for
+     * @param mode what to do with the search result
+     * @param caseSensitive switch case sensitivity
+     */
+    public static void search(String search, SearchMode mode, boolean caseSensitive) {
+    	search (search, mode, caseSensitive, false);
+    }
+    
+    /**
+     * @param search Text to search for
+     * @param mode what to do with the search result
+     * @param caseSensitive switch case sensitivity
+     * @param alternateTokenizing if set, a = separates key and value, else it stays a :.
+     */
+    public static void search(String search, SearchMode mode, boolean caseSensitive, boolean alternateTokenizing) {
     	if (search.startsWith("http://") || search.startsWith("ftp://") || search.startsWith("https://") || search.startsWith("file:/")) {
     		SelectionWebsiteLoader loader = new SelectionWebsiteLoader(search, mode);
     		if (loader.url != null) {
@@ -86,7 +104,7 @@
     	}
 		try {
 			Collection<OsmPrimitive> sel = Main.ds.getSelected();
-			SearchCompiler.Match matcher = SearchCompiler.compile(search, caseSensitive);
+			SearchCompiler.Match matcher = SearchCompiler.compile(search, caseSensitive, alternateTokenizing);
 			for (OsmPrimitive osm : Main.ds.allNonDeletedCompletePrimitives()) {
 				if (mode == SearchMode.replace) {
 					if (matcher.match(osm))
Index: src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/PushbackTokenizer.java
===================================================================
--- src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/PushbackTokenizer.java	(revision 775)
+++ src/org/openstreetmap/josm/actions/search/PushbackTokenizer.java	(working copy)
@@ -7,17 +7,33 @@
 
 public class PushbackTokenizer {
 	private PushbackReader search;
+	private boolean alternateTokenizing;
 
 	private LinkedList<String> pushBackBuf = new LinkedList<String>();
 
+	/**
+	 * The 'classic' interface, a : separates key and value
+	 * @param search datasource to sift through
+	 */
 	public PushbackTokenizer(PushbackReader search) {
 		this.search = search;
+		this.alternateTokenizing = false;
 	}
 
 	/**
+	 * The new interface, key/value separation is switchable
+	 * @param search datasource to sift through
+	 * @param alternateTokenizing switches between : (false) and = (true) as key/value token
+	 */
+	public PushbackTokenizer(PushbackReader search, boolean alternateTokenizing) {
+		this.search = search;
+		this.alternateTokenizing = alternateTokenizing;
+	}
+
+	/**
 	 * The token returned is <code>null</code> or starts with an identifier character:
 	 * - for an '-'. This will be the only character
-	 * : for an key. The value is the next token
+	 * : or = for an key (depending on alternateTokenizing in the constructor. The value is the next token
 	 * | for "OR"
 	 * ' ' for anything else.
 	 * @return The next token in the stream.
@@ -38,15 +54,32 @@
 			}
 			StringBuilder s;
 			switch (c) {
-			case ':':
-				next = search.read();
-				c = (char) next;
-				if (next == -1 || c == ' ' || c == '\t') {
-					pushBack(" ");
-				} else {
-					search.unread(next);
+			case ':' :
+				if(!alternateTokenizing) {
+					next = search.read();
+					c = (char) next;
+					if (next == -1 || c == ' ' || c == '\t') {
+						pushBack(" ");
+					} else {
+						search.unread(next);
+					}
+					return ":";
 				}
-				return ":";
+				s = new StringBuilder ();
+				break;
+			case '=' :
+				if(alternateTokenizing) {
+					next = search.read();
+					c = (char) next;
+					if (next == -1 || c == ' ' || c == '\t') {
+						pushBack(" ");
+					} else {
+						search.unread(next);
+					}
+					return "=";
+				}
+				s = new StringBuilder ();
+				break;
 			case '-':
 				return "-";
 			case '(':
@@ -60,6 +93,8 @@
 				return s.toString();
 			default:
 				s = new StringBuilder();
+				break;
+			}
 			for (;;) {
 				s.append(c);
 				next = search.read();
@@ -69,14 +104,14 @@
 					return " "+s.toString();
 				}
 				c = (char)next;
-				if (c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == '"' || c == ':' || c == '(' || c == ')') {
+				if (c == ' ' || c == '\t' || c == '"' || c == (alternateTokenizing ? '=' : ':')  || c == '(' || c == ')') {
 					search.unread(next);
 					if (s.toString().equals("OR"))
 						return "|";
 					return " "+s.toString();
 				}
 			}
-			}
+
 		} catch (IOException e) {
 			throw new RuntimeException(e.getMessage(), e);
 		}