diff --git a/picard/script.py b/picard/script.py
index 54ad48131..487d99b52 100644
--- a/picard/script.py
+++ b/picard/script.py
@@ -388,29 +388,32 @@ def func_in(parser, text, needle):
 
 
 def func_inmulti(parser, haystack, needle, separator=MULTI_VALUED_JOINER):
-    """Searches for ``needle`` in ``haystack``, supporting a list variable for ``haystack``.
-       If a string is used instead, then a ``separator`` can be used to split it.
-       In both cases, it returns true if the resulting list contains ``needle``."""
+    """Searches for ``needle`` in ``haystack``, supporting a list variable for
+       ``haystack``. If a string is used instead, then a ``separator`` can be
+       used to split it. In both cases, it returns true if the resulting list
+       contains ``needle``."""
 
     needle = needle.eval(parser)
-    if type(text)==ScriptExpression and len(text)==1 and type(text[0])==ScriptVariable:
-        text=text[0]
-    if type(text)==ScriptVariable:
-        if text.name.startswith(u"_"):
-            name = u"~" + text.name[1:]
-        else:
-            name = text.name
-        values=parser.context.getall(name)
+    if (isinstance(haystack, ScriptExpression) and
+            len(haystack) == 1 and
+            isinstance(haystack[0], ScriptVariable)):
+        haystack = haystack[0]
 
-        if needle in values:
-           return "1"
+    if isinstance(haystack, ScriptVariable):
+        if haystack.name.startswith(u"_"):
+            name = u"~" + haystack.name[1:]
         else:
-           return ""
+            name = haystack.name
+        values = parser.context.getall(name)
+
+        return func_in(parser, values, needle)
 
     # I'm not sure if it is actually possible to continue in this code path,
     # but just in case, it's better to have a fallback to correct behaviour
-    text=text.eval(parser)
-    return func_in(parser, text.split(separator) if separator else [text], needle)
+    haystack = haystack.eval(parser)
+    return func_in(parser,
+                   haystack.split(separator) if separator else [haystack],
+                   needle)
 
 
 def func_rreplace(parser, text, old, new):