diff --git a/history.go b/history.go
index e5d4824..81e2d34 100644
--- a/history.go
+++ b/history.go
@@ -2,14 +2,9 @@ package main
 
 import (
 	"database/sql"
-	"fmt"
 	"io"
 	"log"
-	"os"
 	"strings"
-	"time"
-
-	"github.com/tj/go-naturaldate"
 )
 
 type history struct {
@@ -17,15 +12,11 @@ type history struct {
 }
 
 func (h *history) GetHistoryByPrefix(prefix string) (ph []string) {
-	beginTimestamp, err := naturaldate.Parse("50 years ago", time.Now())
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-	}
-	endTimeStamp, err := naturaldate.Parse("now", time.Now())
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-	}
-	results := search(h.conn, prefix+"%", "%", beginTimestamp, endTimeStamp, -9001)
+	opts := searchopts{}
+	opts.order = "DESC"
+	cmdqry := prefix + "%"
+	opts.command = &cmdqry
+	results := search(h.conn, opts)
 	for e := results.Front(); e != nil; e = e.Next() {
 		entry, ok := e.Value.(*HistoryEntry)
 		if !ok {
@@ -36,21 +27,16 @@ func (h *history) GetHistoryByPrefix(prefix string) (ph []string) {
 	return
 }
 func (h *history) GetHistoryByPattern(pattern string) (ph []string, pos []int) {
-	beginTimestamp, err := naturaldate.Parse("50 years ago", time.Now())
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-	}
-	endTimeStamp, err := naturaldate.Parse("now", time.Now())
-	if err != nil {
-		fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-	}
-	results := search(h.conn, "%"+pattern+"%", "%", beginTimestamp, endTimeStamp, -9001)
+	opts := searchopts{}
+	opts.order = "DESC"
+	cmdqry := "%" + pattern + "%"
+	opts.command = &cmdqry
+	results := search(h.conn, opts)
 	for e := results.Front(); e != nil; e = e.Next() {
 		entry, ok := e.Value.(*HistoryEntry)
 		if !ok {
 			log.Panic("Failed to retrieve entries")
 		}
-		//mt.Printf("\nAppending: [%s] %s -- %d\n", pattern, entry.cmd, strings.Index(entry.cmd, pattern))
 		ph = append(ph, entry.cmd)
 		pos = append(pos, strings.Index(strings.ToLower(entry.cmd), strings.ToLower(pattern)))
 	}
diff --git a/main.go b/main.go
index bb796df..7f61b08 100644
--- a/main.go
+++ b/main.go
@@ -150,28 +150,47 @@ func importFromStdin(conn *sql.DB) {
 	}
 }
 
-func search(conn *sql.DB, q string, workdir string, beginTime time.Time, endTime time.Time, retval int) list.List {
+type searchopts struct {
+	command *string
+	workdir *string
+	after   *time.Time
+	before  *time.Time
+	retval  *int
+	order   string
+}
+
+func search(conn *sql.DB, opts searchopts) list.List {
+	args := make([]interface{}, 0)
 	var sb strings.Builder
 	sb.WriteString("SELECT id, command, workdir, user, hostname, retval ")
 	sb.WriteString("FROM history ")
-	sb.WriteString("WHERE timestamp BETWEEN datetime(?, 'unixepoch') ")
-	sb.WriteString("AND datetime(?, 'unixepoch') ")
-	sb.WriteString("AND command LIKE ? ")
-	sb.WriteString("AND workdir LIKE ? ")
-	if retval != -9001 {
-		sb.WriteString("AND retval = ? ")
+	sb.WriteString("WHERE 1=1 ") //1=1 so we can append as many AND foo as we want, or none
+
+	if opts.command != nil {
+		sb.WriteString("AND command LIKE ? ")
+		args = append(args, opts.command)
 	}
-	sb.WriteString("ORDER BY timestamp ASC ")
+	if opts.workdir != nil {
+		sb.WriteString("AND workdir LIKE ? ")
+		args = append(args, opts.workdir)
+	}
+	if opts.after != nil {
+		sb.WriteString("AND timestamp > datetime(?, 'unixepoch') ")
+		args = append(args, opts.after.Unix())
+	}
+	if opts.before != nil {
+		sb.WriteString("AND timestamp < datetime(?, 'unixepoch') ")
+		args = append(args, opts.before.Unix())
+	}
+	if opts.retval != nil {
+		sb.WriteString("AND retval = ? ")
+		args = append(args, opts.retval)
+	}
+	sb.WriteString("ORDER BY timestamp ")
+	sb.WriteString("ASC ")
 
 	queryStmt := sb.String()
-	args := make([]interface{}, 0)
-	args = append(args, beginTime.Unix())
-	args = append(args, endTime.Unix())
-	args = append(args, q)
-	args = append(args, workdir)
-	if retval != -9001 {
-		args = append(args, retval)
-	}
+
 	rows, err := conn.Query(queryStmt, args...)
 	if err != nil {
 		log.Panic(err)
@@ -273,25 +292,6 @@ func main() {
 		defer line.Close()
 		line.SetCtrlCAborts(true)
 		line.SetHistoryProvider(&history{conn: conn})
-		line.SetCompleter(func(line string) (c []string) {
-			beginTimestamp, err := naturaldate.Parse("50 years ago", time.Now())
-			if err != nil {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-			}
-			endTimeStamp, err := naturaldate.Parse("now", time.Now())
-			if err != nil {
-				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-			}
-			results := search(conn, "%"+line+"%", "%", beginTimestamp, endTimeStamp, -9001)
-			for e := results.Front(); e != nil; e = e.Next() {
-				entry, ok := e.Value.(*HistoryEntry)
-				if !ok {
-					log.Panic("Failed to retrieve entries")
-				}
-				c = append(c, entry.cmd)
-			}
-			return
-		})
 
 		rdlineline := os.Getenv("READLINE_LINE")
 		rdlinepos := os.Getenv("READLINE_POS")
@@ -333,13 +333,13 @@ func main() {
 		fallthrough
 	case "delete":
 		var workDir string
-		var beginTime string
-		var endTime string
+		var afterTime string
+		var beforeTime string
 		var distinct bool = true
 		var retVal int
-		searchCmd.StringVar(&workDir, "cwd", "%", "Search only within this workdir")
-		searchCmd.StringVar(&beginTime, "begin", "50 years ago", "Start searching from this timeframe")
-		searchCmd.StringVar(&endTime, "end", "now", "End searching from this timeframe")
+		searchCmd.StringVar(&workDir, "cwd", "", "Search only within this workdir")
+		searchCmd.StringVar(&afterTime, "after", "", "Start searching from this timeframe")
+		searchCmd.StringVar(&beforeTime, "before", "", "End searching from this timeframe")
 		searchCmd.BoolVar(&distinct, "distinct", true, "Remove consecutive duplicate commands from output")
 		searchCmd.IntVar(&retVal, "ret", -9001, "Only query commands that returned with this exit code. -9001=all (default)")
 
@@ -347,25 +347,39 @@ func main() {
 
 		args := searchCmd.Args()
 
-		beginTimestamp, err := naturaldate.Parse(beginTime, time.Now())
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-		}
-
-		endTimeStamp, err := naturaldate.Parse(endTime, time.Now())
-		if err != nil {
-			fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
-		}
-
 		q := strings.Join(args, " ")
-		if workDir != "%" {
-			workDir, err = filepath.Abs(workDir)
+
+		opts := searchopts{}
+		opts.order = "ASC"
+		if q != "" {
+			cmd := "%" + q + "%"
+			opts.command = &cmd
+		}
+		if workDir != "" {
+			wd, err := filepath.Abs(workDir)
 			if err != nil {
 				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed parse working directory path: %s\n", err.Error())
 			}
+			opts.workdir = &wd
 		}
-
-		results := search(conn, "%"+q+"%", workDir, beginTimestamp, endTimeStamp, retVal)
+		if afterTime != "" {
+			afterTimestamp, err := naturaldate.Parse(afterTime, time.Now())
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
+			}
+			opts.after = &afterTimestamp
+		}
+		if beforeTime != "" {
+			beforeTimestamp, err := naturaldate.Parse(beforeTime, time.Now())
+			if err != nil {
+				fmt.Fprintf(os.Stderr, "Failed to convert time string: %s\n", err.Error())
+			}
+			opts.before = &beforeTimestamp
+		}
+		if retVal != -9001 {
+			opts.retval = &retVal
+		}
+		results := search(conn, opts)
 
 		previousCmd := ""
 		for e := results.Front(); e != nil; e = e.Next() {