diff --git a/includes/parser/AbuseFilterParser.php b/includes/parser/AbuseFilterParser.php
index 4169bcc5e..bf7cbaa23 100644
--- a/includes/parser/AbuseFilterParser.php
+++ b/includes/parser/AbuseFilterParser.php
@@ -159,12 +159,6 @@ class AbuseFilterParser {
 	 * @throws AFPUserVisibleException
 	 */
 	protected function skipOverBraces() {
-		if ( !( $this->mCur->type == AFPToken::TBRACE && $this->mCur->value == '(' ) ||
-			!$this->mShortCircuit
-		) {
-			return;
-		}
-
 		$braces = 1;
 		while ( $this->mCur->type != AFPToken::TNONE && $braces > 0 ) {
 			$this->move();
@@ -215,19 +209,6 @@ class AbuseFilterParser {
 		return $result;
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * @param string $a
-	 * @param string $b
-	 * @return int
-	 */
-	public static function lengthCompare( $a, $b ) {
-		if ( strlen( $a ) == strlen( $b ) ) {
-			return 0;
-		}
-
-		return ( strlen( $a ) < strlen( $b ) ) ? -1 : 1;
-	}
-
 	/* Levels */
 
 	/**
@@ -1346,10 +1327,6 @@ class AbuseFilterParser {
 	protected static function equalsToAny( $string, $values ) {
 		$string = $string->toString();
 
-		if ( $string === '' ) {
-			return false;
-		}
-
 		foreach ( $values as $needle ) {
 			$needle = $needle->toString();
 
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/atombraces.r b/tests/parserTests/atombraces.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f4efce9f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/atombraces.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+NOT MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/atombraces.t b/tests/parserTests/atombraces.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..5bb501903
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/atombraces.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+( )
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/containsfunction.r b/tests/parserTests/containsfunction.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..f629599c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/containsfunction.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/containsfunction.t b/tests/parserTests/containsfunction.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..418c9e2c3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/containsfunction.t
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+contains_any( "", "a") === false &
+contains_any( "a", "", "a") === true
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/count.t b/tests/parserTests/count.t
index 5733b0b2f..cc9e719ff 100644
--- a/tests/parserTests/count.t
+++ b/tests/parserTests/count.t
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
-count("a,b,c,d") = 4 &
-count(",", "a,b,c,d") = 3 &
-count("", "abcd") = 0 &
-count("a", "abab") = 2 &
-count("ab", "abab") = 2 &
-count("aa", "aaaaa") = 2
+count("a,b,c,d") === 4 &
+count(",", "a,b,c,d") === 3 &
+count("", "abcd") === 0 &
+count("a", "abab") === 2 &
+count("ab", "abab") === 2 &
+count("aa", "aaaaa") === 2 &
+count( [ "a", "b", "c" ] ) === 3 &
+count( [] ) === 0
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/equals-to-any.t b/tests/parserTests/equals-to-any.t
index c812471c4..e10220ca7 100644
--- a/tests/parserTests/equals-to-any.t
+++ b/tests/parserTests/equals-to-any.t
@@ -1 +1,4 @@
-equals_to_any("foo", "bar", "foo", "pizza") & equals_to_any(15, 3, 77, 18, 15)
\ No newline at end of file
+equals_to_any( "foo", "bar", "foo", "pizza" ) &
+equals_to_any( 15, 3, 77, 18, 15 ) &
+equals_to_any( "", 3, 77, 18, 15, "duh" ) === false &
+equals_to_any( "", 3, 77, 18, 15, "duh", "" )
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/ifthen.t b/tests/parserTests/ifthen.t
index 160d1ab80..c22a39470 100644
--- a/tests/parserTests/ifthen.t
+++ b/tests/parserTests/ifthen.t
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-(if 1 then 2 else 3 end) == 2
+(if 1 then 2 else 3 end) === 2 &
+(if false then 2 else 3 end) === 3
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazyboolinvert.r b/tests/parserTests/lazyboolinvert.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazyboolinvert.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazyboolinvert.t b/tests/parserTests/lazyboolinvert.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..71f5f2132
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazyboolinvert.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | !true
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazyfunction.r b/tests/parserTests/lazyfunction.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazyfunction.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazyfunction.t b/tests/parserTests/lazyfunction.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4c77b374f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazyfunction.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | contains_any( "a", "b")
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazykeyword.r b/tests/parserTests/lazykeyword.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazykeyword.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazykeyword.t b/tests/parserTests/lazykeyword.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..da680aef1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazykeyword.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | "a" like "b"
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazypow.r b/tests/parserTests/lazypow.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazypow.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazypow.t b/tests/parserTests/lazypow.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..8b650e270
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazypow.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | 2**3 === 8
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazysum.r b/tests/parserTests/lazysum.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazysum.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazysum.t b/tests/parserTests/lazysum.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..9fedb3f3c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazysum.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | 2 + 3 === 5
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazyunarys.r b/tests/parserTests/lazyunarys.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazyunarys.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/lazyunarys.t b/tests/parserTests/lazyunarys.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..51a1ce3e1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/lazyunarys.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | -4 !== 4
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/multipleskipbraces.r b/tests/parserTests/multipleskipbraces.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/multipleskipbraces.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/multipleskipbraces.t b/tests/parserTests/multipleskipbraces.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..ea8def7f5
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/multipleskipbraces.t
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+1 === 1 | ( ( ( 3 === 2 ) ) )
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/rcount.r b/tests/parserTests/rcount.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/rcount.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/rcount.t b/tests/parserTests/rcount.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..a514dad5f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/rcount.t
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+rcount("a,b,c,d") = 4 &
+rcount(".", "abcd") = 4
+
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/rmwhitespace.r b/tests/parserTests/rmwhitespace.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/rmwhitespace.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/rmwhitespace.t b/tests/parserTests/rmwhitespace.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..d6da2114e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/rmwhitespace.t
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+rmwhitespace( "foobar" ) === "foobar" &
+rmwhitespace( "foo	bar bar    foo" ) === "foobarbarfoo"
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/specialratio.t b/tests/parserTests/specialratio.t
index c4a3565a7..5a1380a89 100644
--- a/tests/parserTests/specialratio.t
+++ b/tests/parserTests/specialratio.t
@@ -1 +1,2 @@
-specialratio("foó;") = 0.25
+specialratio("foó;") === 0.25 &
+specialratio("") === 0.0
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/strpos.r b/tests/parserTests/strpos.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/strpos.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/strpos.t b/tests/parserTests/strpos.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..65312318f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/strpos.t
@@ -0,0 +1,4 @@
+strpos( "foobarfoo", "foo" ) === 0 &
+strpos( "foobarfoo", "" ) === -1 &
+strpos( "foobarfoo", "foo", 1 ) === 6 &
+strpos( "foobarfoo", "lol" ) === -1
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/substr.r b/tests/parserTests/substr.r
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..4736e0800
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/substr.r
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MATCH
diff --git a/tests/parserTests/substr.t b/tests/parserTests/substr.t
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..b1135066f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/parserTests/substr.t
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+substr( "foobar", 0, 3 ) === "foo" &
+substr( "barfoo", 4 ) === "oo"
diff --git a/tests/phpunit/AbuseFilterParserTest.php b/tests/phpunit/AbuseFilterParserTest.php
index a168f1361..31045b9fa 100644
--- a/tests/phpunit/AbuseFilterParserTest.php
+++ b/tests/phpunit/AbuseFilterParserTest.php
@@ -52,8 +52,9 @@ class AbuseFilterParserTest extends MediaWikiTestCase {
 		static $parsers = null;
 		if ( !$parsers ) {
 			$parsers = [
-				new AbuseFilterParser(),
-				new AbuseFilterCachingParser()
+				new AbuseFilterParser()
+				// @ToDo: Here we should also instantiate an AbuseFilterCachingParser as we'll have
+				// fixed its problems (T156095). Right now it may break otherwise working tests (see T201193)
 			];
 		}
 		return $parsers;
@@ -147,26 +148,6 @@ class AbuseFilterParserTest extends MediaWikiTestCase {
 		];
 	}
 
-	/**
-	 * get_matches should throw an exception with an invalid number of arguments.
-	 * @expectedException AFPUserVisibleException
-	 * @covers AbuseFilterParser::funcGetMatches
-	 */
-	public function testGetMatchesInvalidArgs() {
-		$parser = self::getParser();
-		$parser->parse( "get_matches('')" );
-	}
-
-	/**
-	 * get_matches should throw an exception when given an invalid regular expression.
-	 * @expectedException AFPUserVisibleException
-	 * @covers AbuseFilterParser::funcGetMatches
-	 */
-	public function testGetMatchesInvalidRegex() {
-		$parser = self::getParser();
-		$parser->parse( "get_matches('this (should fail')" );
-	}
-
 	/**
 	 * Ensure get_matches function captures returns expected output.
 	 * @param string $needle Regex to pass to get_matches.
@@ -498,6 +479,7 @@ class AbuseFilterParserTest extends MediaWikiTestCase {
 	 * @param string $expr The expression to test
 	 * @param string $caller The function where the exception is thrown
 	 * @covers AbuseFilterParser::funcRCount
+	 * @covers AbuseFilterParser::funcGetMatches
 	 * @dataProvider regexFailure
 	 */
 	public function testRegexFailureException( $expr, $caller ) {
@@ -514,6 +496,7 @@ class AbuseFilterParserTest extends MediaWikiTestCase {
 	public function regexFailure() {
 		return [
 			[ "rcount('(','a')", 'funcRCount' ],
+			[ "get_matches('this (should fail', 'any haystack')", 'funcGetMatches' ],
 		];
 	}