diff --git a/gerrit_client.py b/gerrit_client.py
index cd7e139e4..9bda02556 100755
--- a/gerrit_client.py
+++ b/gerrit_client.py
@@ -203,8 +203,13 @@ def CMDheadinfo(parser, args):
 @subcommand.usage('[args ...]')
 def CMDchanges(parser, args):
   """Queries gerrit for matching changes."""
-  parser.add_option('-p', '--param', dest='params', action='append',
+  parser.add_option('-p',
+                    '--param',
+                    dest='params',
+                    action='append',
+                    default=[],
                     help='repeatable query parameter, format: -p key=value')
+  parser.add_option('--query', help='raw gerrit search query string')
   parser.add_option('-o', '--o-param', dest='o_params', action='append',
                     help='gerrit output parameters, e.g. ALL_REVISIONS')
   parser.add_option('--limit', dest='limit', type=int,
@@ -214,14 +219,16 @@ def CMDchanges(parser, args):
                          '(starting with the most recent)')
 
   (opt, args) = parser.parse_args(args)
+  assert opt.params or opt.query, '--param or --query required'
   for p in opt.params:
     assert '=' in p, '--param is key=value, not "%s"' % p
 
   result = gerrit_util.QueryChanges(
       urlparse.urlparse(opt.host).netloc,
       list(tuple(p.split('=', 1)) for p in opt.params),
-      start=opt.start,        # Default: None
-      limit=opt.limit,        # Default: None
+      first_param=opt.query,
+      start=opt.start,  # Default: None
+      limit=opt.limit,  # Default: None
       o_params=opt.o_params,  # Default: None
   )
   logging.info('Change query returned %d changes.', len(result))
diff --git a/tests/gerrit_client_test.py b/tests/gerrit_client_test.py
index 9cabc9c2b..4ad4a2b2e 100755
--- a/tests/gerrit_client_test.py
+++ b/tests/gerrit_client_test.py
@@ -50,11 +50,52 @@ class TestGerritClient(unittest.TestCase):
         'changes', '--host', 'https://example.org/foo', '-p', 'foo=bar', '-p',
         'baz=qux', '--limit', '10', '--start', '20', '-o', 'op1', '-o', 'op2'
     ])
-    util_mock.assert_called_once_with(
-        'example.org', [('foo', 'bar'), ('baz', 'qux')],
-        limit=10,
-        start=20,
-        o_params=['op1', 'op2'])
+    util_mock.assert_called_once_with('example.org', [('foo', 'bar'),
+                                                      ('baz', 'qux')],
+                                      first_param=None,
+                                      limit=10,
+                                      start=20,
+                                      o_params=['op1', 'op2'])
+
+  @mock.patch('gerrit_util.QueryChanges', return_value='')
+  def test_changes_query(self, util_mock):
+    gerrit_client.main([
+        'changes',
+        '--host',
+        'https://example.org/foo',
+        '--query',
+        'is:owner is:open',
+        '--limit',
+        '10',
+        '--start',
+        '20',
+    ])
+    util_mock.assert_called_once_with('example.org', [],
+                                      first_param='is:owner is:open',
+                                      limit=10,
+                                      start=20,
+                                      o_params=None)
+
+  @mock.patch('gerrit_util.QueryChanges', return_value='')
+  def test_changes_params_query(self, util_mock):
+    gerrit_client.main([
+        'changes',
+        '--host',
+        'https://example.org/foo',
+        '--query',
+        'is:owner is:open',
+        '-p',
+        'foo=bar',
+        '--limit',
+        '10',
+        '--start',
+        '20',
+    ])
+    util_mock.assert_called_once_with('example.org', [('foo', 'bar')],
+                                      first_param='is:owner is:open',
+                                      limit=10,
+                                      start=20,
+                                      o_params=None)
 
   @mock.patch('gerrit_util.GetRelatedChanges', return_value='')
   def test_relatedchanges(self, util_mock):