diff --git a/Koha/Items.pm b/Koha/Items.pm
index cee46e52f2..0e50413cbd 100644
--- a/Koha/Items.pm
+++ b/Koha/Items.pm
@@ -691,13 +691,47 @@ sub _process_params {
     }
 }
 
+=head3 _validate_params
+
+Verify is the input provided with _status is valid.
+
+Since we have to tweak the search for researches involving the _status parameter, if the search involves a _status, we need to check that the provided hashref is compatible with the use case.
+An hashref is compatible if it is not nested or if the lonely level of nesting is under a "-and" parameter
+
+=cut
+
+sub _validate_params {
+    my ( $clean_params, $custom_attrs ) = @_;
+
+    return 1 unless exists $custom_attrs->{_status};
+
+    if ( ref($clean_params) eq 'HASH' ) {
+        if ( grep { $_ eq '-and' } keys %$clean_params ) {
+            my $and_hashref = $clean_params->{'-and'};
+            if ( ref($and_hashref) eq 'HASH' && !grep { ref( $and_hashref->{$_} ) eq 'HASH' } keys %$and_hashref ) {
+                return 1;
+            }
+        }
+        return 1 unless grep { ref( $clean_params->{$_} ) eq 'HASH' } keys %$clean_params;
+    }
+
+    return 0;
+}
+
 sub search {
     my ( $self, $params, $attributes ) = @_;
 
     my ( $custom_attrs, $clean_params ) = _extract_custom_attrs($params);
-    $params = $clean_params;
 
+    unless ( _validate_params( $clean_params, $custom_attrs ) ) {
+        Koha::Exceptions::BadParameter->throw(
+            error => "Filtering on status is only implemented for -and search",
+        );
+    }
+
+    $params = $clean_params;
     my $status = $custom_attrs->{_status};
+
     if ($status) {
         if ( $status eq 'checked_out' ) {
             $self = $self->filter_by_checked_out( { onsite_checkout => 0 } );
diff --git a/t/db_dependent/Koha/Items.t b/t/db_dependent/Koha/Items.t
index 377009d74d..fb3b30dcf8 100755
--- a/t/db_dependent/Koha/Items.t
+++ b/t/db_dependent/Koha/Items.t
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ is( $retrieved_item_1->barcode, $new_item_1->barcode, 'Find a item by id should
 
 subtest 'search' => sub {
 
-    plan tests => 16;
+    plan tests => 18;
     $schema->storage->txn_begin;
 
     my $patron   = $builder->build_object( { class => 'Koha::Patrons' } );
@@ -102,6 +102,29 @@ subtest 'search' => sub {
         { -and => { _status => 'available', biblionumber => $biblio->biblionumber } },
     );
     is( $available_items->count, 2, "Filtered to 2 available items - works when _status is in nested structure" );
+    throws_ok {
+        $available_items = Koha::Items->search(
+            { -or => { _status => 'available', biblionumber => $biblio->biblionumber } },
+        );
+    }
+    'Koha::Exceptions::BadParameter',
+        "Filtered to 3 available items - returns an error when _status is in nested structure using or";
+
+    throws_ok {
+        $available_items = Koha::Items->search(
+            {
+                -and => {
+                    _status => 'available',
+                    -and    => {
+                        biblionumber => $biblio->biblionumber,
+                        biblionumber => $biblio->biblionumber
+                    }
+                },
+            }
+        );
+    }
+    'Koha::Exceptions::BadParameter',
+        "Filtered to 3 available items - returns an error when _status is in nested structure with more than one level";
 
     my $item_3 = $builder->build_sample_item(
         {