diff --git a/src/parser/expression.rs b/src/parser/expression.rs
index f64939a..c7320e1 100644
--- a/src/parser/expression.rs
+++ b/src/parser/expression.rs
@@ -2,7 +2,7 @@ use super::tokens::{token, Token, TokenKind as tk, TokenSpan};
 use super::{IResult, Span};
 use nom::{
     branch::alt,
-    combinator::map,
+    combinator::{map, opt},
     multi::separated_list0,
     sequence::{delimited, preceded, separated_pair, tuple},
 };
@@ -88,12 +88,18 @@ fn bitop_kind(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, BinOpKind> {
 /// bit and, or, xor e.g. a ^ b & c
 /// TODO: make precedence rules for bit ops
 fn bitop(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, Expression> {
-    alt((
-        map(tuple((unary, bitop_kind, bitop)), |(a, kind, b)| {
-            Expression::BinOp(Box::new(BinOp { a, b, kind }))
-        }),
-        unary,
-    ))(input)
+    // special care is given to avoid parsing `unary` twice, as that would
+    // make this parser quadratic
+    map(
+        tuple((unary, opt(tuple((bitop_kind, bitop))))),
+        |(a, rest)| {
+            if let Some((kind, b)) = rest {
+                Expression::BinOp(Box::new(BinOp { a, b, kind }))
+            } else {
+                a
+            }
+        },
+    )(input)
 }
 
 pub fn call_item(input: TokenSpan) -> IResult<TokenSpan, Call> {
@@ -140,6 +146,10 @@ mod test {
     fn test_atoms() {
         fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok("a"))).unwrap();
         fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok("(a)"))).unwrap();
+        fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok(
+            "(((((((((((((((((((a)))))))))))))))))))",
+        )))
+        .unwrap();
     }
 
     #[test]
@@ -147,7 +157,7 @@ mod test {
         fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok("asdf"))).unwrap();
         fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok("~(asdf)"))).unwrap();
         fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok("!asdf"))).unwrap();
-        // unary(TokenSpan::new(&tok("~!(asdf)"))).unwrap();
+        fullexpr(TokenSpan::new(&tok("~!(asdf)"))).unwrap();
     }
 
     #[test]