diff --git a/app/controllers/counts_controller.rb b/app/controllers/counts_controller.rb
index 556d4a028..35694b3ee 100644
--- a/app/controllers/counts_controller.rb
+++ b/app/controllers/counts_controller.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,6 @@ class CountsController < ApplicationController
   def posts
     estimate_count = params.fetch(:estimate_count, "true").truthy?
     skip_cache = params.fetch(:skip_cache, "false").truthy?
-    @count = PostQueryBuilder.new(params[:tags], CurrentUser.user).fast_count(timeout: CurrentUser.statement_timeout, estimate_count: estimate_count, skip_cache: skip_cache)
+    @count = PostQueryBuilder.new(params[:tags], CurrentUser.user).normalized_query.fast_count(timeout: CurrentUser.statement_timeout, estimate_count: estimate_count, skip_cache: skip_cache)
   end
 end
diff --git a/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb b/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
index 6c98545d4..9783eb2ca 100644
--- a/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
+++ b/app/logical/post_query_builder.rb
@@ -53,22 +53,15 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
     COUNT_METATAG_SYNONYMS.flat_map { |str| [str, "#{str}_asc"] } +
     CATEGORY_COUNT_METATAGS.flat_map { |str| [str, "#{str}_asc"] }
 
-  attr_reader :query_string, :terms, :current_user, :safe_mode, :hide_deleted_posts
+  attr_reader :query_string, :current_user, :safe_mode, :hide_deleted_posts
   alias_method :safe_mode?, :safe_mode
   alias_method :hide_deleted_posts?, :hide_deleted_posts
 
-  def initialize(query_string, current_user = User.anonymous, normalize_aliases: true, normalize_order: true, safe_mode: false, hide_deleted_posts: false)
+  def initialize(query_string, current_user = User.anonymous, safe_mode: false, hide_deleted_posts: false)
     @query_string = query_string
     @current_user = current_user
     @safe_mode = safe_mode
     @hide_deleted_posts = hide_deleted_posts
-
-    @terms = scan_query
-    @terms << OpenStruct.new(type: :metatag, name: "rating", value: "s") if safe_mode?
-    @terms << OpenStruct.new(type: :metatag, name: "status", value: "deleted", negated: true) if hide_deleted?
-
-    normalize_aliases! if normalize_aliases
-    normalize_order! if normalize_order
   end
 
   def tags_match(tags, relation)
@@ -457,11 +450,6 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
     relation
   end
 
-  def hide_deleted?
-    has_status_metatag = select_metatags(:status).any? { |metatag| metatag.value.downcase.in?(%w[deleted active any all]) }
-    hide_deleted_posts? && !has_status_metatag
-  end
-
   def build
     tag_count = terms.count { |term| !Danbooru.config.is_unlimited_tag?(term) }
     if tag_count > Danbooru.config.tag_query_limit
@@ -695,20 +683,6 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
       end
     end
 
-    def normalize_aliases!
-      tag_names = tags.map(&:name)
-      tag_aliases = tag_names.zip(TagAlias.to_aliased(tag_names)).to_h
-
-      terms.map! do |term|
-        term.name = tag_aliases[term.name] if term.type == :tag
-        term
-      end
-    end
-
-    def normalize_order!
-      terms.sort_by!(&:to_s).uniq!
-    end
-
     def parse_tag_edit
       split_query
     end
@@ -884,11 +858,51 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
     end
   end
 
+  concerning :NormalizationMethods do
+    def normalized_query(implicit: true, sort: true)
+      post_query = dup
+      post_query.terms.concat(implicit_metatags) if implicit
+      post_query.normalize_aliases!
+      post_query.normalize_order! if sort
+      post_query
+    end
+
+    def normalize_aliases!
+      tag_names = tags.map(&:name)
+      tag_aliases = tag_names.zip(TagAlias.to_aliased(tag_names)).to_h
+
+      terms.map! do |term|
+        term.name = tag_aliases[term.name] if term.type == :tag
+        term
+      end
+    end
+
+    def normalize_order!
+      terms.sort_by!(&:to_s).uniq!
+    end
+
+    def implicit_metatags
+      metatags = []
+      metatags << OpenStruct.new(type: :metatag, name: "rating", value: "s") if safe_mode?
+      metatags << OpenStruct.new(type: :metatag, name: "status", value: "deleted", negated: true) if hide_deleted?
+      metatags
+    end
+
+    def hide_deleted?
+      has_status_metatag = select_metatags(:status).any? { |metatag| metatag.value.downcase.in?(%w[deleted active any all]) }
+      hide_deleted_posts? && !has_status_metatag
+    end
+  end
+
   concerning :UtilityMethods do
     def to_s
       split_query.join(" ")
     end
 
+    def terms
+      @terms ||= scan_query
+    end
+
     def tags
       terms.select { |term| term.type == :tag }
     end
@@ -943,5 +957,5 @@ class PostQueryBuilder
     end
   end
 
-  memoize :split_query
+  memoize :split_query, :normalized_query
 end
diff --git a/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb b/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb
index dc8deafff..1757a1527 100644
--- a/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb
+++ b/app/logical/post_sets/post.rb
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ module PostSets
     MAX_SIDEBAR_TAGS = 25
 
     attr_reader :page, :random, :post_count, :format, :tag_string, :query
+    delegate :normalized_query, to: :query
 
     def initialize(tags, page = 1, per_page = nil, random: false, format: "html")
       @query = PostQueryBuilder.new(tags, CurrentUser.user, safe_mode: CurrentUser.safe_mode?, hide_deleted_posts: CurrentUser.hide_deleted_posts?)
@@ -29,8 +30,8 @@ module PostSets
     end
 
     def tag
-      return nil unless query.has_single_tag?
-      @tag ||= Tag.find_by(name: query.tags.first.name)
+      return nil unless normalized_query.has_single_tag?
+      @tag ||= Tag.find_by(name: normalized_query.tags.first.name)
     end
 
     def artist
@@ -40,7 +41,7 @@ module PostSets
     end
 
     def pool
-      pool_names = query.select_metatags(:pool, :ordpool).map(&:value)
+      pool_names = normalized_query.select_metatags(:pool, :ordpool).map(&:value)
       name = pool_names.first
       return nil unless pool_names.size == 1
 
@@ -48,7 +49,7 @@ module PostSets
     end
 
     def favgroup
-      favgroup_names = query.select_metatags(:favgroup, :ordfavgroup).map(&:value)
+      favgroup_names = normalized_query.select_metatags(:favgroup, :ordfavgroup).map(&:value)
       name = favgroup_names.first
       return nil unless favgroup_names.size == 1
 
@@ -88,7 +89,7 @@ module PostSets
         # no need to get counts for formats that don't use a paginator
         nil
       else
-        query.fast_count
+        normalized_query.fast_count
       end
     end
 
@@ -105,7 +106,7 @@ module PostSets
         if is_random?
           temp = get_random_posts
         else
-          temp = query.build.paginate(page, count: post_count, search_count: !post_count.nil?, limit: per_page)
+          temp = normalized_query.build.paginate(page, count: post_count, search_count: !post_count.nil?, limit: per_page)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -176,7 +177,7 @@ module PostSets
       end
 
       def similar_tags
-        RelatedTagCalculator.cached_similar_tags_for_search(query, MAX_SIDEBAR_TAGS)
+        RelatedTagCalculator.cached_similar_tags_for_search(normalized_query(implicit: false), MAX_SIDEBAR_TAGS)
       end
 
       def frequent_tags
diff --git a/app/logical/related_tag_query.rb b/app/logical/related_tag_query.rb
index f59b64049..6a86b10b0 100644
--- a/app/logical/related_tag_query.rb
+++ b/app/logical/related_tag_query.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class RelatedTagQuery
 
   def initialize(query:, user: User.anonymous, category: nil, type: nil, limit: nil)
     @user = user
-    @post_query = PostQueryBuilder.new(query, user)
+    @post_query = PostQueryBuilder.new(query, user).normalized_query
     @query = @post_query.to_s
     @category = category
     @type = type
diff --git a/app/models/post.rb b/app/models/post.rb
index 6ae679bd6..5a01ee579 100644
--- a/app/models/post.rb
+++ b/app/models/post.rb
@@ -604,7 +604,7 @@ class Post < ApplicationRecord
         # If someone else committed changes to this post before we did,
         # then try to merge the tag changes together.
         current_tags = tag_string_was.split
-        new_tags = PostQueryBuilder.new(tag_string, normalize_aliases: false).parse_tag_edit
+        new_tags = PostQueryBuilder.new(tag_string).parse_tag_edit
         old_tags = old_tag_string.split
 
         kept_tags = current_tags & new_tags
@@ -642,7 +642,7 @@ class Post < ApplicationRecord
     end
 
     def normalize_tags
-      normalized_tags = PostQueryBuilder.new(tag_string, normalize_aliases: false).parse_tag_edit
+      normalized_tags = PostQueryBuilder.new(tag_string).parse_tag_edit
       normalized_tags = apply_casesensitive_metatags(normalized_tags)
       normalized_tags = normalized_tags.map(&:downcase)
       normalized_tags = filter_metatags(normalized_tags)
@@ -1475,7 +1475,8 @@ class Post < ApplicationRecord
     end
 
     def user_tag_match(query, user = CurrentUser.user, safe_mode: CurrentUser.safe_mode?, hide_deleted_posts: user.hide_deleted_posts?)
-      PostQueryBuilder.new(query, user, safe_mode: safe_mode, hide_deleted_posts: hide_deleted_posts).build
+      post_query = PostQueryBuilder.new(query, user, safe_mode: safe_mode, hide_deleted_posts: hide_deleted_posts)
+      post_query.normalized_query.build
     end
 
     def search(params)
diff --git a/app/models/saved_search.rb b/app/models/saved_search.rb
index 6849ba1d9..005f7dfa6 100644
--- a/app/models/saved_search.rb
+++ b/app/models/saved_search.rb
@@ -140,11 +140,11 @@ class SavedSearch < ApplicationRecord
     end
 
     def normalized_query
-      PostQueryBuilder.new(query).to_s
+      PostQueryBuilder.new(query).normalized_query.to_s
     end
 
     def normalize_query
-      self.query = PostQueryBuilder.new(query, normalize_order: false).to_s
+      self.query = PostQueryBuilder.new(query).normalized_query(sort: false).to_s
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/app/models/upload.rb b/app/models/upload.rb
index 96f386fc2..036bbdb95 100644
--- a/app/models/upload.rb
+++ b/app/models/upload.rb
@@ -237,7 +237,7 @@ class Upload < ApplicationRecord
   include SourceMethods
 
   def assign_rating_from_tags
-    if rating = PostQueryBuilder.new(tag_string, normalize_aliases: false).find_metatag(:rating)
+    if rating = PostQueryBuilder.new(tag_string).find_metatag(:rating)
       self.rating = rating.downcase.first
     end
   end
diff --git a/app/presenters/post_presenter.rb b/app/presenters/post_presenter.rb
index 7f1b0d5c6..1e0097094 100644
--- a/app/presenters/post_presenter.rb
+++ b/app/presenters/post_presenter.rb
@@ -163,7 +163,7 @@ class PostPresenter
   end
 
   def has_sequential_navigation?(params)
-    return false if PostQueryBuilder.new(params[:q], normalize_aliases: false).has_metatag?(:order, :ordfav, :ordpool)
+    return false if PostQueryBuilder.new(params[:q]).has_metatag?(:order, :ordfav, :ordpool)
     return false if params[:pool_id].present? || params[:favgroup_id].present?
     return CurrentUser.user.enable_sequential_post_navigation
   end
diff --git a/app/presenters/user_presenter.rb b/app/presenters/user_presenter.rb
index 10a876249..3a3add269 100644
--- a/app/presenters/user_presenter.rb
+++ b/app/presenters/user_presenter.rb
@@ -76,7 +76,7 @@ class UserPresenter
   end
 
   def commented_posts_count(template)
-    count = PostQueryBuilder.new("commenter:#{user.name}", User.system).fast_count
+    count = PostQueryBuilder.new("commenter:#{user.name}").fast_count
     count = "?" if count.nil?
     template.link_to(count, template.posts_path(:tags => "commenter:#{user.name} order:comment_bumped"))
   end
@@ -90,7 +90,7 @@ class UserPresenter
   end
 
   def noted_posts_count(template)
-    count = PostQueryBuilder.new("noteupdater:#{user.name}", User.system).fast_count
+    count = PostQueryBuilder.new("noteupdater:#{user.name}").fast_count
     count = "?" if count.nil?
     template.link_to(count, template.posts_path(:tags => "noteupdater:#{user.name} order:note"))
   end
diff --git a/test/functional/posts_controller_test.rb b/test/functional/posts_controller_test.rb
index 8c90bca94..8d20d332b 100644
--- a/test/functional/posts_controller_test.rb
+++ b/test/functional/posts_controller_test.rb
@@ -305,6 +305,13 @@ class PostsControllerTest < ActionDispatch::IntegrationTest
           assert_select "#post_#{@post.id}", 1
         end
       end
+
+      context "in safe mode" do
+        should "not include the rating:s tag in the page title" do
+          get posts_path(tags: "1girl", safe_mode: true)
+          assert_select "title", text: "1girl Art | Safebooru"
+        end
+      end
     end
 
     context "show_seq action" do
diff --git a/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb b/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb
index e3eb07629..d74b08e8e 100644
--- a/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb
+++ b/test/unit/post_query_builder_test.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   end
 
   def assert_fast_count(count, query, query_options = {}, fast_count_options = {})
-    assert_equal(count, PostQueryBuilder.new(query, **query_options).fast_count(**fast_count_options))
+    assert_equal(count, PostQueryBuilder.new(query, **query_options).normalized_query.fast_count(**fast_count_options))
   end
 
   setup do
@@ -1018,7 +1018,6 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
   context "Parsing:" do
     should "split a query" do
       assert_equal(%w(aaa bbb), PostQueryBuilder.new("aaa bbb").split_query)
-      assert_equal(%w(~aaa -bbb*), PostQueryBuilder.new("~AAa -BBB* -bbb*").split_query)
     end
 
     should "not strip out valid characters when scanning" do
@@ -1050,22 +1049,22 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
     end
   end
 
-  context "The normalize_query method" do
+  context "The normalized_query method" do
     should "work" do
       create(:tag_alias, antecedent_name: "gray", consequent_name: "grey")
 
-      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new("foo").to_s)
-      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new(" foo ").to_s)
-      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new("FOO").to_s)
-      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new("foo foo").to_s)
-      assert_equal("grey", PostQueryBuilder.new("gray").to_s)
-      assert_equal("aaa bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb aaa").to_s)
-      assert_equal("-aaa bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb -aaa").to_s)
-      assert_equal("~aaa ~bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("~bbb ~aaa").to_s)
-      assert_equal("commentary:true bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb commentary:true").to_s)
-      assert_equal('commentary:"true" bbb', PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb commentary:'true'").to_s)
-      assert_equal('-commentary:true bbb', PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb -commentary:true").to_s)
-      assert_equal('-commentary:"true" bbb', PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb -commentary:'true'").to_s)
+      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new("foo").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new(" foo ").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new("FOO").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("foo", PostQueryBuilder.new("foo foo").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("grey", PostQueryBuilder.new("gray").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("aaa bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb aaa").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("-aaa bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb -aaa").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("~aaa ~bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("~bbb ~aaa").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal("commentary:true bbb", PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb commentary:true").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal('commentary:"true" bbb', PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb commentary:'true'").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal('-commentary:true bbb', PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb -commentary:true").normalized_query.to_s)
+      assert_equal('-commentary:"true" bbb', PostQueryBuilder.new("bbb -commentary:'true'").normalized_query.to_s)
     end
   end
 
@@ -1114,7 +1113,7 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
       should "set the expiration time" do
         Cache.expects(:put).with(PostQueryBuilder.new("score:42 aaa").count_cache_key, 1, 180)
-        PostQueryBuilder.new("aaa score:42").fast_count
+        assert_fast_count(1, "aaa score:42")
       end
 
       should "work with the hide_deleted_posts option turned on" do
@@ -1126,8 +1125,8 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
     context "a blank search" do
       should "should execute a search" do
-        assert_equal(1, PostQueryBuilder.new("").fast_count(estimate_count: false))
-        assert_nothing_raised { PostQueryBuilder.new("").fast_count(estimate_count: true) }
+        assert_fast_count(1, "", {}, { estimate_count: false })
+        assert_nothing_raised { PostQueryBuilder.new("").normalized_query.fast_count(estimate_count: true) }
       end
 
       should "return 0 for a nonexisting tag" do
@@ -1136,13 +1135,13 @@ class PostQueryBuilderTest < ActiveSupport::TestCase
 
       context "in safe mode" do
         should "work for a blank search" do
-          assert_equal(2, PostQueryBuilder.new("").fast_count(estimate_count: false))
-          assert_nothing_raised { PostQueryBuilder.new("").fast_count(estimate_count: true) }
+          assert_fast_count(0, "", { safe_mode: true }, { estimate_count: false })
+          assert_nothing_raised { PostQueryBuilder.new("", safe_mode: true).normalized_query.fast_count(estimate_count: true) }
         end
 
         should "work for a nil search" do
-          assert_equal(2, PostQueryBuilder.new(nil).fast_count(estimate_count: false))
-          assert_nothing_raised { PostQueryBuilder.new(nil).fast_count(estimate_count: true) }
+          assert_fast_count(0, nil, { safe_mode: true }, { estimate_count: false })
+          assert_nothing_raised { PostQueryBuilder.new("", safe_mode: true).normalized_query.fast_count(estimate_count: true) }
         end
 
         should "not fail for a two tag search by a member" do