diff --git a/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js b/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js
index 2cad131..a8578ae 100644
--- a/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js
+++ b/src/commands/math/basicSymbols.js
@@ -59,26 +59,27 @@
 var Letter = P(Variable, function(_, super_) {
   _.init = function(ch) { return super_.init.call(this, this.letter = ch); };
   _.createLeftOf = function(cursor) {
+    super_.createLeftOf.apply(this, arguments);
     var autoCmds = cursor.options.autoCommands, maxLength = autoCmds._maxLength;
     if (maxLength > 0) {
       // want longest possible autocommand, so join together longest
       // sequence of letters
-      var str = this.letter, l = cursor[L], i = 1;
-      while (l instanceof Letter && i < maxLength) {
+      var str = '', l = this, i = 0;
+      // FIXME: l.ctrlSeq === l.letter checks if first or last in an operator name
+      while (l instanceof Letter && l.ctrlSeq === l.letter && i < maxLength) {
         str = l.letter + str, l = l[L], i += 1;
       }
       // check for an autocommand, going thru substrings longest to shortest
       while (str.length) {
         if (autoCmds.hasOwnProperty(str)) {
-          for (var i = 2, l = cursor[L]; i < str.length; i += 1, l = l[L]);
-          Fragment(l, cursor[L]).remove();
+          for (var i = 1, l = this; i < str.length; i += 1, l = l[L]);
+          Fragment(l, this).remove();
           cursor[L] = l[L];
           return LatexCmds[str](str).createLeftOf(cursor);
         }
         str = str.slice(1);
       }
     }
-    super_.createLeftOf.apply(this, arguments);
   };
   _.italicize = function(bool) {
     this.isItalic = bool;
diff --git a/test/unit/typing.test.js b/test/unit/typing.test.js
index 3ba3b31..25628ef 100644
--- a/test/unit/typing.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/typing.test.js
@@ -813,6 +813,7 @@
   suite('autoCommands', function() {
     setup(function() {
       MQ.config({
+        autoOperatorNames: 'sin pp',
         autoCommands: 'pi tau phi theta Gamma sum prod sqrt nthroot'
       });
     });
@@ -880,6 +881,13 @@
       assertLatex('\\sin\\pi');
     });
 
+    test('has lower "precedence" than operator names', function() {
+      mq.typedText('ppi');
+      assertLatex('\\operatorname{pp}i');
+      mq.keystroke('Left Left').typedText('i');
+      assertLatex('\\pi pi');
+    });
+
     test('command contains non-letters', function() {
       assert.throws(function() { MQ.config({ autoCommands: 'e1' }); });
     });