diff --git a/gallery_dl/util.py b/gallery_dl/util.py
index 078bb1cb..e8af358e 100644
--- a/gallery_dl/util.py
+++ b/gallery_dl/util.py
@@ -71,21 +71,17 @@ def unique_sequence(iterable):
             yield element
 
 
-def contains(values, elements):
+def contains(values, elements, separator=" "):
     """Returns True if at least one of 'elements' is contained in 'values'"""
-    if not isinstance(elements, (tuple, list)):
-        elements = (elements,)
-
     if isinstance(values, str):
-        fmt = r"\b{}\b".format
-        for e in elements:
-            if re.compile(fmt(re.escape(e))).search(values):
-                return True
-    else:
-        for e in elements:
-            if e in values:
-                return True
+        values = values.split(separator)
 
+    if not isinstance(elements, (tuple, list)):
+        return elements in values
+
+    for e in elements:
+        if e in values:
+            return True
     return False
 
 
diff --git a/test/test_util.py b/test/test_util.py
index da0724a1..3cf3d683 100644
--- a/test/test_util.py
+++ b/test/test_util.py
@@ -328,13 +328,18 @@ class TestOther(unittest.TestCase):
         self.assertFalse(util.contains(c, "bar"))
         self.assertFalse(util.contains(c, [2, 5, "bar"]))
 
-        s = "1, 2, 3, asd, qwe, y(+)c, f(+)(-), bar"
+        s = "1 2 3 asd qwe y(+)c f(+)(-) bar"
         self.assertTrue(util.contains(s, "y(+)c"))
         self.assertTrue(util.contains(s, ["asd", "qwe", "yxc"]))
         self.assertTrue(util.contains(s, ["sdf", "dfg", "qwe"]))
         self.assertFalse(util.contains(s, "tag1"))
         self.assertFalse(util.contains(s, ["tag1", "tag2", "tag3"]))
 
+        s = "1, 2, 3, asd, qwe, y(+)c, f(+)(-), bar"
+        self.assertTrue(util.contains(s, "y(+)c", ", "))
+        self.assertTrue(util.contains(s, ["sdf", "dfg", "qwe"], ", "))
+        self.assertFalse(util.contains(s, "tag1", ", "))
+
     def test_raises(self):
         func = util.raises(Exception)
         with self.assertRaises(Exception):