diff --git a/wire/core/PageFinder.php b/wire/core/PageFinder.php
index 87ef209a..871d9103 100644
--- a/wire/core/PageFinder.php
+++ b/wire/core/PageFinder.php
@@ -2146,7 +2146,9 @@ class PageFinder extends Wire {
 			
 		} else if($operator === '!=' || $operator === '<>') {
 			// not equals
-			$whereType = 'AND';
+			$whereType = count($selector->fields()) > 1 && $ft->isEmptyValue($field, $value) ? 'OR' : 'AND';
+			// alternate and technically more consistent behavior, but doesn't seem useful:
+			// $whereType = count($selector->fields()) > 1 ? 'OR' : 'AND'; 
 			$zeroIsEmpty = $ft->isEmptyValue($field, "0"); 
 			$zeroIsNotEmpty = !$zeroIsEmpty;
 			$value = (string) $value;
diff --git a/wire/modules/Process/ProcessPageList/ProcessPageListRender.php b/wire/modules/Process/ProcessPageList/ProcessPageListRender.php
index 071f0931..c7acd1b3 100644
--- a/wire/modules/Process/ProcessPageList/ProcessPageListRender.php
+++ b/wire/modules/Process/ProcessPageList/ProcessPageListRender.php
@@ -360,8 +360,7 @@ abstract class ProcessPageListRender extends Wire {
 		}
 		
 		if(!empty($options['noTags']) && strpos($value, '<') !== false) {
-			// legacy code, appears to be impossible to reach
-			$value = strip_tags($value);
+			$value = strip_tags(str_replace('<', ' <', $value));
 		}
 
 		return $icon . trim($value);
@@ -573,4 +572,3 @@ abstract class ProcessPageListRender extends Wire {
 	}
 
 }
-