diff --git a/contrib/search_api_views/includes/query.inc b/contrib/search_api_views/includes/query.inc
--- a/contrib/search_api_views/includes/query.inc
+++ b/contrib/search_api_views/includes/query.inc
@@ -175,7 +175,15 @@ class SearchApiViewsQuery extends views_plugin_query {
         if (!empty($group['conditions']) || !empty($group['filters'])) {
           // For filters without a group, we want to always add them directly to
           // the query.
-          $filter = ($group_id === '') ? $this->query : $this->query->createFilter($group['type']);
+          if ($group_id === '') {
+            $filter = $this->query;
+          }
+          elseif (isset($group['conditions'][0][1])) {
+            $filter = $this->query->createFilter($group['conditions'][0][1]);
+          }
+          else {
+            $filter = $this->query->createFilter();
+          }
           if (!empty($group['conditions'])) {
             foreach ($group['conditions'] as $condition) {
               list($field, $value, $operator) = $condition;