diff --git a/lib/oga/css/parser.y b/lib/oga/css/parser.y
index 2bd6bea..44d1008 100644
--- a/lib/oga/css/parser.y
+++ b/lib/oga/css/parser.y
@@ -14,11 +14,12 @@ rule
   expression
     : path
     | node_test
-    | node_operators
+    | axis
     ;
 
   path_member
     : node_test
+    | axis
     ;
 
   path_members
@@ -51,8 +52,8 @@ rule
     ;
 
   predicate_members
-    : node_test { val[0] }
-    | operator  { val[0] }
+    : node_test
+    | operator
     ;
 
   operator
@@ -64,12 +65,23 @@ rule
     | op_members T_HYPHEN_IN   op_members { s(:hyphen_in, val[0],val[2]) }
     ;
 
-  node_operators
-    : node_test T_CHILD     node_test { s(:child, val[0], val[2]) }
-    | node_test T_FOLLOWING node_test { s(:following, val[0], val[2]) }
+  axis
+    # x > y
+    : node_test T_CHILD node_test
+      {
+        s(:axis, 'child', val[0], val[2])
+      }
+
+    # x + y
+    | node_test T_FOLLOWING node_test
+      {
+        s(:axis, 'following', val[0], val[2])
+      }
+
+    # x ~ y
     | node_test T_FOLLOWING_DIRECT node_test
       {
-        s(:following_direct, val[0], val[2])
+        s(:axis, 'following-direct', val[0], val[2])
       }
     ;
 
diff --git a/spec/oga/css/parser/axes_spec.rb b/spec/oga/css/parser/axes_spec.rb
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c13ef71
--- /dev/null
+++ b/spec/oga/css/parser/axes_spec.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,40 @@
+require 'spec_helper'
+
+describe Oga::CSS::Parser do
+  context 'axes' do
+    example 'parse the > axis' do
+      parse_css('x > y').should == s(
+        :axis,
+        'child',
+        s(:test, nil, 'x'),
+        s(:test, nil, 'y')
+      )
+    end
+
+    example 'parse the + axis' do
+      parse_css('x + y').should == s(
+        :axis,
+        'following-direct',
+        s(:test, nil, 'x'),
+        s(:test, nil, 'y')
+      )
+    end
+
+    example 'parse the ~ axis' do
+      parse_css('x ~ y').should == s(
+        :axis,
+        'following',
+        s(:test, nil, 'x'),
+        s(:test, nil, 'y')
+      )
+    end
+
+    example 'parse the ~ axis followed by another node test' do
+      parse_css('x ~ y z').should == s(
+        :path,
+        s(:axis, 'following', s(:test, nil, 'x'), s(:test, nil, 'y')),
+        s(:test, nil, 'z')
+      )
+    end
+  end
+end
diff --git a/spec/oga/css/parser/operators_spec.rb b/spec/oga/css/parser/operators_spec.rb
index e33e042..8f19344 100644
--- a/spec/oga/css/parser/operators_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/oga/css/parser/operators_spec.rb
@@ -55,29 +55,5 @@ describe Oga::CSS::Parser do
         s(:hyphen_in, s(:test, nil, 'a'), s(:string, 'b'))
       )
     end
-
-    example 'parse the > operator' do
-      parse_css('x > y').should == s(
-        :child,
-        s(:test, nil, 'x'),
-        s(:test, nil, 'y')
-      )
-    end
-
-    example 'parse the + operator' do
-      parse_css('x + y').should == s(
-        :following_direct,
-        s(:test, nil, 'x'),
-        s(:test, nil, 'y')
-      )
-    end
-
-    example 'parse the ~ operator' do
-      parse_css('x ~ y').should == s(
-        :following,
-        s(:test, nil, 'x'),
-        s(:test, nil, 'y')
-      )
-    end
   end
 end