diff --git a/server/finders/BookFinder.js b/server/finders/BookFinder.js
index 6d31b2ab9..90fed951f 100644
--- a/server/finders/BookFinder.js
+++ b/server/finders/BookFinder.js
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@ class BookFinder {
       title = this.#removeAuthorFromTitle(title)
 
       const titleTransformers = [
-        [/([,:;_]| by ).*/g, ''], // Remove subtitle
+        [/(: |[,;_]| by ).*/g, ''], // Remove subtitle
         [/(^| )\d+k(bps)?( |$)/, ' '], // Remove bitrate
         [/ (2nd|3rd|\d+th)\s+ed(\.|ition)?/g, ''], // Remove edition
         [/(^| |\.)(m4b|m4a|mp3)( |$)/g, ''], // Remove file-type
@@ -646,11 +646,11 @@ class BookFinder {
 module.exports = new BookFinder()
 
 function hasSubtitle(title) {
-  return title.includes(':') || title.includes(' - ')
+  return title.includes(': ') || title.includes(' - ')
 }
 function stripSubtitle(title) {
-  if (title.includes(':')) {
-    return title.split(':')[0].trim()
+  if (title.includes(': ')) {
+    return title.split(': ')[0].trim()
   } else if (title.includes(' - ')) {
     return title.split(' - ')[0].trim()
   }
diff --git a/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.js b/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.js
index 6682a0078..4276443d0 100644
--- a/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.js
+++ b/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.js
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ function parseNfoMetadata(nfoText) {
       switch (key) {
         case 'title':
           {
-            const titleMatch = value.match(/^(.*?):(.*)$/)
+            const titleMatch = value.match(/^(.*?): (.*)$/)
             if (titleMatch) {
               metadata.title = titleMatch[1].trim()
               metadata.subtitle = titleMatch[2].trim()
diff --git a/test/server/finders/BookFinder.test.js b/test/server/finders/BookFinder.test.js
index 6578ca82a..cb697b81a 100644
--- a/test/server/finders/BookFinder.test.js
+++ b/test/server/finders/BookFinder.test.js
@@ -35,7 +35,10 @@ describe('TitleCandidates', () => {
         ['adds candidate, removing author', `anna karenina by ${cleanAuthor}`, ['anna karenina']],
         ['does not add empty candidate after removing author', cleanAuthor, []],
         ['adds candidate, removing subtitle', 'anna karenina: subtitle', ['anna karenina']],
+        ['adds candidate, not stripping subtitle for bare colon in title', '10:04', ['10:04']],
+        ['adds candidate, not stripping subtitle for colon between words without space', 'making the mission:impossible movies', ['making the mission:impossible movies']],
         ['adds candidate + variant, removing "by ..."', 'anna karenina by arnold schwarzenegger', ['anna karenina', 'anna karenina by arnold schwarzenegger']],
+        ['adds candidate + variant, removing "by ..." when title has bare colon', '10:04 by ben lerner', ['10:04', '10:04 by ben lerner']],
         ['adds candidate + variant, removing bitrate', 'anna karenina 64kbps', ['anna karenina', 'anna karenina 64kbps']],
         ['adds candidate + variant, removing edition 1', 'anna karenina 2nd edition', ['anna karenina', 'anna karenina 2nd edition']],
         ['adds candidate + variant, removing edition 2', 'anna karenina 4th ed.', ['anna karenina', 'anna karenina 4th ed.']],
diff --git a/test/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.test.js b/test/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.test.js
index 9ff51fbe5..ba11ddff2 100644
--- a/test/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.test.js
+++ b/test/server/utils/parsers/parseNfoMetadata.test.js
@@ -21,6 +21,20 @@ describe('parseNfoMetadata', () => {
     expect(result.subtitle).to.equal('A Novel')
   })
 
+  it('does not split title on bare colon without space', () => {
+    const nfoText = 'Title: 10:04'
+    const result = parseNfoMetadata(nfoText)
+    expect(result.title).to.equal('10:04')
+    expect(result.subtitle).to.be.undefined
+  })
+
+  it('does not split title on colon between words without space', () => {
+    const nfoText = 'Title: Making the Mission:Impossible Movies'
+    const result = parseNfoMetadata(nfoText)
+    expect(result.title).to.equal('Making the Mission:Impossible Movies')
+    expect(result.subtitle).to.be.undefined
+  })
+
   it('parses authors', () => {
     const nfoText = 'Author: F. Scott Fitzgerald'
     const result = parseNfoMetadata(nfoText)