diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/Predicate.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/Predicate.java
index 2791f2c..9dc7689 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/Predicate.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/Predicate.java
@@ -18,9 +18,12 @@
 import static com.google.common.base.Preconditions.checkState;
 
 import com.google.common.collect.Iterables;
+import java.util.ArrayList;
 import java.util.Collection;
 import java.util.Collections;
+import java.util.LinkedList;
 import java.util.List;
+import java.util.Queue;
 
 /**
  * An abstract predicate tree for any form of query.
@@ -146,6 +149,19 @@
     return leafCount;
   }
 
+  /** Returns a list of this predicate and all its descendants. */
+  public List<Predicate<T>> getFlattenedPredicateList() {
+    List<Predicate<T>> result = new ArrayList<>();
+    Queue<Predicate<T>> queue = new LinkedList<>();
+    queue.add(this);
+    while (!queue.isEmpty()) {
+      Predicate<T> current = queue.poll();
+      result.add(current);
+      current.getChildren().forEach(p -> queue.add(p));
+    }
+    return result;
+  }
+
   /** Create a copy of this predicate, with new children. */
   public abstract Predicate<T> copy(Collection<? extends Predicate<T>> children);
 
@@ -153,6 +169,11 @@
     return this instanceof Matchable;
   }
 
+  /** Whether this predicate can be used in search queries. */
+  public boolean supportedForQueries() {
+    return true;
+  }
+
   @SuppressWarnings("unchecked")
   public Matchable<T> asMatchable() {
     checkState(isMatchable(), "not matchable");
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/QueryProcessor.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/QueryProcessor.java
index c05516b..ea23d91 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/QueryProcessor.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/index/query/QueryProcessor.java
@@ -227,6 +227,7 @@
       List<DataSource<T>> sources = new ArrayList<>(cnt);
       int queryCount = 0;
       for (Predicate<T> q : queries) {
+        checkSupportedForQueries(q);
         int limit = getEffectiveLimit(q);
         limits.add(limit);
 
@@ -294,6 +295,15 @@
     return out;
   }
 
+  private void checkSupportedForQueries(Predicate<T> predicate) throws QueryParseException {
+    List<Predicate<T>> descendants = predicate.getFlattenedPredicateList();
+    for (Predicate<T> p : descendants) {
+      if (!p.supportedForQueries()) {
+        throw new QueryParseException(String.format("Operator '%s' cannot be used in queries", p));
+      }
+    }
+  }
+
   private static <T> ImmutableList<QueryResult<T>> disabledResults(
       List<String> queryStrings, List<Predicate<T>> queries) {
     return IntStream.range(0, queries.size())
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SubmitRequirementsEvaluatorImpl.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SubmitRequirementsEvaluatorImpl.java
index de637b4..2caa9dd 100644
--- a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SubmitRequirementsEvaluatorImpl.java
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/project/SubmitRequirementsEvaluatorImpl.java
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 import com.google.gerrit.server.experiments.ExperimentFeatures;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.experiments.ExperimentFeaturesConstants;
 import com.google.gerrit.server.query.change.ChangeData;
-import com.google.gerrit.server.query.change.ChangeQueryBuilder;
+import com.google.gerrit.server.query.change.SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder;
 import com.google.inject.AbstractModule;
 import com.google.inject.Inject;
 import com.google.inject.Module;
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 /** Evaluates submit requirements for different change data. */
 public class SubmitRequirementsEvaluatorImpl implements SubmitRequirementsEvaluator {
 
-  private final Provider<ChangeQueryBuilder> changeQueryBuilderProvider;
+  private final Provider<SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder> queryBuilder;
   private final ProjectCache projectCache;
   private final SubmitRuleEvaluator.Factory legacyEvaluator;
   private final ExperimentFeatures experimentFeatures;
@@ -58,11 +58,11 @@
 
   @Inject
   private SubmitRequirementsEvaluatorImpl(
-      Provider<ChangeQueryBuilder> changeQueryBuilderProvider,
+      Provider<SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder> queryBuilder,
       ProjectCache projectCache,
       SubmitRuleEvaluator.Factory legacyEvaluator,
       ExperimentFeatures experimentFeatures) {
-    this.changeQueryBuilderProvider = changeQueryBuilderProvider;
+    this.queryBuilder = queryBuilder;
     this.projectCache = projectCache;
     this.legacyEvaluator = legacyEvaluator;
     this.experimentFeatures = experimentFeatures;
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@
   @Override
   public void validateExpression(SubmitRequirementExpression expression)
       throws QueryParseException {
-    changeQueryBuilderProvider.get().parse(expression.expressionString());
+    queryBuilder.get().parse(expression.expressionString());
   }
 
   @Override
@@ -121,8 +121,7 @@
   public SubmitRequirementExpressionResult evaluateExpression(
       SubmitRequirementExpression expression, ChangeData changeData) {
     try {
-      Predicate<ChangeData> predicate =
-          changeQueryBuilderProvider.get().parse(expression.expressionString());
+      Predicate<ChangeData> predicate = queryBuilder.get().parse(expression.expressionString());
       PredicateResult predicateResult = evaluatePredicateTree(predicate, changeData);
       return SubmitRequirementExpressionResult.create(expression, predicateResult);
     } catch (QueryParseException e) {
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e63714f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2021 The Android Open Source Project
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package com.google.gerrit.server.query.change;
+
+import com.google.gerrit.index.query.QueryBuilder;
+import com.google.inject.Inject;
+
+/**
+ * A query builder for submit requirement expressions that includes all {@link ChangeQueryBuilder}
+ * operators, in addition to extra operators contributed by this class.
+ *
+ * <p>Operators defined in this class cannot be used in change queries.
+ */
+public class SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder extends ChangeQueryBuilder {
+
+  private static final QueryBuilder.Definition<ChangeData, ChangeQueryBuilder> def =
+      new QueryBuilder.Definition<>(SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder.class);
+
+  @Inject
+  SubmitRequirementChangeQueryBuilder(Arguments args) {
+    super(def, args);
+  }
+}
diff --git a/java/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/SubmitRequirementPredicate.java b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/SubmitRequirementPredicate.java
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..184ede3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/java/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/SubmitRequirementPredicate.java
@@ -0,0 +1,35 @@
+// Copyright (C) 2021 The Android Open Source Project
+//
+// Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+// you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+// You may obtain a copy of the License at
+//
+// http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+//
+// Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+// distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+// WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+// See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+// limitations under the License.
+
+package com.google.gerrit.server.query.change;
+
+import com.google.gerrit.index.query.Matchable;
+import com.google.gerrit.index.query.OperatorPredicate;
+
+/**
+ * Predicate that can be used in submit requirement expressions. Subclasses extended by this
+ * predicate cannot be used in search queries.
+ */
+public abstract class SubmitRequirementPredicate extends OperatorPredicate<ChangeData>
+    implements Matchable<ChangeData> {
+
+  public SubmitRequirementPredicate(String name, String value) {
+    super(name, value);
+  }
+
+  @Override
+  public boolean supportedForQueries() {
+    return false;
+  }
+}
diff --git a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/AbstractQueryChangesTest.java b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/AbstractQueryChangesTest.java
index 65b725b..2c6dd66 100644
--- a/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/AbstractQueryChangesTest.java
+++ b/javatests/com/google/gerrit/server/query/change/AbstractQueryChangesTest.java
@@ -3691,6 +3691,32 @@
   }
 
   @Test
+  public void bySubmitRequirement_notAllowed() throws Exception {
+    Exception thrown =
+        assertThrows(
+            QueryParseException.class,
+            () ->
+                queryProcessorProvider
+                    .get()
+                    .query(
+                        new SubmitRequirementPredicate("submit-requirement", "value") {
+                          @Override
+                          public boolean match(ChangeData object) {
+                            return false;
+                          }
+
+                          @Override
+                          public int getCost() {
+                            return 0;
+                          }
+                        }));
+
+    assertThat(thrown)
+        .hasMessageThat()
+        .isEqualTo("Operator 'submit-requirement:value' cannot be used in queries");
+  }
+
+  @Test
   public void selfFailsForAnonymousUser() throws Exception {
     for (String query : ImmutableList.of("assignee:self", "has:star", "is:starred", "star:star")) {
       assertQuery(query);