Index: wp-includes/meta.php
===================================================================
--- wp-includes/meta.php	(revision 26878)
+++ wp-includes/meta.php	(working copy)
@@ -807,10 +807,6 @@
 				continue;
 			}
 
-			$join[$i]  = "INNER JOIN $meta_table";
-			$join[$i] .= $i ? " AS $alias" : '';
-			$join[$i] .= " ON ($primary_table.$primary_id_column = $alias.$meta_id_column)";
-
 			$where[$k] = '';
 			if ( !empty( $meta_key ) )
 				$where[$k] = $wpdb->prepare( "$alias.meta_key = %s", $meta_key );
@@ -848,7 +844,7 @@
 			if ( ! empty( $where[$k] ) )
 				$where[$k] .= ' AND ';
 
-			$where[$k] = ' (' . $where[$k] . $wpdb->prepare( "CAST($alias.meta_value AS {$meta_type}) {$meta_compare} {$meta_compare_string})", $meta_value );
+			$where[$k] = ' ' . $primary_table . '.' . $primary_id_column . ' IN (SELECT ' . $meta_id_column . ' FROM ' . $alias . ' WHERE ' . $where[$k] . $wpdb->prepare( "CAST($alias.meta_value AS {$meta_type}) {$meta_compare} {$meta_compare_string})", $meta_value );
 		}
 
 		$where = array_filter( $where );