diff --git a/src/openfermion/ops/operators/qubit_operator_test.py b/src/openfermion/ops/operators/qubit_operator_test.py
index 56ba4128a..fb7335b22 100644
--- a/src/openfermion/ops/operators/qubit_operator_test.py
+++ b/src/openfermion/ops/operators/qubit_operator_test.py
@@ -279,3 +279,21 @@ def test_get_operator_groups_six():
 
     assert check_length(operator_groups, [4, 4, 3, 3, 3, 3])
     assert check_sum(operator_groups, operator)
+
+
+def test_qubit_operator_sympy_support():
+    import sympy
+
+    x = sympy.Symbol('x')
+    y = sympy.Symbol('y')
+    # Hamiltonian creation as described in issue #1053
+    hamiltonian = x * QubitOperator('X0 X5') + 0.3 * QubitOperator('Z0')
+
+    # Check symbolic equality using sympy.simplify
+    term_coeff = hamiltonian.terms[((0, 'X'), (5, 'X'))]
+    assert sympy.simplify(term_coeff - x) == 0
+    assert hamiltonian.terms[((0, 'Z'),)] == 0.3
+
+    cancelled = hamiltonian - x * QubitOperator('X0 X5')
+    cancelled.compress()
+    assert ((0, 'X'), (5, 'X')) not in cancelled.terms
diff --git a/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator.py b/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator.py
index 613930160..90d783dbb 100644
--- a/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator.py
+++ b/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator.py
@@ -16,12 +16,25 @@
 import re
 import warnings
 import numbers
-
-import sympy
+from typing import Tuple, Type
 
 from openfermion.config import EQ_TOLERANCE
 
-COEFFICIENT_TYPES = (int, float, complex, sympy.Expr, numbers.Number)
+try:
+    import sympy
+
+    HAS_SYMPY = True
+except ImportError:  # pragma: no cover
+    HAS_SYMPY = False
+    sympy = None
+
+COEFFICIENT_TYPES: Tuple[Type, ...]
+if HAS_SYMPY:
+    COEFFICIENT_TYPES = (int, float, complex, numbers.Number, sympy.Expr, sympy.Symbol, sympy.Basic)
+else:
+    COEFFICIENT_TYPES = (int, float, complex, numbers.Number)
+
+# COEFFICIENT_TYPES = (int, float, complex, sympy.Expr, numbers.Number)/
 
 
 class SymbolicOperator(metaclass=abc.ABCMeta):
@@ -692,33 +705,41 @@ def isclose(self, other, tol=None, rtol=EQ_TOLERANCE, atol=EQ_TOLERANCE):
         return True
 
     def compress(self, abs_tol=EQ_TOLERANCE):
-        """
-        Eliminates all terms with coefficients close to zero and removes
+        """Eliminates all terms with coefficients close to zero and removes
         small imaginary and real parts.
 
         Args:
             abs_tol(float): Absolute tolerance, must be at least 0.0
         """
         new_terms = {}
-        for term in self.terms:
-            coeff = self.terms[term]
-
-            if isinstance(coeff, sympy.Expr):
-                if sympy.simplify(sympy.im(coeff) <= abs_tol) == True:
-                    coeff = sympy.re(coeff)
-                if sympy.simplify(sympy.re(coeff) <= abs_tol) == True:
-                    coeff = 1j * sympy.im(coeff)
-                if sympy.simplify(abs(coeff) <= abs_tol) != True:
-                    new_terms[term] = coeff
+        for term, coeff in self.terms.items():
+            if HAS_SYMPY and isinstance(coeff, (sympy.Expr, sympy.Symbol, sympy.Basic)):
+                # SymPy symbolic handling
+                if coeff == 0 or coeff.is_zero is True:
+                    continue
+
+                # Simplify the symbolic expression
+                simplified_coeff = sympy.simplify(coeff)
+                if simplified_coeff == 0 or simplified_coeff.is_zero is True:
+                    continue
+
+                # Check if simplified expression evaluates to a float/number under abs_tol
+                if simplified_coeff.is_number:
+                    try:
+                        if abs(complex(simplified_coeff)) <= abs_tol:
+                            continue
+                    except (TypeError, ValueError):
+                        pass
+
+                new_terms[term] = simplified_coeff
                 continue
 
-            # Remove small imaginary and real parts
+            # Standard numerical handling
             if abs(coeff.imag) <= abs_tol:
                 coeff = coeff.real
             if abs(coeff.real) <= abs_tol:
                 coeff = 1.0j * coeff.imag
 
-            # Add the term if the coefficient is large enough
             if abs(coeff) > abs_tol:
                 new_terms[term] = coeff
 
diff --git a/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator_test.py b/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator_test.py
index ea914f607..953b35e6b 100644
--- a/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator_test.py
+++ b/src/openfermion/ops/operators/symbolic_operator_test.py
@@ -1447,3 +1447,37 @@ def test_many_body_order_sympy(self):
     def test_tracenorm_zero(self):
         op = MockOperator2()
         self.assertFalse(op.induced_norm())
+
+    def test_symbolic_operator_sympy_coefficients(self):
+        import sympy
+
+        x = sympy.Symbol('x')
+        y = sympy.Symbol('y')
+
+        # 1. Initialize MockOperator1 with a SymPy symbol coefficient
+        op1 = MockOperator1(((0, 1), (1, 0)), x)
+        self.assertEqual(op1.terms[((0, 1), (1, 0))], x)
+
+        # 2. Scalar multiplication with a SymPy expression
+        op2 = op1 * (2 * y)
+        self.assertEqual(op2.terms[((0, 1), (1, 0))], 2 * x * y)
+
+        # 3. Addition of symbolic operators
+        op3 = MockOperator1(((0, 1), (1, 0)), y)
+        op_sum = op1 + op3
+        self.assertEqual(op_sum.terms[((0, 1), (1, 0))], x + y)
+
+        # 4. Symbolic zero cancellation (x - x -> 0 term should be pruned)
+        op4 = MockOperator1(((0, 1), (1, 0)), -x)
+        op_cancel = op1 + op4
+        self.assertEqual(len(op_cancel.terms), 0)
+
+    def test_compress_sympy_coefficients(self):
+        import sympy
+
+        x = sympy.Symbol('x')
+
+        # Operator with x - x (evaluates to 0 on compress)
+        op = MockOperator1(((0, 1), (1, 0)), x - x)
+        op.compress()
+        self.assertEqual(len(op.terms), 0)