diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 2dcd110..661a36b 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -123,35 +123,36 @@ file_import(char *path, char *ptr)
 	return copy("NAF", ptr, 3);
 }
 
-static void
+static int
 write_reg(char r, char *reg)
 {
+	char *origin = dst_;
 	switch(r) {
-	case ':': device_write(reg); return;
+	case ':': device_write(reg); break;
 	case '~': {
 		unsigned char c;
 		while(fread(&c, 1, 1, stdin) && c >= ' ') *dst_++ = c;
 		if(feof(stdin)) dst_ = copy("EOF", dst_, 3);
-		return;
+		break;
 	}
 	case '_': {
 		char filepath[0x80];
 		copy(reg, filepath, walk(reg) - reg);
 		dst_ = file_import(filepath, dst_);
-		return;
+		break;
 	}
 	case '^': { /* op: join */
 		char c, *cap = walk(reg);
 		if(*reg == '(') reg++, --cap;
 		while(reg < cap && (c = *reg++))
 			if(!spacer(c)) *dst_++ = c;
-		return;
+		break;
 	}
 	case '.': { /* op: unwrap */
 		char *cap = walk(reg);
 		if(*reg == '(') reg++, --cap;
 		dst_ = copy(reg, dst_, cap - reg);
-		return;
+		break;
 	}
 	case '*': { /* op: explode */
 		int i, depth = 0;
@@ -167,13 +168,11 @@ write_reg(char r, char *reg)
 			while((c = *reg++) && !spacer(c))
 				*dst_++ = c, *dst_++ = ' ', *dst_++ = '(', depth++;
 		for(i = 0; i < depth; i++) *dst_++ = ')';
-		return;
-	}
-	default: {
-		dst_ = copy(reg, dst_, walk(reg) - reg);
-		return;
+		break;
 	}
+	default: dst_ = copy(reg, dst_, walk(reg) - reg);
 	}
+	return dst_ - origin;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -216,12 +215,13 @@ apply_rule(Rule *r, char *s)
 	if(!spacer(c)) return 0;
 	/* phase: write rule */
 	while((c = *b++))
-		if(c == '?' && (rid = *b) && (reg = regs[rid])){
-			char *ori = dst_;
-			write_reg(rid, reg), b++;
-			if(dst_ == ori){
-				if(b[0] == ' ') b++;
-				else if(last == ' ') dst_--;
+		if(c == '?' && (rid = *b) && (reg = regs[rid])) {
+			b++;
+			if(!write_reg(rid, reg)) {
+				if(*b == ' ')
+					b++;
+				else if(last == ' ')
+					dst_--;
 			}
 		} else
 			*dst_++ = last = c;