diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 9f6f166..1355f39 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -131,7 +131,7 @@ commit_rule(Rule *r, char *s, int create)
 }
 
 static char *
-parse_rule(char *s)
+parse_rule_frag(char *s)
 {
 	char *ss = walk(s), *d = dict_;
 	if(*s == '(') s++, ss--;
@@ -140,17 +140,14 @@ parse_rule(char *s)
 	return d;
 }
 
-static int
-add_rule(char *p)
-{
+static char *
+parse_rule(Rule *r, char *s){
 	char c;
-	Rule *r = rules_++;
-	r->id = rules_ - rules - 1, p += 2;
-	while((c = *p) && c <= ' ') p++;
-	r->a = parse_rule(p), p = walk(p);
-	while((c = *p) && c <= ' ') p++;
-	r->b = parse_rule(p), p = walk(p);
-	return commit_rule(r, p, 1);
+	while((c = *s) && c <= ' ') s++;
+	r->a = parse_rule_frag(s), s = walk(s);
+	while((c = *s) && c <= ' ') s++;
+	r->b = parse_rule_frag(s), s = walk(s);
+	return s;
 }
 
 static int
@@ -159,8 +156,11 @@ rewrite(void)
 	char c, last = 0, *p = direction ? bank_b : bank_a;
 	while((c = *p) && c <= ' ') p++;
 	while((c = *p)) {
-		if(p[0] == '<' && p[1] == '>')
-			return add_rule(p);
+		if(p[0] == '<' && p[1] == '>'){
+			Rule *r = rules_++;
+			r->id = rules_ - rules - 1, p += 2;
+			return commit_rule(r, parse_rule(r, p), 1);
+		}
 		if(spacer(last)) {
 			Rule *r;
 			for(r = rules; r < rules_; r++) {