diff --git a/examples/tests.modal b/examples/tests.modal
index 01a175e..cc8a36b 100644
--- a/examples/tests.modal
+++ b/examples/tests.modal
@@ -6,12 +6,14 @@
 
 <> (ghost) ()
 
-?(?-) (Whitespace)
+?(?-) (Formatter)
 
-(a b c ) = (a b c) (whitespace 1) test
-( a b c) = (a b c) (whitespace 2) test
-(  a  b  c  ) = (a b c) (whitespace 3) test
-(a b c  ( a b c )  ) = (a b c (a b c)) (whitespace 4) test
+?((?x ?y) one) aaa(bbb) = one (formatter 1) test
+?((?x ?y) one) (bbb)aaa = one (formatter 2) test
+(a b c ) = (a b c) (formatter 3) test
+( a b c) = (a b c) (formatter 4) test
+(  a  b  c  ) = (a b c) (formatter 5) test
+(a b c  ( a b c )  ) = (a b c (a b c)) (formatter 6) test
 
 ?(?-) (Empty replacements)
 
diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 32562fc..0c1a83f 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -124,9 +124,9 @@ apply_rule(Rule *r, char *s)
 					if(*reg++ != *pp++) return 0;
 			} else /* reg set */
 				regs[id] = s;
-			c = *a, s = pcap;
-		}
-		else if(c != *s++) return 0;
+			s = pcap;
+		} else if(c != *s++)
+			return 0;
 	}
 	c = *s;
 	if(!spacer(c)) return 0;
@@ -232,7 +232,7 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 {
 	FILE *f;
 	int i, pl = 0, pr = 0;
-	char c, *w = bank_a;
+	char c, last = 0, *w = bank_a;
 	if(argc < 2)
 		return !printf("usage: modal [-vqn] source.modal\n");
 	for(i = 1; i < argc && *argv[i] == '-'; i++) {
@@ -246,14 +246,14 @@ main(int argc, char **argv)
 		return !fprintf(stdout, "Modal file invalid: %s.\n", argv[i]);
 	while(fread(&c, 1, 1, f)) {
 		c = c <= 0x20 ? 0x20 : c;
-		if(w > bank_a) {
-			if(c == ' ' && *(w - 1) == '(') continue;
-			if(c == ')' && *(w - 1) == ' ') w--;
-			if(c == ' ' && *(w - 1) == ' ') w--;
-		}
+		if(c == ' ' && last == '(') continue;
+		if(c == ')' && last == ' ') w--;
+		if(c == ' ' && last == ' ') w--;
 		if(c == '(') pl++;
 		if(c == ')') pr++;
-		*w++ = c;
+		if(c == '(' && last != '?' && !spacer(last)) *w++ = ' ';
+		if(last == ')' && !spacer(c)) *w++ = ' ';
+		*w++ = last = c;
 	}
 	while(*(--w) <= ' ') *w = 0;
 	fclose(f);