diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 0f543c4..d7a2880 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ walk(char *s)
 			if(!depth) return s;
 		}
 	}
-	while(!spacer(s[0]) && *s++)
+	while((c = *s) && !spacer(c) && *s++)
 		;
 	return s;
 }
@@ -63,7 +63,8 @@ match(char *p, Rule *r)
 		if(*a != *b) return NULL;
 		a++, b++;
 	}
-	return spacer(*b) ? b : NULL;
+	c = *b;
+	return spacer(c) ? b : NULL;
 }
 
 static char *
@@ -81,8 +82,8 @@ plode(char *s)
 	} else { /* explode */
 		*outp_++ = *s++, *outp_++ = ' ';
 		while((c = *s++) && !spacer(c)) {
-			*outp_++ = '(', *outp_++ = c, depth++;
-			if(!spacer(*s))
+			*outp_++ = '(', *outp_++ = c, depth++, c = *s;
+			if(!spacer(c))
 				*outp_++ = ' ';
 		}
 		for(i = 0; i < depth; i++)
@@ -135,7 +136,7 @@ parse_rule(char *s)
 static int
 rewrite(void)
 {
-	char c, last = 0, *p = direction ? bank_b : bank_a, *o = p;
+	char c, c_ = 0, last = 0, *p = direction ? bank_b : bank_a, *o = p;
 	while((c = *p) && c <= ' ') p++;
 	while((c = *p)) {
 		int i;
@@ -148,7 +149,8 @@ rewrite(void)
 			r->b = parse_rule(p), p = walk(p);
 			return save(-1, p);
 		}
-		if(p == o || spacer(*(p - 1))) {
+		if(p != o) c_ = *(p - 1);
+		if(p == o || spacer(c_)) {
 			for(i = 0; i < rules_len; i++) {
 				Rule *r = &rules[i];
 				char *res = match(p, r);