diff --git a/regex.tal b/regex.tal
index e2002ad..34d381d 100644
--- a/regex.tal
+++ b/regex.tal
@@ -155,6 +155,13 @@
 @peek ( -> c^ )
     ;pos LDA2 LDA JMP2r
 
+@peek-to-star ( -> is-star^ )
+    ;pos LDA2 LDA LIT '* EQU JMP2r
+
+( pos += 1 )
+@skip
+    ;pos LDA2 INC2 ;pos STA2 JMP2r
+
 ( TODO: [] + ? )
 ( compile an expression string into a regex graph )
 @compile ( expr* -> regex* )
@@ -180,14 +187,20 @@
 @compile-region-loop
     ;read JSR2
     DUP #00 EQU ;c-done JCN2
-    DUP LIT '* EQU ;c-star JCN2
     DUP LIT '| EQU ;c-or   JCN2
     DUP LIT '. EQU ;c-dot  JCN2
     DUP LIT '( EQU ;c-lpar JCN2
     DUP LIT ') EQU ;c-rpar JCN2
     DUP LIT '\ EQU ;c-esc  JCN2
+    DUP LIT '* EQU ;c-star JCN2
                    ;c-char JMP2
 
+@c-peek-and-finalize ( r* -> r2* )
+    ;peek-to-star JSR2 ( r next-is-star? )
+    ,&next-is-star JCN ,&finally JMP ( r )
+    &next-is-star ;skip JSR2 ;alloc-star JSR2 ( star )
+    &finally DUP2 ;push-next JSR2 ;compile-region-loop JMP2
+
 @c-done ( c^ -> r2* )
     POP
     ;parens LDA2 #0000 GTH2 ,&mismatched-parens JCN
@@ -215,13 +228,12 @@
 
 @c-dot ( c^ -> r2* )
     POP
-    ;alloc-dot JSR2 DUP2 ;push-next JSR2
-    ;compile-region-loop JMP2
+    ;alloc-dot JSR2 ( dot )
+    ;c-peek-and-finalize JMP2
 
 @c-char ( c^ -> r2* )
-    ;alloc-lit JSR2
-    DUP2 ;push-next JSR2
-    ;compile-region-loop JMP2
+    ;alloc-lit JSR2 ( lit )
+    ;c-peek-and-finalize JMP2
 
 ( TODO: escaping rules not quite right )
 @c-esc ( c^ -> r2* )