diff --git a/application.py b/application.py
index 7c3c93e..71d38d1 100755
--- a/application.py
+++ b/application.py
@@ -748,8 +748,10 @@ class Application(object):
                     # for debugging things like lexing/relexing/etc.
                     if token._debug:
                         attr = color.build('blue', 'green')
-                    else:
+                    elif token.color:
                         attr = color.build(*token.color)
+                    else:
+                        attr = color.build("default", "default")
 
                     k = slot.y_offset + count
                     self.win.addstr(k, x_offset + lm, s[:swidth - x_offset], attr)
diff --git a/lex.py b/lex.py
index 8363e03..0b6fe24 100755
--- a/lex.py
+++ b/lex.py
@@ -221,7 +221,14 @@ class RegionRule(Rule):
 
         # now we will loop over the different pairs of grammars/stop-patterns in
         # this region, and return the resulting token; we start at i
-        for tok in self._lex_loop(lexer, toresume, toresume[0].matchd, i):
+        matchd = toresume[0].matchd
+        if not matchd and toresume[0].parent:
+            p = toresume[0].parent
+            while not p.matchd and p.parent:
+                p = p.parent
+            matchd = p.matchd
+        #for tok in self._lex_loop(lexer, toresume, toresume[0].matchd, i):
+        for tok in self._lex_loop(lexer, toresume, matchd, i):
             yield tok
         raise StopIteration
     def _lex_loop(self, lexer, toresume, matchd, i):
@@ -249,7 +256,10 @@ class RegionRule(Rule):
             lexer.mstack.append(mode)
 
             if self.pairs[i][1]:
-                stopre = re.compile(self.pairs[i][1] % matchd, self.reflags)
+                try:
+                    stopre = re.compile(self.pairs[i][1] % matchd, self.reflags)
+                except:
+                    raise Exception, "%r\n%r\n%r" % (self.pairs[i][1], matchd, self.reflags)
             else:
                 stopre = None
             if i == len(self.pairs) - 1:
diff --git a/mode/perl.py b/mode/perl.py
index df980ed..d6f5409 100644
--- a/mode/perl.py
+++ b/mode/perl.py
@@ -45,7 +45,7 @@ class QuotedGrammar4(Grammar):
 
 class PerlGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
-        RegionRule(r'heredoc', r"<<(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z0-9_]+) *;", StringGrammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
+        RegionRule(r'heredoc', r"<<(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]+)", None, ';\n', StringGrammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
         RegionRule(r'heredoc', r'<< *"(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z0-9_]+)" *;', StringGrammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
         RegionRule(r'heredoc', r"<< *'(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z0-9_]+)' *;", Grammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
         RegionRule(r'evaldoc', r"<< *`(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z0-9_]+)` *;", StringGrammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
diff --git a/mode/sh.py b/mode/sh.py
index 74718ae..f55c910 100644
--- a/mode/sh.py
+++ b/mode/sh.py
@@ -47,7 +47,7 @@ class TestGrammar(Grammar):
 
 class ShGrammar(Grammar):
     rules = [
-        RegionRule(r'heredoc', r"<<(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z0-9_]+)", StringGrammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
+        RegionRule(r'heredoc', r"<<(?P<heredoc>[a-zA-Z][a-zA-Z0-9_]*)", None, "\n", StringGrammar, r'^%(heredoc)s$'),
         PatternRule(r'sh_function', r'[a-zA-Z_][a-zA-Z0-9_]*(?= *\(\))'),
         PatternRule(r'sh_reserved', r"(?:done|do|elif|else|esac|fi|for|function|if|in|select|then|until|while|time)(?![a-zA-Z0-9_=/])"),
         RegionRule(r'case', r'case', Grammar, 'in', CaseGrammar, r'esac'),