diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index da2d9ec..1604ec6 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -102,11 +102,11 @@ write_rule(Rule *r, char *s, int create)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static int
-apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
+static char *
+match_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
 {
 	unsigned int i, id;
-	char c, *a = r->a, *b = r->b, *origin = dst_, *reg;
+	char c, *a = r->a, *reg;
 	/* phase: clean registers */
 	for(i = 0; i < r->ptr; i++)
 		regs[i] = NULL;
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
 			if((reg = regs[id])) { /* reg cmp */
 				char *rcap = walk(reg), *pp = s;
 				while(reg < rcap || pp < pcap)
-					if(*reg++ != *pp++) return 0;
+					if(*reg++ != *pp++) return NULL;
 			} else /* reg set */
 				regs[id] = s;
 			c = *a++, s = pcap;
@@ -126,8 +126,17 @@ apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
 				while((c = *a) && !spacer(c)) a++;
 			continue;
 		}
-		if(c != *s++) return 0;
+		if(c != *s++) return NULL;
 	}
+	return s;
+}
+
+static int
+apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
+{
+	unsigned int id;
+	char c, *b = r->b, *origin = dst_, *reg;
+	if((s = match_rule(r, regs, s)) == NULL) return 0;
 	/* phase: write rule */
 	while((c = *b++)) {
 		if(c == '?') {