diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 6cf5831..e9d0fca 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ typedef struct {
 } Rule;
 
 static int flip, quiet, cycles = 0x10000;
-static Rule rules[0x1000], *rules_ = rules;
+static Rule rules[0x1000], *rules_ = rules, lambda;
 static char dict[0x8000], *dict_ = dict, empty;
 static char bank_a[0x4000], *src_ = bank_a;
 static char bank_b[0x4000], *dst_ = bank_b;
@@ -102,11 +102,11 @@ write_rule(Rule *r, char *s, int create)
 	return 1;
 }
 
-static char *
-match_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
+static int
+apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
 {
 	unsigned int i, id;
-	char c, *a = r->a, *reg;
+	char c, *a = r->a, *b = r->b, *origin = dst_, *reg;
 	/* phase: clean registers */
 	for(i = 0; i < r->ptr; i++)
 		regs[i] = NULL;
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ match_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 NULL;
+					if(*reg++ != *pp++) return 0;
 			} else /* reg set */
 				regs[id] = s;
 			c = *a++, s = pcap;
@@ -126,16 +126,8 @@ match_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
 				while((c = *a) && !spacer(c)) a++;
 			continue;
 		}
-		if(c != *s++) return NULL;
+		if(c != *s++) return 0;
 	}
-	return s;
-}
-
-static int
-apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
-{
-	unsigned int id;
-	char c, *b = r->b, *origin = dst_, *reg;
 	/* phase: write rule */
 	while((c = *b++)) {
 		if(c == '?') {
@@ -203,7 +195,7 @@ compile_rule(Rule *r, int id, char *src)
 static int
 rewrite(void)
 {
-	char c, last = 0, *cap, *s = src_, *regs[0x08], *res = NULL;
+	char c, last = 0, *cap, *s = src_, *regs[0x08];
 	while(*s == ' ') s++;
 	while((c = *s)) {
 		if(spacer(last)) {
@@ -217,18 +209,13 @@ rewrite(void)
 			}
 			/* phase: lambda */
 			if(c == '?' && s[1] == '(') {
-				Rule lambda;
 				cap = walk(s + 1), compile_rule(&lambda, -1, s + 2), s = cap;
 				while(*s == ' ') s++;
-				if((res = match_rule(&lambda, regs, s)))
-					return apply_rule(&lambda, regs, res);
+				return apply_rule(&lambda, regs, s);
 			}
 			/* phase: match */
 			for(r = rules; r < rules_; r++)
-				if((res = match_rule(r, regs, s))) break;
-			/* phase: apply */
-			if(res)
-				return apply_rule(r, regs, res);
+				if(apply_rule(r, regs, s)) return 1;
 		}
 		*dst_++ = last = c;
 		s++;