diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 1604ec6..b4a97c8 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, lambda;
+static Rule rules[0x1000], *rules_ = rules;
 static char dict[0x8000], *dict_ = dict, empty;
 static char bank_a[0x4000], *src_ = bank_a;
 static char bank_b[0x4000], *dst_ = bank_b;
@@ -136,7 +136,6 @@ 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 == '?') {
@@ -204,7 +203,7 @@ compile_rule(Rule *r, int id, char *src)
 static int
 rewrite(void)
 {
-	char c, last = 0, *cap, *s = src_, *regs[0x08];
+	char c, last = 0, *cap, *s = src_, *regs[0x08], *res;
 	while(*s == ' ') s++;
 	while((c = *s)) {
 		if(spacer(last)) {
@@ -218,15 +217,16 @@ rewrite(void)
 			}
 			/* phase: lambda */
 			if(c == '?' && s[1] == '(') {
-				cap = walk(s + 1);
-				compile_rule(&lambda, -1, s + 2);
-				s = cap;
+				Rule lambda;
+				cap = walk(s + 1), compile_rule(&lambda, -1, s + 2), s = cap;
 				while(*s == ' ') s++;
-				return apply_rule(&lambda, regs, s);
+				if((res = match_rule(&lambda, regs, s)) != NULL)
+					return apply_rule(&lambda, regs, res);
 			}
 			/* phase: match */
 			for(r = rules; r < rules_; r++)
-				if(apply_rule(r, regs, s)) return 1;
+				if((res = match_rule(r, regs, s)) != NULL)
+					return apply_rule(r, regs, res);
 		}
 		*dst_++ = last = c;
 		s++;