diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index ef791ce..b341e5d 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -107,7 +107,7 @@ static int
 run_rule(Rule *r, char *s)
 {
 	int i;
-	char c, *a = r->a, *p = s;
+	char c, *a = r->a;
 	if(rmax) {
 		for(i = rmin; i <= rmax; i++)
 			regs[i] = 0;
@@ -116,25 +116,25 @@ run_rule(Rule *r, char *s)
 	while((c = *a)) {
 		if(c == '?') {
 			int regid = (int)*(++a);
-			char *pcap = walk(p), *reg = regs[regid];
+			char *pcap = walk(s), *reg = regs[regid];
 			if(reg) { /* reg cmp */
-				char *rcap = walk(reg), *pp = p;
+				char *rcap = walk(reg), *pp = s;
 				while(reg < rcap || pp < pcap)
 					if(*reg++ != *pp++) return 0;
 			} else { /* reg set */
-				regs[regid] = p;
+				regs[regid] = s;
 				if(regid < rmin) rmin = regid;
 				if(regid > rmax) rmax = regid;
 			}
-			a++, p = pcap;
+			a++, s = pcap;
 			if(!spacer(*a))
 				while((c = *a) && !spacer(c)) a++;
 			continue;
 		}
-		if(c != *p) return 0;
-		a++, p++;
+		if(c != *s) return 0;
+		a++, s++;
 	}
-	c = *p;
+	c = *s;
 	if(spacer(c)) {
 		char *b = r->b, *reg, *origin = dst_;
 		while((c = *b++))
@@ -143,10 +143,10 @@ run_rule(Rule *r, char *s)
 			else
 				*dst_++ = c;
 		if(dst_ == origin) {
-			while(*p == ' ') p++;
-			if(*p == ')' && *(dst_ - 1) == ' ') dst_--;
+			while(*s == ' ') s++;
+			if(*s == ')' && *(dst_ - 1) == ' ') dst_--;
 		}
-		return write_rule(r, p, 0);
+		return write_rule(r, s, 0);
 	}
 	return 0;
 }