diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index 6566ccc..0f543c4 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -135,7 +135,7 @@ parse_rule(char *s)
 static int
 rewrite(void)
 {
-	char c, *p = direction ? bank_b : bank_a, *o = p;
+	char c, last = 0, *p = direction ? bank_b : bank_a, *o = p;
 	while((c = *p) && c <= ' ') p++;
 	while((c = *p)) {
 		int i;
@@ -154,7 +154,7 @@ rewrite(void)
 				char *res = match(p, r);
 				if(res != NULL) {
 					char cc, *b = r->b;
-					if(!*b && outp_ != bank_a && outp_ != bank_b) outp_--;
+					if(!*b && last == ' ') outp_--;
 					while((cc = *b++)) {
 						if(cc == '?')
 							commit(*b++);
@@ -165,7 +165,7 @@ rewrite(void)
 				}
 			}
 		}
-		*outp_++ = c;
+		*outp_++ = last = c;
 		p++;
 	}
 	*outp_++ = 0;