diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index a9596e7..71276c2 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -131,24 +131,15 @@ commit_rule(Rule *r, char *s, int create)
 }
 
 static char *
-parse_rule_frag(char *s)
+parse_frag(char *s)
 {
-	char *ss = walk(s);
+	char c, *ss;
+	while((c = *s) && c <= ' ') s++;
+	ss = walk(s);
 	if(*s == '(') s++, ss--;
 	while((s < ss)) *dict_++ = *s++;
 	*dict_++ = 0;
-	return s;
-}
-
-static char *
-parse_rule(Rule *r, char *s){
-	char c;
-	while((c = *s) && c <= ' ') s++;
-	r->a = dict_;
-	s = parse_rule_frag(s), s++;
-	while((c = *s) && c <= ' ') s++;
-	r->b = dict_;
-	s = parse_rule_frag(s), s++;
+	s++;
 	return s;
 }
 
@@ -158,10 +149,12 @@ rewrite(void)
 	char c, last = 0, *p = direction ? bank_b : bank_a;
 	while((c = *p) && c <= ' ') p++;
 	while((c = *p)) {
-		if(p[0] == '<' && p[1] == '>'){
+		if(p[0] == '<' && p[1] == '>') {
 			Rule *r = rules_++;
 			r->id = rules_ - rules - 1, p += 2;
-			return commit_rule(r, parse_rule(r, p), 1);
+			r->a = dict_, p = parse_frag(p);
+			r->b = dict_, p = parse_frag(p);
+			return commit_rule(r, p, 1);
 		}
 		if(spacer(last)) {
 			Rule *r;