diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index fa9c848..5004d94 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -98,17 +98,17 @@ static char *
 match_rule(Rule *r, char *p)
 {
 	int i;
-	char c, *a = r->a, *b = p;
+	char c, last = 0, *a = r->a, *b = p;
 	for(i = 0x21; i < 0x7f; i++)
 		regs[i] = 0;
 	while((c = *a)) {
-		if(c == '?') {
+		if(spacer(last) && c == '?') {
 			if(!set_reg(*(++a), b)) return NULL;
 			a++, b = walk(b);
 			continue;
 		}
 		if(*a != *b) return NULL;
-		a++, b++;
+		a++, b++, last = c;
 	}
 	c = *b;
 	return spacer(c) ? b : NULL;