diff --git a/src/modal.c b/src/modal.c
index c0e5eae..0e4f055 100644
--- a/src/modal.c
+++ b/src/modal.c
@@ -106,10 +106,10 @@ write_rule(Rule *r, char *s, int create)
 }
 
 static int
-apply_rule(Rule *r, char **regs, char *s)
+apply_rule(Rule *r, char *s)
 {
 	unsigned int i, id;
-	char c, *a = r->a, *b = r->b, *origin = dst_, *reg;
+	char c, *a = r->a, *b = r->b, *origin = dst_, *reg, *regs[0x08];
 	/* phase: clean registers */
 	for(i = 0; i < r->ptr; i++)
 		regs[i] = NULL;
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ 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_;
 	while(*s == ' ') s++;
 	while((c = *s)) {
 		if(spacer(last)) {
@@ -214,11 +214,11 @@ rewrite(void)
 			if(c == '?' && s[1] == '(') {
 				cap = walk(s + 1), compile_rule(&lambda, -1, s + 2), s = cap;
 				while(*s == ' ') s++;
-				return apply_rule(&lambda, regs, s);
+				return apply_rule(&lambda, s);
 			}
 			/* phase: match */
 			for(r = rules; r < rules_; r++)
-				if(apply_rule(r, regs, s)) return 1;
+				if(apply_rule(r, s)) return 1;
 		}
 		*dst_++ = last = c;
 		s++;