diff --git a/method.py b/method.py
index dee18fc..59564c4 100644
--- a/method.py
+++ b/method.py
@@ -141,6 +141,7 @@ class Search(Method):
         self.old_cursor = w.logical_cursor()
         self.old_window = w
         self.direction = 'next'
+        self.is_literal = True
         w.application.open_mini_buffer('I-Search: ', lambda x: None, self, None, 'search')
 class ReverseSearch(Method):
     '''Interactive search; finds previous occurance of text in buffer'''
@@ -148,6 +149,7 @@ class ReverseSearch(Method):
         self.old_cursor = w.logical_cursor()
         self.old_window = w
         self.direction = 'previous'
+        self.is_literal = True
         w.application.open_mini_buffer('I-Search: ', lambda x: None, self, None, 'search')
 class Replace(Method):
     '''Replace occurances of string X with string Y'''
diff --git a/mode_search.py b/mode_search.py
index 775a7db..0d63315 100644
--- a/mode_search.py
+++ b/mode_search.py
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-import sets, string
+import re, sets, string
 
 import color, method, minibuffer, mode2, search
 from point2 import Point
@@ -32,15 +32,23 @@ class Search(mode2.Fundamental):
     def name(self):
         return "Search"
 
+def _make_regex(w, s):
+    if w.buffer.method.is_literal:
+        s = search.escape_literal(s)
+    return re.compile(s)
+
 class SearchNext(method.Method):
     def execute(self, w, **vargs):
         w.buffer.method.direction = 'next'
-        if not w.buffer.make_string():
-            w.buffer.set_data(w.application.last_search)
+        s = w.buffer.make_string()
+        r = _make_regex(w, s)
+        if s:
+            try:
+                search.find_next(s, w.buffer.method.old_window, move=True)
+            except search.IllegalPatternError:
+                w.application.clear_highlighted_ranges()
         else:
-            s  = w.buffer.make_string()
-            w2 = w.buffer.method.old_window
-            search.find_next(s, w2, move=True)
+            w.buffer.set_data(w.application.last_search)
 
 class SearchPrevious(method.Method):
     def execute(self, w, **vargs):
@@ -49,8 +57,12 @@ class SearchPrevious(method.Method):
             return
         else:
             s  = w.buffer.make_string()
+            r  = _make_regex(w, s)
             w2 = w.buffer.method.old_window
-            search.find_previous(s, w2, move=True)
+            try:
+                search.find_previous(s, w2, move=True)
+            except search.IllegalPatternError:
+                w.application.clear_highlighted_ranges()
 
 class EndSearch(method.Method):
     def execute(self, w, **vargs):
@@ -82,11 +94,15 @@ def _post_delete(w):
         w.application.clear_highlighted_ranges()
         return
     s  = w.buffer.make_string()
+    r  = _make_regex(w, s)
     w2 = w.buffer.method.old_window
-    if w.buffer.method.direction == 'next':
-        search.find_next(s, w2, move=False)
-    else:
-        search.find_previous(s, w2, move=False)
+    try:
+        if w.buffer.method.direction == 'next':
+            search.find_next(s, w2, move=False)
+        else:
+            search.find_previous(s, w2, move=False)
+    except search.IllegalPatternError:
+        w.application.clear_highlighted_ranges()
 
 class InsertSearchString(method.Method):
     def __init__(self, s):
@@ -101,11 +117,15 @@ class InsertSearchString(method.Method):
             return
         else:
             s  = w.buffer.make_string()
+            r  = _make_regex(w, s)
             w2 = w.buffer.method.old_window
-            if w.buffer.method.direction == 'next':
-                search.find_next(s, w2, move=False)
-            else:
-                search.find_previous(s, w2, move=False)
+            try:
+                if w.buffer.method.direction == 'next':
+                    search.find_next(s, w2, move=False)
+                else:
+                    search.find_previous(s, w2, move=False)
+            except search.IllegalPatternError:
+                w.application.clear_highlighted_ranges()
 
 def _end(w):
     w.application.close_mini_buffer()
diff --git a/regex.py b/regex.py
index 97eb12b..a923726 100644
--- a/regex.py
+++ b/regex.py
@@ -1,5 +1,8 @@
 import re
 
+# meta regexes
+meta_chars = re.compile(r'([\.\^\$\*\+\?\{\}\(\)\[\]\|\\])')
+
 # whitespace regexes
 leading_whitespace = re.compile('^ *')
 trailing_whitespace = re.compile(' *$')
@@ -11,11 +14,11 @@ word_char = re.compile('^[A-Za-z0-9_]$')
 
 # perl regexes
 perl_base = re.compile("^sub ")
-perl_hash_cleanup = re.compile("^( *)([^ ]+|'(?:\\.|[^'\\'])*'|\"(?:\\.|[^\\\"]*)\")( *)(=>)( *)([^ ].*)$")
-perl_assign_cleanup = re.compile("^( *)((?:my |our )?[^ ]+)( *)(=(?!>))( *)([^ ].*)$")
-perl_function = re.compile("^ *sub ([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)")
+perl_hash_cleanup = re.compile(r"^( *)([^ ]+|'(?:\.|[^'\'])*'|\"(?:\.|[^\\\"]*)\")( *)(=>)( *)([^ ].*)$")
+perl_assign_cleanup = re.compile(r"^( *)((?:my |our )?[^ ]+)( *)(=(?!>))( *)([^ ].*)$")
+perl_function = re.compile(r"^ *sub ([A-Za-z_][A-Za-z0-9_]*)")
 
 # python regexes
-python_base = re.compile("^[^ ]")
-python_dict_cleanup = re.compile("^( *)((?:[^'\":]|'(?:\\.|[^\\'])*'|\"(?:\\.|[^\\'])*)+?)( *)(:)( *)([^ ].*)$")
-python_assign_cleanup = re.compile("^( *)([^ ]+)( *)(=)( *)([^ ].*)$")
+python_base = re.compile(r"^[^ ]")
+python_dict_cleanup = re.compile(r"^( *)((?:[^'\":]|'(?:\.|[^\'])*'|\"(?:\.|[^\'])*)+?)( *)(:)( *)([^ ].*)$")
+python_assign_cleanup = re.compile(r"^( *)([^ ]+)( *)(=)( *)([^ ].*)$")
diff --git a/search.py b/search.py
index 8cd9ba5..b29bca2 100644
--- a/search.py
+++ b/search.py
@@ -1,9 +1,17 @@
+import re
+import regex
 from point2 import Point
 
 bg_color         = 'black'
 selected_color   = 'magenta'
 unselected_color = 'yellow'
 
+class IllegalPatternError(Exception):
+    pass
+
+def escape_literal(s):
+    return regex.meta_chars.sub(r'\\\1', s)
+
 def find_ranges(s, w, start=None, end=None):
     if not w.buffer.lines:
         return []
@@ -16,26 +24,22 @@ def find_ranges(s, w, start=None, end=None):
         (x2, y2) = (len(w.buffer.lines[-1]) - 1, len(w.buffer.lines) - 1)
     else:
         (x2, y2) = end.xy()
-        #if x2 == 0:
-        #    y2 -= 1
-        #    x2 = len(w.buffer.lines[-1]) - 1
-        #else:
-        #    x2 -= 1
+
+    #s2 = escape_literal(s)
+    #r = re.compile(s2, re.IGNORECASE)
+
+    r = re.compile(s, re.IGNORECASE)
 
     ranges = []
-    #while y <= y2:
     while y <= y2:
         if y == y2:
             limit = x2
         else:
             limit = len(w.buffer.lines[y]) - 1
-        while x <= limit:
-            try:
-                i = w.buffer.lines[y].index(s, x)
-            except ValueError:
-                break
-            x = i + len(s)
-            ranges.append([Point(i, y), Point(x, y), bg_color, unselected_color])
+        for m in r.finditer(w.buffer.lines[y], x, limit):
+            if len(m.group(0)) == 0:
+                raise IllegalPatternError, "zero-width match found for: %r" % s
+            ranges.append([Point(m.start(), y), Point(m.end(), y), bg_color, unselected_color])
         x = 0
         y += 1
     return ranges