diff --git a/text-regex-tre.c b/text-regex-tre.c
index eccbafbc4..db32d6d9e 100644
--- a/text-regex-tre.c
+++ b/text-regex-tre.c
@@ -120,8 +120,11 @@ void text_regex_free(Regex *r) {
 	free(r);
 }
 
-int text_regex_compile(Regex *regex, const char *string, int cflags) {
-	int r = tre_regcomp(&regex->regex, string, cflags);
+int text_regex_compile(Regex *regex, const char *string, size_t len, int cflags) {
+	int r = len > 0
+	       ? tre_regncomp(&regex->regex, string, len, cflags)
+	       : tre_regcomp(&regex->regex, string, cflags);
+
 	if (r)
 		tre_regcomp(&regex->regex, "\0\0", 0);
 	return r;
diff --git a/text-regex.c b/text-regex.c
index 7c6812eff..e728de499 100644
--- a/text-regex.c
+++ b/text-regex.c
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ Regex *text_regex_new(void) {
 	return r;
 }
 
-int text_regex_compile(Regex *regex, const char *string, int cflags) {
+int text_regex_compile(Regex *regex, const char *string, size_t len, int cflags) {
 	int r = regcomp(&regex->regex, string, cflags);
 	if (r)
 		regcomp(&regex->regex, "\0\0", 0);
diff --git a/text-regex.h b/text-regex.h
index dd87c1cb4..031db0117 100644
--- a/text-regex.h
+++ b/text-regex.h
@@ -15,7 +15,7 @@ typedef struct Regex Regex;
 typedef Filerange RegexMatch;
 
 Regex *text_regex_new(void);
-int text_regex_compile(Regex*, const char *pattern, int cflags);
+int text_regex_compile(Regex*, const char *pattern, size_t len, int cflags);
 size_t text_regex_nsub(Regex*);
 void text_regex_free(Regex*);
 int text_regex_match(Regex*, const char *data, int eflags);
diff --git a/vis-prompt.c b/vis-prompt.c
index bf1aeb22d..c2fbf9c1d 100644
--- a/vis-prompt.c
+++ b/vis-prompt.c
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ static const char *prompt_enter(Vis *vis, const char *keys, const Arg *arg) {
 		else if (prompt->file == vis->search_file)
 			pattern = "^(/|\\?)";
 		int cflags = REG_EXTENDED|REG_NEWLINE|(REG_ICASE*vis->ignorecase);
-		if (pattern && regex && text_regex_compile(regex, pattern, cflags) == 0) {
+		if (pattern && regex && text_regex_compile(regex, pattern, 0, cflags) == 0) {
 			size_t end = text_line_end(txt, pos);
 			size_t prev = text_search_backward(txt, end, regex);
 			if (prev > pos)
diff --git a/vis.c b/vis.c
index 7d3dd6a96..002af2144 100644
--- a/vis.c
+++ b/vis.c
@@ -1579,17 +1579,19 @@ void vis_insert_nl(Vis *vis) {
 }
 
 Regex *vis_regex(Vis *vis, const char *pattern) {
-	if (!pattern && !(pattern = register_get(vis, &vis->registers[VIS_REG_SEARCH], NULL)))
+	size_t len = 0;
+	if (!pattern && !(pattern = register_get(vis, &vis->registers[VIS_REG_SEARCH], &len)))
 		return NULL;
 	Regex *regex = text_regex_new();
 	if (!regex)
 		return NULL;
 	int cflags = REG_EXTENDED|REG_NEWLINE|(REG_ICASE*vis->ignorecase);
-	if (text_regex_compile(regex, pattern, cflags) != 0) {
+	if (text_regex_compile(regex, pattern, len, cflags) != 0) {
 		text_regex_free(regex);
 		return NULL;
 	}
-	register_put0(vis, &vis->registers[VIS_REG_SEARCH], pattern);
+	if (len == 0)
+		register_put0(vis, &vis->registers[VIS_REG_SEARCH], pattern);
 	return regex;
 }