diff --git a/lib/kernel/matchers/omega.ml b/lib/kernel/matchers/omega.ml
index b53f658..a23bdab 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/matchers/omega.ml
+++ b/lib/kernel/matchers/omega.ml
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ module Make (Language : Language.S) (Unimplemented : Metasyntax.S) = struct
     let acc = f acc production in
     match production with
     | String s ->
-      if debug then Format.printf "Matched String: %S@." s;
+      if debug then Format.printf "Saw String: %S@." s;
       return (Unit, acc)
     | Match { offset = pos_begin; identifier; text = content } ->
       if debug then Format.printf "Match: %S @@ %d for %s@." content pos_begin identifier;
@@ -358,43 +358,42 @@ module Make (Language : Language.S) (Unimplemented : Metasyntax.S) = struct
                 let identifier, pattern = String.lsplit2_exn identifier ~on:'~' in
                 let identifier = if String.(identifier = "") then "_" else identifier in
                 if debug then Format.printf "Regex: Id: %s Pat: %s@." identifier pattern;
+                let pattern, prefix =
+                  if String.is_prefix pattern ~prefix:"^" then
+                    (* FIXME: match beginning of input too *)
+                    String.drop_prefix pattern 1,
+                    Some (
+                      (char '\n' *> return "")
+                      <|>
+                      (pos >>= fun p -> if p = 0 then return "" else fail "")
+                    )
+                  else
+                    pattern, None
+                in
+                let pattern, suffix =
+                  if String.is_suffix pattern ~suffix:"$" then
+                    String.drop_suffix pattern 1, Some (char '\n' *> return "" <|> end_of_input *> return "")
+                  else
+                    pattern, None
+                in
                 let compiled_regexp = Regexp.PCRE.make_regexp pattern in
                 let regexp_parser = Regexp.PCRE.regexp compiled_regexp in
-                let base_parser = [ regexp_parser; end_of_input >>= fun () -> return "" ] in (* the eof matters here for that one tricky test case *)
-                let base_parser =
-                  (* adds begin line parser if the pattern has ^ anchor *)
-                  if String.is_prefix pattern ~prefix:"^" then
-                    let p =
-                      Regexp.PCRE.make_regexp (String.drop_prefix pattern 1) |> Regexp.PCRE.regexp
-                    in
-                    (char '\n' >>= fun _ -> p)::base_parser
-                  else
-                    base_parser
+                let regexp_parser =
+                  match prefix, suffix with
+                  | Some prefix, None -> prefix *> regexp_parser
+                  | None, Some suffix -> regexp_parser <* suffix
+                  | Some prefix, Some suffix -> prefix *> regexp_parser <* suffix
+                  | None, None -> regexp_parser
                 in
+                (* the eof matters here for that one tricky test case *)
                 let base_parser =
-                  if String.is_suffix pattern ~suffix:"$" then
-                    let p = Regexp.PCRE.make_regexp (String.drop_prefix pattern 1) |> Regexp.PCRE.regexp in
-                    (p <* (ignore @@ char '\n' <|> end_of_input))::base_parser
-                  else
-                    base_parser
+                  [ regexp_parser
+                  ; end_of_input >>= fun () -> return ""
+                  ]
                 in
                 pos >>= fun offset ->
-                if debug then Format.printf "(X)@.";
-                choice base_parser
-                >>= fun value ->
+                choice base_parser >>= fun value ->
                 if debug then Format.printf "Regex match @@ %d value %s@." offset value;
-                let offset =
-                  if String.length value = 0 then
-                    offset (*offset + 1 this may not matter, if we correct for the whole match conext *)
-                  else
-                    offset
-                in
-                (if String.length value = 0 then
-                   (*advance 1*)
-                   advance 0
-                 else
-                   advance @@ String.length value) >>= fun () ->
-                if debug then Format.printf "(Y)@.";
                 acc >>= fun _ ->
                 let m =
                   { offset
diff --git a/lib/kernel/matchers/regexp.ml b/lib/kernel/matchers/regexp.ml
index f6a2538..69e9834 100644
--- a/lib/kernel/matchers/regexp.ml
+++ b/lib/kernel/matchers/regexp.ml
@@ -60,14 +60,15 @@ module Make (Regexp: Regexp_engine_intf) = struct
             if debug then Format.printf "Matchy Matchy (3)@.";
             Some (result, String.length result))
     >>= function
-    | Some (result, _n) ->
+    | Some (result, n) ->
       (* if empty string matches, this hole like for optionals (x?), advance 1. *)
       (* we want to advance one so parsing can continue, but if we advance 1 here we will think
          that the match context is at least length 1 and not 0 if this hole is the only thing
          defining the match context *)
       (* let n = if n > 0 then n else 1 in
          advance n >>= fun () -> *)
-      if debug then Format.printf "Result indeed: %s len %d@." result _n;
+      if debug then Format.printf "Result indeed: %S len %d@." result n;
+      advance n >>= fun () ->
       return result
     | None ->
       fail "No match"
diff --git a/test/common/test_regex_holes_omega.ml b/test/common/test_regex_holes_omega.ml
index dcfd128..e2ac5ba 100644
--- a/test/common/test_regex_holes_omega.ml
+++ b/test/common/test_regex_holes_omega.ml
@@ -134,8 +134,8 @@ let%expect_test "leading_spaces_beginning_line_anchor" =
   let rewrite_template = {|(:[x])|} in
 
   run (module Generic) source match_template rewrite_template;
-  [%expect_exact {|(       )a(   )b(            )c(
-)|}]
+  [%expect_exact {|(       )a(   )b(            )c
+|}]
 
 let%expect_test "spaces_star" =
   let source = {|
@@ -157,7 +157,6 @@ let%expect_test "spaces_star" =
      )()d(
 )|}]
 
-(*
 let%expect_test "end_line_anchor" =
   let source = {|
 aaa bbb
@@ -173,7 +172,16 @@ ccc ddd
 (aaa bbb)aaa bbb ccc
 ccc ddd
 |}]
-*)
+
+let%expect_test "start_of_input_and_exact" =
+  let source = {|aaa bbb|}
+  in
+  let match_template = {|:[x~^\w+ bbb$]|} in
+  let rewrite_template = {|(:[x])|} in
+
+  run (module Generic) source match_template rewrite_template;
+  [%expect_exact {|(aaa bbb)|}]
+
 
 let%expect_test "word_boundaries" =
   let source = {|