diff --git a/src/highlight.js b/src/highlight.js
index b0da8f6159..24fb7d3395 100644
--- a/src/highlight.js
+++ b/src/highlight.js
@@ -210,7 +210,7 @@ const HLJS = function(hljs) {
     }
 
     function doIgnore(lexeme) {
-      if (top.terminators.startAt === 0) {
+      if (top.matcher.regexIndex === 0) {
         // no more regexs to potentially match here, so we move the cursor forward one
         // space
         mode_buffer += lexeme[0];
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ const HLJS = function(hljs) {
       } else {
         // no need to move the cursor, we still have additional regexes to try and
         // match at this very spot
-        findNextRegexMatch = true;
+        continueScanAtSamePosition = true;
         return 0;
       }
     }
@@ -376,17 +376,19 @@ const HLJS = function(hljs) {
     var match, processedCount, index = 0;
 
     try {
-      var findNextRegexMatch = false;
-      top.terminators.startAt = 0;
+      var continueScanAtSamePosition = false;
+      top.matcher.considerAll();
 
       while (true) {
-        top.terminators.lastIndex = index;
-        if (findNextRegexMatch) {
-          findNextRegexMatch = false;
+        if (continueScanAtSamePosition) {
+          continueScanAtSamePosition = false;
+          // only regexes not matched previously will now be
+          // considered for a potential match
         } else {
-          top.terminators.startAt = 0;
+          top.matcher.lastIndex = index;
+          top.matcher.considerAll();
         }
-        match = top.terminators.exec(codeToHighlight);
+        match = top.matcher.exec(codeToHighlight);
         // console.log("match", match[0], match.rule && match.rule.begin)
         if (!match)
           break;
diff --git a/src/lib/mode_compiler.js b/src/lib/mode_compiler.js
index 2916099550..10fd000483 100644
--- a/src/lib/mode_compiler.js
+++ b/src/lib/mode_compiler.js
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ export function compileLanguage(language) {
       this.count = 0;
 
       this.lastIndex = 0;
-      this.startAt = 0;
+      this.regexIndex = 0;
     }
 
     getMatcher(index) {
@@ -116,22 +116,26 @@ export function compileLanguage(language) {
       return matcher;
     }
 
+    considerAll() {
+      this.regexIndex = 0;
+    }
+
     addRule(re, opts) {
       this.rules.push([re, opts]);
       if (opts.type==="begin") this.count++;
     }
 
     exec(s) {
-      let m = this.getMatcher(this.startAt);
+      let m = this.getMatcher(this.regexIndex);
       m.lastIndex = this.lastIndex;
       let result = m.exec(s);
       if (result) {
-        this.startAt += result.position + 1;
-        if (this.startAt === this.count) // wrap-around
-          this.startAt = 0;
+        this.regexIndex += result.position + 1;
+        if (this.regexIndex === this.count) // wrap-around
+          this.regexIndex = 0;
       }
 
-      // this.startAt = 0;
+      // this.regexIndex = 0;
       return result;
     }
   }
@@ -242,7 +246,7 @@ export function compileLanguage(language) {
       compileMode(mode.starts, parent);
     }
 
-    mode.terminators = buildModeRegex(mode);
+    mode.matcher = buildModeRegex(mode);
   }
 
   // self is not valid at the top-level