diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index 73a7bce..27ffb21 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -90,6 +90,9 @@ AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_GRAPHVIZ, test "x$enable_graphviz" = "xyes")
 
 AC_ARG_ENABLE(json, AS_HELP_STRING([--enable-json],[enable json encoder]))
 if test "x$enable_json" = "xyes"; then
+    PKG_CHECK_MODULES(JSONC, [json-c])
+    AC_SUBST(JSONC_CFLAGS)
+    AC_SUBST(JSONC_LIBS)
     AC_DEFINE(ENABLE_JSON, 1, [enable json])
 fi
 AM_CONDITIONAL(ENABLE_JSON, test "x$enable_json" = "xyes")
diff --git a/src/node.c b/src/node.c
index bc33da7..2bbbe7c 100644
--- a/src/node.c
+++ b/src/node.c
@@ -163,9 +163,6 @@ int r3_tree_compile_patterns(node * n, char **errstr) {
 
     p = cpat;
 
-    strncat(p, "^", 1);
-    p++;
-
     edge *e = NULL;
     int opcode_cnt =  0;
     for ( int i = 0 ; i < n->edge_len ; i++ ) {
@@ -179,7 +176,8 @@ int r3_tree_compile_patterns(node * n, char **errstr) {
             char * slug_pat = slug_compile(e->pattern, e->pattern_len);
             strcat(p, slug_pat);
         } else {
-            strncat(p++,"(", 1);
+            strncat(p,"^(", 2);
+            p += 2;
 
             strncat(p, e->pattern, e->pattern_len);
             p += e->pattern_len;
diff --git a/src/str.c b/src/str.c
index a3ae55b..98bc687 100644
--- a/src/str.c
+++ b/src/str.c
@@ -272,6 +272,9 @@ char * slug_compile(const char * str, int len)
     }
 
     o = out;
+    strncat(o, "^", 1);
+    o++;
+
     strncat(o, str, s1 - str); // string before slug
     o += (s1 - str);
 
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index b734472..98334ed 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -6,14 +6,13 @@
 # endif
 TESTS =
 
-AM_CFLAGS=$(DEPS_CFLAGS) $(GVC_DEPS_CFLAGS) -I$(top_builddir) -I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_builddir)/3rdparty  -Wall -std=c99 -ggdb -Wall
-AM_LDFLAGS=$(DEPS_LIBS) $(GVC_DEPS_LIBS) -L$(top_builddir) -lr3 -lcheck @CHECK_LIBS@
+AM_CFLAGS=$(DEPS_CFLAGS) $(GVC_DEPS_CFLAGS) $(JSONC_CFLAGS) -I$(top_builddir) -I$(top_builddir)/include -I$(top_builddir)/3rdparty  -Wall -std=c99 -ggdb -Wall
+AM_LDFLAGS=$(DEPS_LIBS) $(GVC_DEPS_LIBS) $(JSONC_LIBS) -L$(top_builddir) -lr3 -lcheck @CHECK_LIBS@
 
 if USE_JEMALLOC
 AM_CFLAGS += -ljemalloc
 endif
 
-
 noinst_HEADERS = \
 	bench.h \
 	$(NULL)
diff --git a/tests/check_slug.c b/tests/check_slug.c
index 36a555a..e943b94 100644
--- a/tests/check_slug.c
+++ b/tests/check_slug.c
@@ -25,19 +25,19 @@ START_TEST (test_slug_compile)
 {
     char * path = "/user/{id}";
     char * c = NULL;
-    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path, strlen(path) ) , "/user/([^/]+)" );
+    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path, strlen(path) ) , "^/user/([^/]+)" );
     zfree(c);
 
     char * path2 = "/what/{id}-foo";
-    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path2, strlen(path2) ) , "/what/([^/]+)-foo" );
+    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path2, strlen(path2) ) , "^/what/([^/]+)-foo" );
     zfree(c);
 
     char * path3 = "-{id}";
-    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path3, strlen(path3)), "-([^/]+)" );
+    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path3, strlen(path3)), "^-([^/]+)" );
     zfree(c);
 
     char * path4 = "-{idx:\\d{3}}";
-    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path4, strlen(path4)), "-(\\d{3})" );
+    ck_assert_str_eq( c = slug_compile(path4, strlen(path4)), "^-(\\d{3})" );
     zfree(c);
 }
 END_TEST