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/tests/check_slug.c b/tests/check_slug.c
index ca42f85..f916c3a 100644
--- a/tests/check_slug.c
+++ b/tests/check_slug.c
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@ START_TEST (test_slug_count)
     ck_assert_int_eq( slug_count(pattern, strlen(pattern), NULL), 2 );
 
     char * pattern2 = "/user/{name:\\d{3}}/to/{id}";
-    ck_assert_int_eq( slug_count(pattern2, strlen(pattern), NULL), 2 );
+    ck_assert_int_eq( slug_count(pattern2, strlen(pattern2), NULL), 2 );
 }
 END_TEST