diff --git a/src/normal.cc b/src/normal.cc
index bd7d065c..e19f436d 100644
--- a/src/normal.cc
+++ b/src/normal.cc
@@ -687,7 +687,7 @@ void paste_all(Context& context, NormalParams params)
         selections = std::move(result);
 }
 
-template<typename T>
+template<MatchDirection direction = MatchDirection::Forward, typename T>
 void regex_prompt(Context& context, String prompt, String default_regex, T func)
 {
     DisplayCoord position = context.has_window() ? context.window().position() : DisplayCoord{};
@@ -719,7 +719,7 @@ void regex_prompt(Context& context, String prompt, String default_regex, T func)
                     context.push_jump();
 
                 if (not str.empty() or event == PromptEvent::Validate)
-                    func(str.empty() ? Regex{default_regex} : Regex{str}, event, context);
+                    func(Regex{str.empty() ? default_regex : str, RegexCompileFlags::None, direction}, event, context);
             }
             catch (regex_error& err)
             {
@@ -739,12 +739,12 @@ void regex_prompt(Context& context, String prompt, String default_regex, T func)
         });
 }
 
-template<SelectMode mode, Direction direction>
+template<SelectMode mode, MatchDirection direction>
 void search(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
     constexpr StringView prompt = mode == SelectMode::Extend ?
-        (direction == Forward ? "search (extend):" : "reverse search (extend):")
-      : (direction == Forward ? "search:"          : "reverse search:");
+        (direction == MatchDirection::Forward ? "search (extend):" : "reverse search (extend):")
+      : (direction == MatchDirection::Forward ? "search:"          : "reverse search:");
 
     const char reg = to_lower(params.reg ? params.reg : '/');
     const int count = params.count;
@@ -753,7 +753,7 @@ void search(Context& context, NormalParams params)
     Vector<String> saved_reg{reg_content.begin(), reg_content.end()};
     const int main_index = std::min(context.selections().main_index(), saved_reg.size()-1);
 
-    regex_prompt(context, prompt.str(), saved_reg[main_index],
+    regex_prompt<direction>(context, prompt.str(), saved_reg[main_index],
                  [reg, count, saved_reg, main_index]
                  (Regex regex, PromptEvent event, Context& context) {
                      if (event == PromptEvent::Abort)
@@ -782,14 +782,14 @@ void search(Context& context, NormalParams params)
                  });
 }
 
-template<SelectMode mode, Direction direction>
+template<SelectMode mode, MatchDirection direction>
 void search_next(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
     const char reg = to_lower(params.reg ? params.reg : '/');
     StringView str = context.main_sel_register_value(reg);
     if (not str.empty())
     {
-        Regex regex{str};
+        Regex regex{str, RegexCompileFlags::None, direction};
         auto& selections = context.selections();
         bool main_wrapped = false;
         do {
@@ -1223,6 +1223,8 @@ void select_object(Context& context, NormalParams params)
          {{'c'},         "custom object desc"}}));
 }
 
+enum Direction { Forward, Backward };
+
 template<Direction direction, bool half = false>
 void scroll(Context& context, NormalParams params)
 {
@@ -2050,14 +2052,14 @@ static const HashMap<Key, NormalCmd, MemoryDomain::Undefined, KeymapBackend> key
     { {'m'}, {"select to matching character", select<SelectMode::Replace, select_matching>} },
     { {'M'}, {"extend to matching character", select<SelectMode::Extend, select_matching>} },
 
-    { {'/'}, {"select next given regex match", search<SelectMode::Replace, Forward>} },
-    { {'?'}, {"extend with next given regex match", search<SelectMode::Extend, Forward>} },
-    { {alt('/')}, {"select previous given regex match", search<SelectMode::Replace, Backward>} },
-    { {alt('?')}, {"extend with previous given regex match", search<SelectMode::Extend, Backward>} },
-    { {'n'}, {"select next current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Replace, Forward>} },
-    { {'N'}, {"extend with next current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Append, Forward>} },
-    { {alt('n')}, {"select previous current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Replace, Backward>} },
-    { {alt('N')}, {"extend with previous current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Append, Backward>} },
+    { {'/'}, {"select next given regex match", search<SelectMode::Replace, MatchDirection::Forward>} },
+    { {'?'}, {"extend with next given regex match", search<SelectMode::Extend, MatchDirection::Forward>} },
+    { {alt('/')}, {"select previous given regex match", search<SelectMode::Replace, MatchDirection::Backward>} },
+    { {alt('?')}, {"extend with previous given regex match", search<SelectMode::Extend, MatchDirection::Backward>} },
+    { {'n'}, {"select next current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Replace, MatchDirection::Forward>} },
+    { {'N'}, {"extend with next current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Append, MatchDirection::Forward>} },
+    { {alt('n')}, {"select previous current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Replace, MatchDirection::Backward>} },
+    { {alt('N')}, {"extend with previous current search pattern match", search_next<SelectMode::Append, MatchDirection::Backward>} },
     { {'*'}, {"set search pattern to main selection content", use_selection_as_search_pattern<true>} },
     { {alt('*')}, {"set search pattern to main selection content, do not detect words", use_selection_as_search_pattern<false>} },
 
diff --git a/src/regex.cc b/src/regex.cc
index 8809757a..5f0a5fca 100644
--- a/src/regex.cc
+++ b/src/regex.cc
@@ -50,13 +50,18 @@ void regex_mismatch(const Regex& re)
 }
 #endif
 
-Regex::Regex(StringView re, RegexCompileFlags flags) try
-    : m_impl{new CompiledRegex{compile_regex(re, flags)}},
+Regex::Regex(StringView re, RegexCompileFlags flags, MatchDirection direction)
+    : m_impl{new CompiledRegex{compile_regex(re, flags, direction)}},
       m_str{re.str()}
+{
 #ifdef REGEX_CHECK_WITH_BOOST
-      , m_boost_impl{Utf8It{re.begin(), re}, Utf8It{re.end(), re}, convert_flags(flags)}
+      if (direction == MatchDirection::Forward) try
+      {
+          m_boost_impl.assign({Utf8It{re.begin(), re}, Utf8It{re.end(), re}, convert_flags(flags)});
+      }
+      catch (std::runtime_error& err) { throw regex_error(err.what()); }
 #endif
-{} catch (std::runtime_error& err) { throw regex_error(err.what()); }
+}
 
 String option_to_string(const Regex& re)
 {
diff --git a/src/regex.hh b/src/regex.hh
index d481ec7d..5ec88df9 100644
--- a/src/regex.hh
+++ b/src/regex.hh
@@ -22,7 +22,8 @@ class Regex
 public:
     Regex() = default;
 
-    explicit Regex(StringView re, RegexCompileFlags flags = RegexCompileFlags::None);
+    explicit Regex(StringView re, RegexCompileFlags flags = RegexCompileFlags::None,
+                   MatchDirection direction = MatchDirection::Forward);
     bool empty() const { return m_str.empty(); }
     bool operator==(const Regex& other) const { return m_str == other.m_str; }
     bool operator!=(const Regex& other) const { return m_str != other.m_str; }
@@ -225,24 +226,27 @@ bool regex_search(It begin, It end, const Regex& re,
     }
 }
 
-template<typename It>
+template<typename It, MatchDirection direction = MatchDirection::Forward>
 bool regex_search(It begin, It end, MatchResults<It>& res, const Regex& re,
                   RegexExecFlags flags = RegexExecFlags::None)
 {
     try
     {
         Vector<It> captures;
-        const bool matched = regex_search(begin, end, captures, *re.impl(), flags);
+        const bool matched = regex_search<It, direction>(begin, end, captures, *re.impl(), flags);
 
 #ifdef REGEX_CHECK_WITH_BOOST
-        auto first = (flags & RegexExecFlags::PrevAvailable) ? begin-1 : begin;
-        boost::match_results<RegexUtf8It<It>> boost_res;
-        if (not re.boost_impl().empty() and
-            matched != boost::regex_search<RegexUtf8It<It>>({begin, first, end}, {end, first, end},
-                                                            boost_res, re.boost_impl(), convert_flags(flags)))
-            regex_mismatch(re);
-        if (not re.boost_impl().empty() and matched)
-            check_captures(re, boost_res, captures);
+        if (direction == MatchDirection::Forward)
+        {
+            auto first = (flags & RegexExecFlags::PrevAvailable) ? begin-1 : begin;
+            boost::match_results<RegexUtf8It<It>> boost_res;
+            if (not re.boost_impl().empty() and
+                matched != boost::regex_search<RegexUtf8It<It>>({begin, first, end}, {end, first, end},
+                                                                boost_res, re.boost_impl(), convert_flags(flags)))
+                regex_mismatch(re);
+            if (not re.boost_impl().empty() and matched)
+                check_captures(re, boost_res, captures);
+        }
 #endif
 
         res = matched ? MatchResults<It>{std::move(captures)} : MatchResults<It>{};
diff --git a/src/selectors.cc b/src/selectors.cc
index 076edd7b..c7f237c2 100644
--- a/src/selectors.cc
+++ b/src/selectors.cc
@@ -861,36 +861,25 @@ static bool find_prev(const Buffer& buffer, const BufferIterator& pos,
                       MatchResults<BufferIterator>& matches,
                       const Regex& ex, bool& wrapped)
 {
-    auto find_last_match = [&](const BufferIterator& pos) {
-        MatchResults<BufferIterator> m;
-        const bool is_pos_eol = is_eol(buffer, pos.coord());
-        const bool is_pos_eow = is_eow(buffer, pos.coord());
-        auto begin = buffer.begin();
-        while (begin != pos and
-               regex_search(begin, pos, m, ex,
-                            match_flags(is_bol(begin.coord()), is_pos_eol,
-                                        is_bow(buffer, begin.coord()), is_pos_eow)))
-        {
-            begin = utf8::next(m[0].first, pos);
-            if (matches.empty() or m[0].second > matches[0].second)
-                matches.swap(m);
-        }
-        return not matches.empty();
-    };
-    if (find_last_match(pos))
+    if (pos != buffer.begin() and
+        regex_search<BufferIterator, MatchDirection::Backward>(
+            buffer.begin(), pos, matches, ex,
+            match_flags(buffer, buffer.begin(), pos)))
         return true;
     wrapped = true;
-    return find_last_match(buffer.end());
+    return regex_search<BufferIterator, MatchDirection::Backward>(
+        buffer.begin(), buffer.end(), matches, ex,
+        match_flags(buffer, buffer.begin(), buffer.end()));
 }
 
-template<Direction direction>
+template<MatchDirection direction>
 Selection find_next_match(const Context& context, const Selection& sel, const Regex& regex, bool& wrapped)
 {
     auto& buffer = context.buffer();
     MatchResults<BufferIterator> matches;
-    auto pos = buffer.iterator_at(direction == Backward ? sel.min() : sel.max());
+    auto pos = buffer.iterator_at(direction == MatchDirection::Backward ? sel.min() : sel.max());
     wrapped = false;
-    const bool found = (direction == Forward) ?
+    const bool found = (direction == MatchDirection::Forward) ?
         find_next(buffer, utf8::next(pos, buffer.end()), matches, regex, wrapped)
       : find_prev(buffer, pos, matches, regex, wrapped);
 
@@ -903,13 +892,13 @@ Selection find_next_match(const Context& context, const Selection& sel, const Re
 
     auto begin = matches[0].first, end = matches[0].second;
     end = (begin == end) ? end : utf8::previous(end, begin);
-    if (direction == Backward)
+    if (direction == MatchDirection::Backward)
         std::swap(begin, end);
 
     return {begin.coord(), end.coord(), std::move(captures)};
 }
-template Selection find_next_match<Forward>(const Context&, const Selection&, const Regex&, bool&);
-template Selection find_next_match<Backward>(const Context&, const Selection&, const Regex&, bool&);
+template Selection find_next_match<MatchDirection::Forward>(const Context&, const Selection&, const Regex&, bool&);
+template Selection find_next_match<MatchDirection::Backward>(const Context&, const Selection&, const Regex&, bool&);
 
 using RegexIt = RegexIterator<BufferIterator>;
 
diff --git a/src/selectors.hh b/src/selectors.hh
index e2c3444e..135a99dd 100644
--- a/src/selectors.hh
+++ b/src/selectors.hh
@@ -98,9 +98,9 @@ trim_partial_lines(const Context& context, const Selection& selection);
 
 void select_buffer(SelectionList& selections);
 
-enum Direction { Forward, Backward };
+enum class MatchDirection;
 
-template<Direction direction>
+template<MatchDirection direction>
 Selection find_next_match(const Context& context, const Selection& sel,
                           const Regex& regex, bool& wrapped);