diff --git a/src/highlighters.cc b/src/highlighters.cc
index 20f09181..0a3733c6 100644
--- a/src/highlighters.cc
+++ b/src/highlighters.cc
@@ -741,18 +741,17 @@ void update_matches(const Buffer& buffer, ArrayView<LineModification> modifs,
     auto ins_pos = matches.begin();
     for (auto it = ins_pos; it != matches.end(); ++it)
     {
-        auto modif_it = std::lower_bound(modifs.begin(), modifs.end(), it->line,
-                                         [](const LineModification& c, const LineCount& l)
-                                         { return c.old_line < l; });
+        auto modif_it = std::upper_bound(modifs.begin(), modifs.end(), it->line,
+                                         [](const LineCount& l, const LineModification& c)
+                                         { return l < c.old_line; });
 
-        bool erase = (modif_it != modifs.end() and modif_it->old_line == it->line);
-        if (not erase and modif_it != modifs.begin())
+        bool erase = false;
+        if (modif_it != modifs.begin())
         {
             auto& prev = *(modif_it-1);
             erase = it->line < prev.old_line + prev.num_removed;
             it->line += prev.diff();
         }
-        erase = erase or (it->line >= buffer.line_count());
 
         if (not erase)
         {
@@ -773,9 +772,7 @@ void update_matches(const Buffer& buffer, ArrayView<LineModification> modifs,
     // try to find new matches in each updated lines
     for (auto& modif : modifs)
     {
-        for (auto line = modif.new_line;
-             line < modif.new_line + modif.num_added and
-             line < buffer.line_count(); ++line)
+        for (auto line = modif.new_line; line < modif.new_line + modif.num_added; ++line)
         {
             auto l = buffer[line];
             for (RegexIterator<const char*> it{l.begin(), l.end(), regex}, end{}; it != end; ++it)