diff --git a/src/regex_impl.cc b/src/regex_impl.cc
index 1ff73472..78ddb375 100644
--- a/src/regex_impl.cc
+++ b/src/regex_impl.cc
@@ -684,7 +684,6 @@ struct RegexCompiler
         {
             m_program.forward_start_desc = compute_start_desc<RegexMode::Forward>();
             compile_node<RegexMode::Forward>(0);
-            peephole_optimize(0, m_program.instructions.size());
             push_inst(CompiledRegex::Match);
         }
 
@@ -693,7 +692,6 @@ struct RegexCompiler
             m_program.first_backward_inst = m_program.instructions.size();
             m_program.backward_start_desc = compute_start_desc<RegexMode::Backward>();
             compile_node<RegexMode::Backward>(0);
-            peephole_optimize(m_program.first_backward_inst, m_program.instructions.size());
             push_inst(CompiledRegex::Match);
         }
         else
@@ -1021,21 +1019,6 @@ private:
         return std::make_unique<CompiledRegex::StartDesc>(start_desc);
     }
 
-    void peephole_optimize(size_t begin, size_t end)
-    {
-        if (not (m_flags & RegexCompileFlags::Optimize))
-            return;
-
-        // Move saves after all assertions on the same character
-        auto is_assertion = [](CompiledRegex::Op op) { return op >= CompiledRegex::LineStart; };
-        for (auto i = begin, j = begin + 1; j < end; ++i, ++j)
-        {
-            if (m_program.instructions[i].op == CompiledRegex::Save and
-                is_assertion(m_program.instructions[j].op))
-                std::swap(m_program.instructions[i], m_program.instructions[j]);
-        }
-    }
-
     const ParsedRegex::Node& get_node(ParsedRegex::NodeIndex index) const
     {
         return m_parsed_regex.nodes[index];
diff --git a/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/cmd b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/cmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..8b137891
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/cmd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+
diff --git a/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/in b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..6f0c951f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/in
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+foo.bar();
diff --git a/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/rc b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/rc
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..bf82861a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/rc
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+add-highlighter buffer/ regex ((?<!\.\.)(?<=\.)|(?<=->))[a-zA-Z](\w+)?\b(?![>"\(]) 0:red
diff --git a/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/ui-out b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/ui-out
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..c526a3c0
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/2711-weird-regex-highlighter-behaviour/ui-out
@@ -0,0 +1,7 @@
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "set_ui_options", "params": [{}] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "draw", "params": [[[{ "face": { "fg": "black", "bg": "white", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "f" }, { "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "oo.bar();\u000a" }]], { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, { "fg": "blue", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "menu_hide", "params": [] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "info_hide", "params": [] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "draw_status", "params": [[], [{ "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "out 1:1 " }, { "face": { "fg": "black", "bg": "yellow", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "" }, { "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": " " }, { "face": { "fg": "blue", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": "1 sel" }, { "face": { "fg": "default", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }, "contents": " - client0@[kak-tests]" }], { "fg": "cyan", "bg": "default", "attributes": [] }] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "set_cursor", "params": ["buffer", { "line": 0, "column": 0 }] }
+{ "jsonrpc": "2.0", "method": "refresh", "params": [true] }