diff --git a/rc/base/etc.kak b/rc/base/etc.kak
index 3efe5587..33acb111 100644
--- a/rc/base/etc.kak
+++ b/rc/base/etc.kak
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ hook -group etc-resolv-conf-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=(?!etc-resolv
 ## /etc/hosts
 add-highlighter -group / group etc-hosts
 add-highlighter -group /etc-hosts regex ^(.+?)[\s\t]+?(.*?)$ 1:type 2:attribute
-add-highlighter -group /etc-hosts regex \#.*?$ 0:comment
+add-highlighter -group /etc-hosts regex '#.*?$' 0:comment
 
 hook -group etc-hosts-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=etc-hosts %{ add-highlighter ref etc-hosts }
 hook -group etc-hosts-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=(?!etc-hosts).* %{ remove-highlighter etc-hosts }
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ hook -group etc-hosts-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=(?!etc-hosts).* %{
 ## /etc/fstab
 add-highlighter -group / group etc-fstab
 add-highlighter -group /etc-fstab regex ^(\S{1,})\s+?(\S{1,})\s+?(\S{1,})\s+?(\S{1,})\s+?(\S{1,})\s+?(\S{1,})(?:\s+)?$ 1:keyword 2:value 3:type 4:string 5:attribute 6:attribute
-add-highlighter -group /etc-fstab regex \#.*?$ 0:comment
+add-highlighter -group /etc-fstab regex '#.*?$' 0:comment
 
 hook -group etc-fstab-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=etc-fstab %{ add-highlighter ref etc-fstab }
 hook -group etc-fstab-highlight global WinSetOption filetype=(?!etc-fstab).* %{ remove-highlighter etc-fstab }
diff --git a/rc/base/haskell.kak b/rc/base/haskell.kak
index f3a7abef..6fd781c8 100644
--- a/rc/base/haskell.kak
+++ b/rc/base/haskell.kak
@@ -14,7 +14,7 @@ hook global BufCreate .*[.](hs) %{
 add-highlighter -group / regions -default code haskell \
     string   '(?<!\'\\)(?<!\')"'         (?<!\\)(\\\\)*" ''   \
     macro   ^\h*?\K#                     (?<!\\)\n       ''   \
-    pragma  \{-#                         \#-\}           \{-  \
+    pragma  \{-#                         '#-\}'          \{-  \
     comment \{-                            -\}           \{-  \
     comment --(?![!#$%&*+./<>?@\\\^|~=]) $               ''
 
diff --git a/rc/base/ini.kak b/rc/base/ini.kak
index 470c0b9d..de28022c 100644
--- a/rc/base/ini.kak
+++ b/rc/base/ini.kak
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ hook global BufCreate .*\.(repo|service|target|socket|ini|cfg) %{
 }
 
 add-highlighter -group / regions -default code ini \
-    comment (^|\h)\K[\#\;] $ ''
+    comment '(^|\h)\K[#;]' $ ''
 
 add-highlighter -group /ini/code regex "^\h*\[[^\]]*\]" 0:title
 add-highlighter -group /ini/code regex "^\h*([^\[][^=\n]*=)([^\n]*)" 1:variable 2:value
diff --git a/rc/base/javascript.kak b/rc/base/javascript.kak
index d14dd263..2bcffb4f 100644
--- a/rc/base/javascript.kak
+++ b/rc/base/javascript.kak
@@ -25,7 +25,7 @@ add-highlighter -group /javascript/single_string fill string
 add-highlighter -group /javascript/regex         fill meta
 add-highlighter -group /javascript/comment       fill comment
 add-highlighter -group /javascript/literal       fill string
-add-highlighter -group /javascript/literal       regex \${.*?} 0:value
+add-highlighter -group /javascript/literal       regex \$\{.*?\} 0:value
 
 add-highlighter -group /javascript/code regex \$\w* 0:variable
 add-highlighter -group /javascript/code regex \b(document|false|null|parent|self|this|true|undefined|window)\b 0:value
diff --git a/rc/base/lua.kak b/rc/base/lua.kak
index f37e7039..9b453dbf 100644
--- a/rc/base/lua.kak
+++ b/rc/base/lua.kak
@@ -12,10 +12,10 @@ hook global BufCreate .*[.](lua) %{
 # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 
 add-highlighter -group / regions -default code lua \
-    string  '"' (?<!\\)(\\\\)*"       '' \
-    string  "'" (?<!\\)(\\\\)*'       '' \
-    comment '--' '$'                  '' \
-    comment '\Q--[[' ']]'             '' \
+    string  '"'      (?<!\\)(\\\\)*"  '' \
+    string  "'"      (?<!\\)(\\\\)*'  '' \
+    comment '--'     '$'              '' \
+    comment '--\[\[' '\]\]'           '' \
 
 add-highlighter -group /lua/string fill string
 
diff --git a/rc/base/ruby.kak b/rc/base/ruby.kak
index 494385a2..0b1f9ff0 100644
--- a/rc/base/ruby.kak
+++ b/rc/base/ruby.kak
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ def -hidden ruby-indent-on-new-line %{
 def -hidden ruby-insert-on-new-line %{
     eval -no-hooks -draft -itersel %{
         # copy _#_ comment prefix and following white spaces
-        try %{ exec -draft k <a-x> s ^ \h * \K \# \h * <ret> y gh j P }
+        try %{ exec -draft k <a-x> s '^\h*\K#\h*' <ret> y gh j P }
         # wisely add end structure
         eval -save-regs x %{
             try %{ exec -draft k <a-x> s ^ \h + <ret> \" x y } catch %{ reg x '' }
diff --git a/rc/core/kakrc.kak b/rc/core/kakrc.kak
index 13875bdb..1fa8852f 100644
--- a/rc/core/kakrc.kak
+++ b/rc/core/kakrc.kak
@@ -12,17 +12,17 @@ hook global BufCreate (.*/)?(kakrc|.*.kak) %{
 # ‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾‾
 
 add-highlighter -group / regions -default code kakrc \
-    comment (^|\h)\K\# $ '' \
+    comment (^|\h)\K# $ '' \
     double_string %{(^|\h)\K"} %{(?<!\\)(\\\\)*"} '' \
     single_string %{(^|\h)\K'} %{(?<!\\)(\\\\)*'} '' \
     shell '(^|\h)\K%sh\{' '\}' '\{' \
     shell '(^|\h)\K%sh\(' '\)' '\(' \
     shell '(^|\h)\K%sh\[' '\]' '\[' \
-    shell '(^|\h)\K%sh\<' '\>' '\<' \
+    shell '(^|\h)\K%sh<'  '>'  '<' \
     shell '(^|\h)\K-shell-(completion|candidates)\h+%\{' '\}' '\{' \
     shell '(^|\h)\K-shell-(completion|candidates)\h+%\(' '\)' '\(' \
     shell '(^|\h)\K-shell-(completion|candidates)\h+%\[' '\]' '\[' \
-    shell '(^|\h)\K-shell-(completion|candidates)\h+%\<' '\>' '\<'
+    shell '(^|\h)\K-shell-(completion|candidates)\h+%<'  '>'  '<'
 
 %sh{
     # Grammar
diff --git a/rc/extra/coffee.kak b/rc/extra/coffee.kak
index 081a6372..69654440 100644
--- a/rc/extra/coffee.kak
+++ b/rc/extra/coffee.kak
@@ -56,7 +56,7 @@ def -hidden coffee-filter-around-selections %{
 def -hidden coffee-indent-on-new-line %{
     eval -draft -itersel %{
         # copy '#' comment prefix and following white spaces
-        try %{ exec -draft k <a-x> s ^ \h * \K \# \h * <ret> y gh j P }
+        try %{ exec -draft k <a-x> s '^\h*\K#\h*' <ret> y gh j P }
         # preserve previous line indent
         try %{ exec -draft \; K <a-&> }
         # filter previous line
diff --git a/rc/extra/kickstart.kak b/rc/extra/kickstart.kak
index 7c47c9ca..152a0ab6 100644
--- a/rc/extra/kickstart.kak
+++ b/rc/extra/kickstart.kak
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@ hook global BufCreate .*\.ks %{
 }
 
 add-highlighter -group / regions -default code kickstart \
-    comment (^|\h)\K\# $ '' \
+    comment '(^|\h)\K#' $ '' \
     double_string '"' (?<!\\)(\\\\)*" '' \
     single_string "'" (?<!\\)(\\\\)*' '' \
     packages '^\h*\K%packages\b' '^\h*\K%end\b' '' \
diff --git a/rc/extra/latex.kak b/rc/extra/latex.kak
index 5f498f2b..80ce4c01 100644
--- a/rc/extra/latex.kak
+++ b/rc/extra/latex.kak
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ add-highlighter -group /latex/comment fill comment
 # Scopes, starting with a backslash
 add-highlighter -group /latex/content regex '\\(?!_)\w+\b' 0:keyword
 # Options passed to scopes, between brackets
-add-highlighter -group /latex/content regex '\\(?!_)\w+\b\[([^]]+)\]' 1:value
+add-highlighter -group /latex/content regex '\\(?!_)\w+\b\[([^\]]+)\]' 1:value
 # Content between dollar signs/pairs
 add-highlighter -group /latex/content regex '(\$(\\\$|[^$])+\$)|(\$\$(\\\$|[^$])+\$\$)' 0:magenta
 # Emphasized text
diff --git a/rc/extra/pug.kak b/rc/extra/pug.kak
index 7a338a01..5c7d6d00 100644
--- a/rc/extra/pug.kak
+++ b/rc/extra/pug.kak
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ hook global BufCreate .*[.](pug|jade) %{
 
 add-highlighter -group / regions -default code pug                 \
     text          ^\h*\|\s     $                      '' \
-    text          ^\h*([A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)?(\#[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)?((?:\.[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)*)?(?<=\S)\h+\K.* $ '' \
+    text          '^\h*([A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)?(#[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)?((?:\.[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)*)?(?<=\S)\h+\K.*' $ '' \
     javascript    ^\h*[-=!]    $                      '' \
     double_string '"'          (?:(?<!\\)(\\\\)*"|$)  '' \
     single_string "'"          (?:(?<!\\)(\\\\)*'|$)  '' \
@@ -38,7 +38,7 @@ add-highlighter -group /pug/puglang          regex   \b(\block|extends|include|a
 add-highlighter -group /pug/attribute        regex   [()=]                             0:operator
 add-highlighter -group /pug/text             regex   \h*(\|)                           1:meta
 add-highlighter -group /pug/code             regex   ^\h*([A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)      1:type
-add-highlighter -group /pug/code             regex   (\#[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)        1:variable
+add-highlighter -group /pug/code             regex   '(#[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)'       1:variable
 add-highlighter -group /pug/code             regex   ((?:\.[A-Za-z][A-Za-z0-9_-]*)*)   1:value
 
 # Commands