diff --git a/main.c b/main.c
index 87ae64f1d..7dc7b65fd 100644
--- a/main.c
+++ b/main.c
@@ -1154,6 +1154,8 @@ static const char *key2register(Vis *vis, const char *keys, enum VisRegister *re
 		*reg = VIS_REG_ZERO;
 	else if (keys[0] == '@')
 		*reg = VIS_MACRO_LAST_RECORDED;
+	else if (keys[0] == '/')
+		*reg = VIS_REG_SEARCH;
 	return keys+1;
 }
 
diff --git a/vis-cmds.c b/vis-cmds.c
index 38c810fe7..0fb31dfdc 100644
--- a/vis-cmds.c
+++ b/vis-cmds.c
@@ -1177,13 +1177,10 @@ static Filepos parse_pos(Win *win, char **cmd) {
 		if (!pattern_end)
 			return EPOS;
 		*pattern_end++ = '\0';
-		Regex *regex = text_regex_new();
+		Regex *regex = vis_regex(win->vis, *cmd);
 		if (!regex)
 			return EPOS;
-		if (!text_regex_compile(regex, *cmd, 0)) {
-			*cmd = pattern_end;
-			pos = text_search_forward(txt, view_cursor_get(view), regex);
-		}
+		pos = text_search_forward(txt, view_cursor_get(view), regex);
 		text_regex_free(regex);
 		break;
 	case '+':
diff --git a/vis-motions.c b/vis-motions.c
index e62dc35c8..5bff026b7 100644
--- a/vis-motions.c
+++ b/vis-motions.c
@@ -9,44 +9,56 @@
 
 /** utility functions */
 
-static bool search_word(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
+static Regex *search_word(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
 	char expr[512];
 	Filerange word = text_object_word(txt, pos);
 	if (!text_range_valid(&word))
-		return false;
+		return NULL;
 	char *buf = text_bytes_alloc0(txt, word.start, text_range_size(&word));
 	if (!buf)
-		return false;
+		return NULL;
 	snprintf(expr, sizeof(expr), "[[:<:]]%s[[:>:]]", buf);
-	bool ret = text_regex_compile(vis->search_pattern, expr, REG_EXTENDED) == 0;
-	if (!ret) {
+	Regex *regex = vis_regex(vis, expr);
+	if (!regex) {
 		snprintf(expr, sizeof(expr), "\\<%s\\>", buf);
-		ret = text_regex_compile(vis->search_pattern, expr, REG_EXTENDED) == 0;
+		regex = vis_regex(vis, expr);
 	}
 	free(buf);
-	return ret;
+	return regex;
 }
 
 /** motion implementations */
 
 static size_t search_word_forward(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
-	if (search_word(vis, txt, pos))
-		pos = text_search_forward(txt, pos, vis->search_pattern);
+	Regex *regex = search_word(vis, txt, pos);
+	if (regex)
+		pos = text_search_forward(txt, pos, regex);
+	text_regex_free(regex);
 	return pos;
 }
 
 static size_t search_word_backward(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
-	if (search_word(vis, txt, pos))
-		pos = text_search_backward(txt, pos, vis->search_pattern);
+	Regex *regex = search_word(vis, txt, pos);
+	if (regex)
+		pos = text_search_backward(txt, pos, regex);
+	text_regex_free(regex);
 	return pos;
 }
 
 static size_t search_forward(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
-	return text_search_forward(txt, pos, vis->search_pattern);
+	Regex *regex = vis_regex(vis, NULL);
+	if (regex)
+		pos = text_search_forward(txt, pos, regex);
+	text_regex_free(regex);
+	return pos;
 }
 
 static size_t search_backward(Vis *vis, Text *txt, size_t pos) {
-	return text_search_backward(txt, pos, vis->search_pattern);
+	Regex *regex = vis_regex(vis, NULL);
+	if (regex)
+		pos = text_search_backward(txt, pos, regex);
+	text_regex_free(regex);
+	return pos;
 }
 
 static size_t mark_goto(Vis *vis, File *file, size_t pos) {
@@ -245,10 +257,12 @@ bool vis_motion(Vis *vis, enum VisMotion motion, ...) {
 	case VIS_MOVE_SEARCH_BACKWARD:
 	{
 		const char *pattern = va_arg(ap, char*);
-		if (text_regex_compile(vis->search_pattern, pattern, REG_EXTENDED|REG_NEWLINE)) {
+		Regex *regex = vis_regex(vis, pattern);
+		if (!regex) {
 			vis_cancel(vis);
 			goto err;
 		}
+		text_regex_free(regex);
 		if (motion == VIS_MOVE_SEARCH_FORWARD)
 			motion = VIS_MOVE_SEARCH_NEXT;
 		else
diff --git a/vis.c b/vis.c
index 7bb5d6a8f..7c04347ba 100644
--- a/vis.c
+++ b/vis.c
@@ -1112,6 +1112,20 @@ void vis_insert_nl(Vis *vis) {
 		copy_indent_from_previous_line(vis->win);
 }
 
+Regex *vis_regex(Vis *vis, const char *pattern) {
+	if (!pattern && !(pattern = register_get(vis, &vis->registers[VIS_REG_SEARCH], NULL)))
+		return NULL;
+	Regex *regex = text_regex_new();
+	if (!regex)
+		return NULL;
+	if (text_regex_compile(regex, pattern, REG_EXTENDED|REG_NEWLINE) != 0) {
+		text_regex_free(regex);
+		return NULL;
+	}
+	register_put(vis, &vis->registers[VIS_REG_SEARCH], pattern, strlen(pattern)+1);
+	return regex;
+}
+
 Text *vis_text(Vis *vis) {
 	return vis->win->file->text;
 }
diff --git a/vis.h b/vis.h
index fad7ecad0..0bafe685e 100644
--- a/vis.h
+++ b/vis.h
@@ -11,6 +11,7 @@ typedef struct Win Win;
 
 #include "ui.h"
 #include "view.h"
+#include "text-regex.h"
 
 typedef struct {
 	void (*vis_start)(Vis*);
@@ -351,6 +352,7 @@ enum VisRegister {
 	VIS_REG_PROMPT,  /* internal register which shadows DEFAULT in PROMPT mode */
 	VIS_MACRO_OPERATOR,      /* records entered keys after an operator */
 	VIS_MACRO_REPEAT,        /* copy of the above macro once the recording is finished */
+	VIS_REG_SEARCH,
 	VIS_REG_INVALID, /* has to be the last 'real' register */
 	VIS_REG_A, VIS_REG_B, VIS_REG_C, VIS_REG_D, VIS_REG_E,
 	VIS_REG_F, VIS_REG_G, VIS_REG_H, VIS_REG_I, VIS_REG_J,
@@ -412,6 +414,9 @@ bool vis_keys_inject(Vis*, const char *pos, const char *input);
  * was handled by vis */
 bool vis_signal_handler(Vis*, int signum, const siginfo_t *siginfo, const void *context);
 
+/* remember last search pattern, freeing the regex is the callers responsibility */
+Regex *vis_regex(Vis*, const char *pattern);
+
 /* TODO: expose proper API to iterate through files etc */
 Text *vis_text(Vis*);
 View *vis_view(Vis*);