diff --git a/pikevm.h b/pikevm.h
index e9d6d5e..25118c9 100644
--- a/pikevm.h
+++ b/pikevm.h
@@ -582,7 +582,7 @@ static int re_pikevm(rcode *prog, const char *s, const char **subp, int nsubp)
 	rthread *clist = _clist, *nlist = _nlist, *tmp;
 	int rsubsize = prog->presub, suboff = 0;
 	int cnt, spc, i, c, osubp = nsubp * sizeof(char*);
-	int si = 0, clistidx = 0, nlistidx, mcont = MATCH;
+	int si = 0, clistidx = 0, nlistidx, mcont = MATCH, len = -1;
 	unsigned int sdense[prog->sparsesz], sparsesz = 0;
 	char nsubs[prog->sub];
 	goto jmp_start;
@@ -613,6 +613,7 @@ static int re_pikevm(rcode *prog, const char *s, const char **subp, int nsubp)
 				matched:
 				nlist[nlistidx++].pc = &mcont;
 				if (npc != &mcont) {
+					len = sp-s;
 					if (matched)
 						decref(matched)
 					matched = nsub;
@@ -622,7 +623,7 @@ static int re_pikevm(rcode *prog, const char *s, const char **subp, int nsubp)
 						subp[i] = matched->sub[i >> 1];
 						subp[i+1] = matched->sub[(nsubp >> 1) + (i >> 1)];
 					}
-					return 1;
+					return len;
 				}
 				swaplist()
 				goto _continue;