diff --git a/libyara/atoms.c b/libyara/atoms.c
index c09d6d8670..e7e9a15bdb 100644
--- a/libyara/atoms.c
+++ b/libyara/atoms.c
@@ -1355,22 +1355,6 @@ int yr_atoms_extract_from_re(
     *atoms = _yr_atoms_list_concat(*atoms, case_insensitive_atoms);
   }
 
-  // No atoms has been extracted, let's add a zero-length atom.
-
-  if (*atoms == NULL)
-  {
-    *atoms = (YR_ATOM_LIST_ITEM*) yr_malloc(sizeof(YR_ATOM_LIST_ITEM));
-
-    if (*atoms == NULL)
-      return ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_MEMORY;
-
-    (*atoms)->atom.length = 0;
-    (*atoms)->backtrack = 0;
-    (*atoms)->forward_code_ref = re_ast->root_node->forward_code_ref;
-    (*atoms)->backward_code_ref = YR_ARENA_NULL_REF;
-    (*atoms)->next = NULL;
-  }
-
   return ERROR_SUCCESS;
 }
 
diff --git a/libyara/parser.c b/libyara/parser.c
index 2433e52743..dbc47deea3 100644
--- a/libyara/parser.c
+++ b/libyara/parser.c
@@ -502,19 +502,22 @@ static int _yr_parser_write_string(
         literal_string->length + 1,  // +1 to include terminating NULL
         &ref);
 
+    if (result != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+      goto cleanup;
+
     string->length = (uint32_t) literal_string->length;
     string->string = (uint8_t*) yr_arena_ref_to_ptr(compiler->arena, &ref);
 
-    if (result == ERROR_SUCCESS)
-    {
-      result = yr_atoms_extract_from_string(
-          &compiler->atoms_config,
-          (uint8_t*) literal_string->c_string,
-          (int32_t) literal_string->length,
-          modifier,
-          &atom_list,
-          min_atom_quality);
-    }
+    result = yr_atoms_extract_from_string(
+        &compiler->atoms_config,
+        (uint8_t*) literal_string->c_string,
+        (int32_t) literal_string->length,
+        modifier,
+        &atom_list,
+        min_atom_quality);
+
+    if (result != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+      goto cleanup;
   }
   else
   {
@@ -524,20 +527,55 @@ static int _yr_parser_write_string(
     // variable-length portions.
     modifier.flags &= ~STRING_FLAGS_FIXED_OFFSET;
 
+    // Save the position where the RE forward code starts for later reference.
+    yr_arena_off_t forward_code_start = yr_arena_get_current_offset(
+        compiler->arena, YR_RE_CODE_SECTION);
+
     // Emit forwards code
     result = yr_re_ast_emit_code(re_ast, compiler->arena, false);
 
+    if (result != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+      goto cleanup;
+
     // Emit backwards code
-    if (result == ERROR_SUCCESS)
-      result = yr_re_ast_emit_code(re_ast, compiler->arena, true);
+    result = yr_re_ast_emit_code(re_ast, compiler->arena, true);
 
-    if (result == ERROR_SUCCESS)
-      result = yr_atoms_extract_from_re(
-          &compiler->atoms_config,
-          re_ast,
-          modifier,
-          &atom_list,
-          min_atom_quality);
+    if (result != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+      goto cleanup;
+
+    // Extract atoms from the regular expression.
+    result = yr_atoms_extract_from_re(
+        &compiler->atoms_config,
+        re_ast,
+        modifier,
+        &atom_list,
+        min_atom_quality);
+
+    if (result != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+      goto cleanup;
+
+    // If no atom was extracted let's add a zero-length atom.
+    if (atom_list == NULL)
+    {
+      atom_list = (YR_ATOM_LIST_ITEM*) yr_malloc(sizeof(YR_ATOM_LIST_ITEM));
+
+      if (atom_list == NULL)
+      {
+        result = ERROR_INSUFFICIENT_MEMORY;
+        goto cleanup;
+      }
+
+      atom_list->atom.length = 0;
+      atom_list->backtrack = 0;
+      atom_list->backward_code_ref = YR_ARENA_NULL_REF;
+      atom_list->next = NULL;
+
+      yr_arena_ptr_to_ref(
+          compiler->arena,
+          yr_arena_get_ptr(
+              compiler->arena, YR_RE_CODE_SECTION, forward_code_start),
+          &(atom_list->forward_code_ref));
+    }
   }
 
   string->flags = modifier.flags;
@@ -545,16 +583,16 @@ static int _yr_parser_write_string(
   string->idx = compiler->current_string_idx;
   string->fixed_offset = YR_UNDEFINED;
 
-  if (result == ERROR_SUCCESS)
-  {
-    // Add the string to Aho-Corasick automaton.
-    result = yr_ac_add_string(
-        compiler->automaton,
-        string,
-        compiler->current_string_idx,
-        atom_list,
-        compiler->arena);
-  }
+  // Add the string to Aho-Corasick automaton.
+  result = yr_ac_add_string(
+      compiler->automaton,
+      string,
+      compiler->current_string_idx,
+      atom_list,
+      compiler->arena);
+
+  if (result != ERROR_SUCCESS)
+    goto cleanup;
 
   if (modifier.flags & STRING_FLAGS_LITERAL)
   {
@@ -580,6 +618,7 @@ static int _yr_parser_write_string(
 
   compiler->current_string_idx++;
 
+cleanup:
   if (free_literal)
     yr_free(literal_string);
 
@@ -761,11 +800,9 @@ int yr_parser_reduce_string_declaration(
     {
       if (result == ERROR_UNKNOWN_ESCAPE_SEQUENCE)
       {
-        yywarning(
-          yyscanner,
-          "unknown escape sequence");
+        yywarning(yyscanner, "unknown escape sequence");
       }
-      else 
+      else
       {
         snprintf(
             message,
@@ -1148,7 +1185,7 @@ int yr_parser_reduce_string_identifier(
   YR_STRING* string;
   YR_COMPILER* compiler = yyget_extra(yyscanner);
 
-  if (strcmp(identifier, "$") == 0)            // is an anonymous string ?
+  if (strcmp(identifier, "$") == 0)  // is an anonymous string ?
   {
     if (compiler->loop_for_of_var_index >= 0)  // inside a loop ?
     {
diff --git a/tests/test-rules.c b/tests/test-rules.c
index 28cd1fc464..decddedb79 100644
--- a/tests/test-rules.c
+++ b/tests/test-rules.c
@@ -2517,6 +2517,8 @@ void test_re()
   assert_true_regexp("a{0,1}?bc", "abc", "abc");
   assert_true_regexp("a{0,1}bc", "bbc", "bc");
   assert_true_regexp("a{0,1}?bc", "abc", "bc");
+  assert_true_regexp("a{,0}", "a", "");
+  assert_true_regexp("a{,0}", "x", "");
   assert_true_regexp("aa{0,1}?bc", "abc", "abc");
   assert_true_regexp("aa{0,1}?bc", "abc", "abc");
   assert_true_regexp("aa{0,1}bc", "abc", "abc");