The compiled pattern is: The string to match is: "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=..." 0x144aa80: EXECUTING on_failure_jump_smart 4 (to 0x144aa87). smart default => slow loop. 0x144aa80: EXECUTING on_failure_jump 4 (to 0x144aa87): Thread 1 "emacs" hit Breakpoint 4, debug_spot (fail_stack_avail=0, string1=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "..., string2=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "...) at regex.c:846 846 fail_stack_avail++; Hardware watchpoint 5: -location string1[0] (gdb) bt 5 #0 debug_spot (fail_stack_avail=0, string1=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "..., string2=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "...) at regex.c:846 #1 0x00000000005ee090 in re_match_2_internal (bufp=0xd6d650 , string1=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "..., size1=0, string2=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "..., size2=40918, pos=0, regs=0xd6deb0 , stop=40918) at regex.c:5844 #2 0x00000000005e9022 in re_search_2 (bufp=0xd6d650 , str1=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "..., size1=0, str2=0x1835980 "DESCRIPTION;LANGUAGE=en-US:Nn Nnnnn\\,\\n\\nNnnnnnnnn nnn nnn nnnnnn nn nnnnnn\n nnnnnnn nnnn nnnnnnnnn. N nnnn nnnnnnnnn nn nnn nnnnnnnn nnnnnnn nnn nn nn\n nn nn-nnnnnnn nn Nnnnnnn nn 99.99 NNNN\\n\\nNnnn "..., size2=40918, startpos=0, range=40918, regs=0xd6deb0 , stop=40918) at regex.c:4470 #3 0x00000000005d6c06 in search_buffer (string=25301860, pos=1, pos_byte=1, lim=40891, lim_byte=40919, n=1, RE=1, trt=20893029, inverse_trt=20483397, posix=false) at search.c:1265 #4 0x00000000005d63a1 in search_command (string=25301860, bound=0, noerror=44544, count=0, direction=1, RE=1, posix=false) at search.c:1058 (More stack frames follow...) (gdb) cont [...] PUSH_FAILURE_POINT: Before push, next avail: 5115 size: 5120 Push frame index: 5115 Push string 0x1836013: ".nnn>\;\n> +NNNN , string1=0x1835980 "", size1=0, string2=0x1835980 "", size2=40918, pos=0, regs=0xd6deb0 , stop=40918) at regex.c:5844 #11 0x00000000005e9022 in re_search_2 (bufp=0xd6d650 , str1=0x1835980 "", size1=0, str2=0x1835980 "", size2=40918, startpos=0, range=40918, regs=0xd6deb0 , stop=40918) at regex.c:4470 #12 0x00000000005d6c06 in search_buffer (string=25301860, pos=1, pos_byte=1, lim=40891, lim_byte=40919, n=1, RE=1, trt=20893029, inverse_trt=20483397, posix=false) at search.c:1265 (More stack frames follow...) Continuing. Thread 1 "emacs" hit Hardware watchpoint 5: -location string1[0] Old value = 0 '\000' New value = -34 '\336' 0x00007ffff0d67b64 in __memcpy_ssse3 () from /usr/lib/libc.so.6 (gdb) cont Continuing. Doubled stack; size now: 20480 slots available: 15362 Push frame index: 5118 Push string 0x1836014: "ª$..." [...] PUSH_FAILURE_POINT: Before push, next avail: 5130 size: 20480 Push frame index: 5130 Push string 0x1836018: "ª$\..." 0: /on_failure_jump to 7 3: /anychar 4: /jump to 0 7: /stop_memory/1 9: /jump to -8 12: /succeed 13: end of pattern. Push pattern 0x144aa8f: 0x144aa92: EXECUTING anychar. character.h:696: Emacs fatal error: assertion failed: CHAR_VALID_P (ch) Thread 1 "emacs" hit Breakpoint 1, terminate_due_to_signal (sig=6, backtrace_limit=2147483647) at emacs.c:354 354 signal (sig, SIG_DFL); (gdb) bt 7 #0 terminate_due_to_signal (sig=6, backtrace_limit=2147483647) at emacs.c:354 #1 0x00000000005fdb9b in die (msg=0x725888 "CHAR_VALID_P (ch)", file=0x72587c "character.h", line=696) at alloc.c:7224 #2 0x000000000056c000 in char_table_translate (obj=20893029, ch=4195178) at character.h:696 #3 0x00000000005eb8db in re_match_2_internal (bufp=0xd6d650 , string1=0x1835980 "\336[\203\001", size1=0, string2=0x1835980 "\336[\203\001", size2=40918, pos=0, regs=0xd6deb0 , stop=40918) at regex.c:5454 #4 0x00000000005e9022 in re_search_2 (bufp=0xd6d650 , str1=0x1835980 "\336[\203\001", size1=0, str2=0x1835980 "\336[\203\001", size2=40918, startpos=0, range=40918, regs=0xd6deb0 , stop=40918) at regex.c:4470 #5 0x00000000005d6c06 in search_buffer (string=25301860, pos=1, pos_byte=1, lim=40891, lim_byte=40919, n=1, RE=1, trt=20893029, inverse_trt=20483397, posix=false) at search.c:1265 #6 0x00000000005d63a1 in search_command (string=25301860, bound=0, noerror=44544, count=0, direction=1, RE=1, posix=false) at search.c:1058 (More stack frames follow...)