diff --git a/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-lib/redex/private/rewrite-side-conditions.rkt b/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-lib/redex/private/rewrite-side-conditions.rkt
index 0280b5bb54..c96a950423 100644
--- a/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-lib/redex/private/rewrite-side-conditions.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-lib/redex/private/rewrite-side-conditions.rkt
@@ -301,11 +301,11 @@
                          (set! ellipsis-number (+ ellipsis-number 1))
                          (values (format "..._r~a" ellipsis-number) #f)]
                         [(regexp-match? #rx"^[.][.][.]_r" ellipsis-pre-str)
-                         (values (string-append (substring ellipsis-str 0 4)
+                         (values (string-append (substring ellipsis-pre-str 0 4)
                                                 "r"
-                                                (substring ellipsis-str 
+                                                (substring ellipsis-pre-str 
                                                            4
-                                                           (string-length ellipsis-str)))
+                                                           (string-length ellipsis-pre-str)))
                                  #t)]
                         [(regexp-match? #rx"^[.][.][.]_" ellipsis-pre-str) 
                          (values ellipsis-pre-str #t)]
diff --git a/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-test/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt b/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-test/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt
index 3781027d29..3e94ca1d4f 100644
--- a/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-test/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt
+++ b/pkgs/redex-pkgs/redex-test/redex/tests/tl-test.rkt
@@ -588,6 +588,14 @@
         #f))
 
 
+(let ()
+  (test (and (redex-match
+              empty-language
+              (natural ..._r)
+              (term ()))
+             #t)
+        #t))
+
 ;                                                                                             
 ;                                                                                             
 ;                                 ;;;                                ;