diff --git a/basis/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor b/basis/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor
index 4e3af0af56..3a87d71d58 100644
--- a/basis/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor
+++ b/basis/xmode/catalog/catalog.factor
@@ -1,13 +1,14 @@
 USING: xmode.loader xmode.utilities xmode.rules namespaces
 strings splitting assocs sequences kernel io.files xml memoize
-words globs combinators io.encodings.utf8 sorting accessors xml.data ;
+words globs combinators io.encodings.utf8 sorting accessors xml.data
+xml.traversal ;
 IN: xmode.catalog
 
 TUPLE: mode file file-name-glob first-line-glob ;
 
-<TAGS: parse-mode-tag ( modes tag -- )
+TAGS: parse-mode-tag ( modes tag -- )
 
-TAG: MODE
+TAG: MODE parse-mode-tag
     dup "NAME" attr [
         mode new {
             { "FILE" f (>>file) }
@@ -17,11 +18,9 @@ TAG: MODE
     ] dip
     rot set-at ;
 
-TAGS>
-
 : parse-modes-tag ( tag -- modes )
     H{ } clone [
-        swap child-tags [ parse-mode-tag ] with each
+        swap children-tags [ parse-mode-tag ] with each
     ] keep ;
 
 MEMO: modes ( -- modes )
diff --git a/basis/xmode/loader/loader.factor b/basis/xmode/loader/loader.factor
index 70466913a0..61b60b5292 100644
--- a/basis/xmode/loader/loader.factor
+++ b/basis/xmode/loader/loader.factor
@@ -1,56 +1,54 @@
 USING: xmode.loader.syntax xmode.tokens xmode.rules
 xmode.keyword-map xml.data xml.traversal xml assocs kernel
 combinators sequences math.parser namespaces parser
-xmode.utilities parser-combinators.regexp io.files accessors ;
+xmode.utilities regexp io.files accessors ;
 IN: xmode.loader
 
 ! Based on org.gjt.sp.jedit.XModeHandler
 
 ! RULES and its children
-<TAGS: parse-rule-tag ( rule-set tag -- )
+TAGS: parse-rule-tag ( rule-set tag -- )
 
-TAG: PROPS
+TAG: PROPS parse-rule-tag
     parse-props-tag >>props drop ;
 
-TAG: IMPORT
+TAG: IMPORT parse-rule-tag
     "DELEGATE" attr swap import-rule-set ;
 
-TAG: TERMINATE
+TAG: TERMINATE parse-rule-tag
     "AT_CHAR" attr string>number >>terminate-char drop ;
 
-RULE: SEQ seq-rule
+RULE: SEQ seq-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs delegate-attr literal-start ;
 
-RULE: SEQ_REGEXP seq-rule
+RULE: SEQ_REGEXP seq-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs delegate-attr regexp-attr regexp-start ;
 
-RULE: SPAN span-rule
+RULE: SPAN span-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs delegate-attr match-type-attr span-attrs parse-begin/end-tags init-span-tag ;
 
-RULE: SPAN_REGEXP span-rule
+RULE: SPAN_REGEXP span-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs delegate-attr match-type-attr span-attrs regexp-attr parse-begin/end-tags init-span-tag ;
 
-RULE: EOL_SPAN eol-span-rule
+RULE: EOL_SPAN eol-span-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs delegate-attr match-type-attr literal-start init-eol-span-tag ;
 
-RULE: EOL_SPAN_REGEXP eol-span-rule
+RULE: EOL_SPAN_REGEXP eol-span-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs delegate-attr match-type-attr regexp-attr regexp-start init-eol-span-tag ;
 
-RULE: MARK_FOLLOWING mark-following-rule
+RULE: MARK_FOLLOWING mark-following-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs match-type-attr literal-start ;
 
-RULE: MARK_PREVIOUS mark-previous-rule
+RULE: MARK_PREVIOUS mark-previous-rule parse-rule-tag
     shared-tag-attrs match-type-attr literal-start ;
 
-TAG: KEYWORDS ( rule-set tag -- key value )
+TAG: KEYWORDS parse-rule-tag
     rule-set get ignore-case?>> <keyword-map>
-    swap child-tags [ over parse-keyword-tag ] each
+    swap children-tags [ over parse-keyword-tag ] each
     swap (>>keywords) ;
 
-TAGS>
-
 : ?<regexp> ( string/f -- regexp/f )
-    dup [ rule-set get ignore-case?>> <regexp> ] when ;
+    dup [ rule-set get ignore-case?>> drop <regexp> ] when ;
 
 : (parse-rules-tag) ( tag -- rule-set )
     <rule-set> dup rule-set set
@@ -66,7 +64,7 @@ TAGS>
 
 : parse-rules-tag ( tag -- rule-set )
     [
-        [ (parse-rules-tag) ] [ child-tags ] bi
+        [ (parse-rules-tag) ] [ children-tags ] bi
         [ parse-rule-tag ] with each
         rule-set get
     ] with-scope ;
diff --git a/basis/xmode/loader/syntax/syntax.factor b/basis/xmode/loader/syntax/syntax.factor
index 0e7293da97..88ff7b919b 100644
--- a/basis/xmode/loader/syntax/syntax.factor
+++ b/basis/xmode/loader/syntax/syntax.factor
@@ -3,7 +3,7 @@
 USING: accessors xmode.tokens xmode.rules xmode.keyword-map
 xml.data xml.traversal xml assocs kernel combinators sequences
 math.parser namespaces make parser lexer xmode.utilities
-parser-combinators.regexp io.files splitting arrays ;
+regexp io.files splitting arrays xml.syntax.private ;
 IN: xmode.loader.syntax
 
 ! Rule tag parsing utilities
@@ -11,9 +11,10 @@ IN: xmode.loader.syntax
     new swap init-from-tag swap add-rule ; inline
 
 : RULE:
-    scan scan-word
+    scan scan-word scan-word
     parse-definition { } make
-    swap [ (parse-rule-tag) ] 2curry (TAG:) ; parsing
+    [ swap [ (parse-rule-tag) ] 2curry ] dip
+    swap define-tag ; parsing
 
 ! Attribute utilities
 : string>boolean ( string -- ? ) "TRUE" = ;
@@ -32,7 +33,7 @@ IN: xmode.loader.syntax
     [ "NAME" attr ] [ "VALUE" attr ] bi ;
 
 : parse-props-tag ( tag -- assoc )
-    child-tags
+    children-tags
     [ parse-prop-tag ] H{ } map>assoc ;
 
 : position-attrs ( tag -- at-line-start? at-whitespace-end? at-word-start? )
@@ -46,7 +47,7 @@ IN: xmode.loader.syntax
     swap position-attrs <matcher> ;
 
 : parse-regexp-matcher ( tag -- matcher )
-    dup children>string rule-set get ignore-case?>> <regexp>
+    dup children>string rule-set get ignore-case?>> drop <regexp>
     swap position-attrs <matcher> ;
 
 : shared-tag-attrs ( -- )
@@ -79,22 +80,20 @@ IN: xmode.loader.syntax
     [ parse-literal-matcher >>end drop ] , ;
 
 ! SPAN's children
-<TAGS: parse-begin/end-tag ( rule tag -- )
+TAGS: parse-begin/end-tag ( rule tag -- )
 
-TAG: BEGIN
+TAG: BEGIN parse-begin/end-tag
     ! XXX
     parse-literal-matcher >>start drop ;
 
-TAG: END
+TAG: END parse-begin/end-tag
     ! XXX
     parse-literal-matcher >>end drop ;
 
-TAGS>
-
 : parse-begin/end-tags ( -- )
     [
         ! XXX: handle position attrs on span tag itself
-        child-tags [ parse-begin/end-tag ] with each
+        children-tags [ parse-begin/end-tag ] with each
     ] , ;
 
 : init-span-tag ( -- ) [ drop init-span ] , ;
diff --git a/basis/xmode/marker/marker.factor b/basis/xmode/marker/marker.factor
index cff0af2a98..5cbd9e1e9c 100755
--- a/basis/xmode/marker/marker.factor
+++ b/basis/xmode/marker/marker.factor
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@ IN: xmode.marker
 USING: kernel namespaces make xmode.rules xmode.tokens
 xmode.marker.state xmode.marker.context xmode.utilities
 xmode.catalog sequences math assocs combinators strings
-parser-combinators.regexp splitting parser-combinators ascii
+regexp splitting ascii parser-combinators regexp.backend
 ascii combinators.short-circuit accessors ;
+! parser-combinators is for the string-head? word
+! regexp.backend is for the regexp class
 
 ! Based on org.gjt.sp.jedit.syntax.TokenMarker
 
@@ -150,7 +152,7 @@ M: escape-rule handle-rule-start
     process-escape? get [
         escaped? [ not ] change
         position [ + ] change
-    ] [ 2drop ] if ;
+    ] [ drop ] if ;
 
 M: seq-rule handle-rule-start
     ?end-rule
diff --git a/basis/xmode/rules/rules.factor b/basis/xmode/rules/rules.factor
index adc43d7bb6..99364fe7cd 100644
--- a/basis/xmode/rules/rules.factor
+++ b/basis/xmode/rules/rules.factor
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 USING: accessors xmode.tokens xmode.keyword-map kernel
 sequences vectors assocs strings memoize unicode.case
-parser-combinators.regexp ;
+regexp regexp.backend ; ! regexp.backend has the regexp class
 IN: xmode.rules
 
 TUPLE: string-matcher string ignore-case? ;
diff --git a/basis/xmode/utilities/utilities.factor b/basis/xmode/utilities/utilities.factor
index 2423fb0d86..22db69de3f 100644
--- a/basis/xmode/utilities/utilities.factor
+++ b/basis/xmode/utilities/utilities.factor
@@ -4,8 +4,6 @@ IN: xmode.utilities
 
 : implies ( x y -- z ) [ not ] dip or ; inline
 
-: child-tags ( tag -- seq ) children>> [ tag? ] filter ;
-
 : map-find ( seq quot -- result elt )
     [ f ] 2dip
     '[ nip @ dup ] find
@@ -37,21 +35,3 @@ MACRO: (init-from-tag) ( specs -- )
 
 : init-from-tag ( tag tuple specs -- tuple )
     over [ (init-from-tag) ] dip ; inline
-
-SYMBOL: tag-handlers
-SYMBOL: tag-handler-word
-
-: <TAGS:
-    CREATE tag-handler-word set
-    H{ } clone tag-handlers set ; parsing
-
-: (TAG:) ( name quot -- ) swap tag-handlers get set-at ;
-
-: TAG:
-    scan parse-definition
-    (TAG:) ; parsing
-
-: TAGS>
-    tag-handler-word get
-    tag-handlers get >alist [ [ dup main>> ] dip case ] curry
-    define ; parsing