diff --git a/data.c b/data.c
index 2410f5b..65100de 100644
--- a/data.c
+++ b/data.c
@@ -2293,13 +2293,9 @@ int content_check(const char *file, const xs_dict *msg)
             while (!r && !feof(f)) {
                 xs *rx = xs_strip_i(xs_readline(f));
 
-                if (*rx) {
-                    xs *l = xs_regex_select_n(c, rx, 1);
-
-                    if (xs_list_len(l)) {
-                        srv_debug(1, xs_fmt("content_check: match for '%s'", rx));
-                        r = 1;
-                    }
+                if (*rx && xs_regex_match(c, rx)) {
+                    srv_debug(1, xs_fmt("content_check: match for '%s'", rx));
+                    r = 1;
                 }
             }
 
@@ -2576,9 +2572,7 @@ xs_list *content_search(snac *user, const char *regex,
         c = xs_tolower_i(c);
 
         /* apply regex */
-        xs *l = xs_regex_select_n(c, i_regex, 1);
-
-        if (xs_list_len(l)) {
+        if (xs_regex_match(c, i_regex)) {
             if (xs_set_add(&seen, md5) == 1)
             show--;
         }
diff --git a/xs.h b/xs.h
index ad72207..f5c87ef 100644
--- a/xs.h
+++ b/xs.h
@@ -1049,7 +1049,7 @@ xs_dict *xs_dict_append(xs_dict *dict, const xs_str *key, const xs_val *value)
 xs_dict *xs_dict_prepend(xs_dict *dict, const xs_str *key, const xs_val *value)
 /* prepends a memory block to the dict */
 {
-    return _xs_dict_write_ditem(dict, 4, key, value, xs_size(value));
+    return _xs_dict_write_ditem(dict, 1 + _XS_TYPE_SIZE, key, value, xs_size(value));
 }
 
 
diff --git a/xs_regex.h b/xs_regex.h
index 1adbcf8..cb73a01 100644
--- a/xs_regex.h
+++ b/xs_regex.h
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@
 
 #define _XS_REGEX_H
 
+int xs_regex_match(const char *str, const char *rx);
 xs_list *xs_regex_split_n(const char *str, const char *rx, int count);
 #define xs_regex_split(str, rx) xs_regex_split_n(str, rx, XS_ALL)
 xs_list *xs_regex_select_n(const char *str, const char *rx, int count);
@@ -18,18 +19,21 @@ xs_list *xs_regex_replace_in(xs_str *str, const char *rx, const char *rep, int c
 #include <regex.h>
 
 xs_list *xs_regex_split_n(const char *str, const char *rx, int count)
-/* splits str by regex */
+/* splits str using regex as a separator, at most count times.
+    Always returns a list:
+    len == 0: regcomp error
+    len == 1: full string (no matches)
+    len == odd: first part [ separator / next part ]...
+*/
 {
     regex_t re;
     regmatch_t rm;
     int offset = 0;
-    xs_list *list = NULL;
+    xs_list *list = xs_list_new();
     const char *p;
 
     if (regcomp(&re, rx, REG_EXTENDED))
-        return NULL;
-
-    list = xs_list_new();
+        return list;
 
     while (count > 0 && !regexec(&re, (p = str + offset), 1, &rm, offset > 0 ? REG_NOTBOL : 0)) {
         /* add first the leading part of the string */
@@ -60,16 +64,15 @@ xs_list *xs_regex_select_n(const char *str, const char *rx, int count)
 {
     xs_list *list = xs_list_new();
     xs *split = NULL;
-    xs_list *p;
     xs_val *v;
     int n = 0;
+    int c = 0;
 
     /* split */
     split = xs_regex_split_n(str, rx, count);
 
     /* now iterate to get only the 'separators' (odd ones) */
-    p = split;
-    while (xs_list_iter(&p, &v)) {
+    while (xs_list_next(split, &v, &c)) {
         if (n & 0x1)
             list = xs_list_append(list, v);
 
@@ -86,13 +89,12 @@ xs_list *xs_regex_replace_in(xs_str *str, const char *rx, const char *rep, int c
 {
     xs_str *s = xs_str_new(NULL);
     xs *split = xs_regex_split_n(str, rx, count);
-    xs_list *p;
     xs_val *v;
     int n = 0;
+    int c = 0;
     int pholder = !!strchr(rep, '&');
 
-    p = split;
-    while (xs_list_iter(&p, &v)) {
+    while (xs_list_next(split, &v, &c)) {
         if (n & 0x1) {
             if (pholder) {
                 /* rep has a placeholder; process char by char */
@@ -128,6 +130,16 @@ xs_list *xs_regex_replace_in(xs_str *str, const char *rx, const char *rep, int c
     return s;
 }
 
+
+int xs_regex_match(const char *str, const char *rx)
+/* returns if str matches the regex at least once */
+{
+    xs *l = xs_regex_select_n(str, rx, 1);
+
+    return xs_list_len(l) == 1;
+}
+
+
 #endif /* XS_IMPLEMENTATION */
 
 #endif /* XS_REGEX_H */
diff --git a/xs_version.h b/xs_version.h
index a672ef4..16faf2b 100644
--- a/xs_version.h
+++ b/xs_version.h
@@ -1 +1 @@
-/* f3818ad611f09313008a2102a5e543c232e1d824 2024-05-02T23:45:38+02:00 */
+/* 6e75e8736f7f1b6ea6c6774d4bd922b3ad56b771 2024-05-15T11:42:19+02:00 */