diff --git a/bash-abbr b/bash-abbr
index 1056501..423f7eb 100644
--- a/bash-abbr
+++ b/bash-abbr
@@ -179,7 +179,7 @@ _redir_or_assign_word () {
 # shellcheck disable=SC2155
 declare _redir_or_assign_word="$(_redir_or_assign_word)" # TODO use bash 5.3 `${}` command substitution syntax to avoid subshells
 
-declare -r is_first_word_prefix="($_control_op)[[:blank:]]*((($_redir_or_assign_word)[[:blank:]])*)"
+declare -gr is_first_word_prefix="($_control_op)[[:blank:]]*((($_redir_or_assign_word)[[:blank:]]+)*)"
 # If the regex leads to problems/performance issues, you may try this simpler regex
 # that does no redirection/assignment word checking:
 # declare -r is_first_word_prefix="($_control_op)[[:blank:]]*"