--- /dev/null
+--- a/editors/vi.c
++++ b/editors/vi.c
+@@ -3313,7 +3313,7 @@
+ buf[1] = '\0';
+ q = get_input_line(buf); // get input line- use "status line"
+ if (q[0] && !q[1]) {
+- if (last_search_pattern[0])
++ if (last_search_pattern)
+ last_search_pattern[0] = c;
+ goto dc3; // if no pat re-use old pat
+ }
+@@ -3329,6 +3329,10 @@
+ if (cmdcnt-- > 1) {
+ do_cmd(c);
+ } // repeat cnt
++ if (last_search_pattern == 0) {
++ msg = "No previous regular expression";
++ goto dc2;
++ }
+ dir = BACK; // assume BACKWARD search
+ p = dot - 1;
+ if (last_search_pattern[0] == '?') {
+@@ -3348,10 +3352,8 @@
+ msg = "No previous regular expression";
+ goto dc2;
+ }
+- if (last_search_pattern[0] == '/') {
+- dir = FORWARD; // assume FORWARD search
+- p = dot + 1;
+- }
++ dir = FORWARD; // assume FORWARD search
++ p = dot + 1;
+ if (last_search_pattern[0] == '?') {
+ dir = BACK;
+ p = dot - 1;