diff --git a/libpreproc/init.lua b/libpreproc/init.lua
index bc6891d..6e768a2 100644
--- a/libpreproc/init.lua
+++ b/libpreproc/init.lua
@@ -34,10 +34,12 @@ function lpp.prefix(prefix, match)
 	return function(str, inst, offset)
 		offset = offset or 0
 		local positions = table.pack(prefix:find(str))
+		--print(prefix.pattern, table.unpack(positions))
 		if not positions[1] then return end
 		local st, en = table.remove(positions, 1), table.remove(positions, 1)
 		local result = match(str, inst, en+1, en+1)
-		if not result or result.start ~= en+1 then return end
+		--print(prefix.pattern, result)
+		if not result or (result.start ~= en+1 and result.size ~= 0 and en ~= 0) then return end
 		for i=1, #result.matches do
 			table.insert(positions, result.matches[i])
 		end
@@ -56,7 +58,7 @@ function lpp.linestart(match)
 		offset = offset or 0
 		local result = match(str, inst, offset)
 		if not result then return end
-		local dat = str:peek(result.start)
+		local dat = str:peek(offset-1)
 		if dat:sub(#dat, #dat) == "\n" then
 			return result
 		end
@@ -117,10 +119,13 @@ end
 function lpp.inner_prefix(prefix, match)
 	prefix = lpp.pattern(prefix, true)
 	return function(str, inst, offset)
+		offset = offset or 0
 		local result = match(str, inst, offset)
+		--print("inner", prefix.pattern, result)
 		if not result then return end
 		local inner = table.remove(result.matches)
 		local matches = table.pack(inner:find(prefix.pattern, 1, prefix.raw))
+		--print("inner", prefix.pattern, table.unpack(matches))
 		if not matches[1] then return end
 		local st, en = table.remove(matches, 1), table.remove(matches, 1)
 		if en == 0 then
diff --git a/libpreproc/parser.lua b/libpreproc/parser.lua
index abacd3b..66145d2 100644
--- a/libpreproc/parser.lua
+++ b/libpreproc/parser.lua
@@ -27,7 +27,8 @@ function parser:compile(code, name)
 			if result then
 				first_match = first_match or result
 				processor = processor or self.tokens[i].process
-				if first_match.start < result.start then
+				if first_match.start > result.start then
+					print(string.format("%d: closer match (%d < %d)", i, result.start, first_match.start))
 					processor = self.tokens[i].process
 					first_match = result
 				end
@@ -45,13 +46,19 @@ function parser:compile(code, name)
 		self:emit(emitting)
 	end
 	self.code = table.concat(self.gencode, " ")
-	local env = setmetatable({write = function(s)
-		table.insert(self.output, s)
-	end}, {__index=function(_, i)
-		return self.export[i] or self.env[i] or _G[i]
-	end, __newindex=function(_, k, v)
-		self.export[k] = v
-	end})
+	local env = setmetatable({
+		_INSTANCE = self,
+		write = function(s)
+			table.insert(self.output, s)
+		end
+	}, {
+		__index=function(_, i)
+			return self.export[i] or self.env[i] or _G[i]
+		end, __newindex=function(_, k, v)
+			self.export[k] = v
+		end
+	})
+	--print(self.code)
 	self.gen = assert(load(self.code, (name and "="..name), "t", env))
 	self.name = name
 	return num_matches
diff --git a/tests/lhp.lua b/tests/lhp.lua
index 4b1a632..a6a81b7 100644
--- a/tests/lhp.lua
+++ b/tests/lhp.lua
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ local blk = lpp.block("<?", "?>")
 local eq = lpp.pattern("(=?)")
 local php = lpp.pattern("(php%s)")
 local lua = lpp.pattern("lua(=?)%s")
-local args = lpp.pattern("args ")
+local args = lpp.pattern("args ", true)
 local whitespace = lpp.pattern("%s*")
 local php_match = lpp.inner_prefix(php, blk)
 local args_badmatch = lpp.prefix(whitespace, lpp.inner_prefix(args, blk))
@@ -44,5 +44,5 @@ local dat = f:read("*a")
 f:close()
 table.remove(arg, 1)
 parser:compile(dat)
---print(parser.code)
+print(parser.code)
 print(parser:generate(table.unpack(arg)))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lhp/args.lhp b/tests/lhp/args.lhp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4a96dbf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lhp/args.lhp
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+<?args str ?>
+Hello, <?= str ?>!
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/lhp/badargs.lhp b/tests/lhp/badargs.lhp
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..9863244
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/lhp/badargs.lhp
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+lol
+<?args lmao ?>
+test
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/luapreproc.lua b/tests/luapreproc.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7961b27
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/luapreproc.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,36 @@
+-- dry run luapreproc for including files together
+local lpp = require("libpreproc")
+
+local directive_prefix = lpp.pattern("--#", true)
+local dblquotes = lpp.block('"', '"')
+local include = (lpp.prefix(directive_prefix, lpp.prefix("include ", dblquotes)))
+
+local parser = lpp.instance()
+
+parser.env.directives = {}
+
+local function readfile(file)
+	local f = assert(io.open(file, "r"))
+	local dat = f:read("*a")
+	f:close()
+	return dat
+end
+
+function parser.env.directives.include(inst, path)
+	local newinst = inst:clone()
+	local d = readfile(path)
+	newinst:compile(d)
+	local code = newinst:generate()
+	return code
+end
+
+parser:add_token(include, function(stream, instance, result)
+	instance:write(string.format("write(directives.include(_INSTANCE, %q))", result.matches[1]))
+end)
+
+local file = arg[1]
+
+table.remove(arg, 1)
+parser:compile(readfile(file))
+print(parser.code)
+print(parser:generate(table.unpack(arg)))
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/luapreproc/test1.lua b/tests/luapreproc/test1.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..7bb1593
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/luapreproc/test1.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,2 @@
+print("test lol")
+print("test lmao even")
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/tests/luapreproc/test2.lua b/tests/luapreproc/test2.lua
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..dd2ef1a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/luapreproc/test2.lua
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+print("lol lmao")
+--#include "tests/luapreproc/test1.lua"
+print("shit here")
\ No newline at end of file