diff --git a/lib/liquid/variable.rb b/lib/liquid/variable.rb
index 9a9e387..6a35122 100644
--- a/lib/liquid/variable.rb
+++ b/lib/liquid/variable.rb
@@ -36,13 +36,13 @@ module Liquid
 
     def lax_parse(markup)
       @filters = []
-      if match = markup.match(/\s*(#{QuotedFragment})(.*)/om)
-        @name = match[1]
-        if match[2].match(/#{FilterSeparator}\s*(.*)/om)
+      if markup =~ /\s*(#{QuotedFragment})(.*)/om
+        @name = Regexp.last_match(1)
+        if Regexp.last_match(2) =~ /#{FilterSeparator}\s*(.*)/om
           filters = Regexp.last_match(1).scan(FilterParser)
           filters.each do |f|
-            if matches = f.match(/\s*(\w+)/)
-              filtername = matches[1]
+            if f =~ /\s*(\w+)/
+              filtername = Regexp.last_match(1)
               filterargs = f.scan(/(?:#{FilterArgumentSeparator}|#{ArgumentSeparator})\s*((?:\w+\s*\:\s*)?#{QuotedFragment})/o).flatten
               @filters << [filtername, filterargs]
             end