diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl b/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl
index 48bf60915496dfed96a44c69f9a265d1cbf30cc9..9ad3ec25449ae309b2b9341119c5ed7887e93846 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl
@@ -67,11 +67,12 @@ matra_group = M.N?.H?;
 syllable_tail = SM? (Coeng (cn|V))? (VD VD?)?;
 place_holder = NBSP | DOTTEDCIRCLE;
 halant_group = (h.z?|z.h);
+halant_or_matra_group = (halant_group | matra_group*);
 
 
-consonant_syllable =	Repha? (cn.halant_group)* cn A? (halant_group | matra_group*)? syllable_tail;
-vowel_syllable =	reph? V.n? (halant_group.cn | ZWJ.cn)* matra_group* syllable_tail;
-standalone_cluster =	reph? place_holder.n? (halant_group.cn)* matra_group* syllable_tail;
+consonant_syllable =	Repha? (cn.halant_group)* cn A? halant_or_matra_group? syllable_tail;
+vowel_syllable =	reph? V.n? (halant_group.cn | ZWJ.cn)* halant_or_matra_group? syllable_tail;
+standalone_cluster =	reph? place_holder.n? (halant_group.cn)* halant_or_matra_group? syllable_tail;
 other =			any;
 
 main := |*
diff --git a/test/shaping/texts/in-tree/shaper-indic/indic/script-devanagari/misc/misc.txt b/test/shaping/texts/in-tree/shaper-indic/indic/script-devanagari/misc/misc.txt
index 3c2bab76b4356c3a9f2ccc8f6403ebd212a85401..23afbe0c80350fdec5d7a4da8ddfa9750cc63ac6 100644
--- a/test/shaping/texts/in-tree/shaper-indic/indic/script-devanagari/misc/misc.txt
+++ b/test/shaping/texts/in-tree/shaper-indic/indic/script-devanagari/misc/misc.txt
@@ -28,3 +28,4 @@
 र्अ्
 र्अ्‌
 र्अ्‍
+र्आ्र्