diff --git a/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl b/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl
index 5609ff3883c7cfe77056917cb35f9ab707260d81..54f7765f53ce5a3731832cc294daa2d5b217f626 100644
--- a/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl
+++ b/src/hb-ot-shape-complex-indic-machine.rl
@@ -66,9 +66,10 @@ cn = c.n?;
 matra_group = M.N?.H?;
 syllable_tail = SM? (Coeng (cn|V))? (VD VD?)?;
 place_holder = NBSP | DOTTEDCIRCLE;
+halant_group = (h.z?|z.h);
 
 
-consonant_syllable =	Repha? (cn (h.z?|z.h))* cn A? (h.z? | matra_group*)? syllable_tail;
+consonant_syllable =	Repha? (cn halant_group)* cn A? (h.z? | matra_group*)? syllable_tail;
 vowel_syllable =	reph? V.n? (z?.h.cn | ZWJ.cn)* matra_group* syllable_tail;
 standalone_cluster =	reph? place_holder.n? (z? h.cn)* matra_group* syllable_tail;
 other =			any;
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 0ab04d6f67534f4a81ad2be7c7b92efc2f219979..3c2bab76b4356c3a9f2ccc8f6403ebd212a85401 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
@@ -25,3 +25,6 @@
 क्ष
 क्‌ष
 क्‍ष
+र्अ्
+र्अ्‌
+र्अ्‍