diff --git a/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee b/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
index 04d974e14..8aa57817e 100644
--- a/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
+++ b/spec/app/buffer-spec.coffee
@@ -225,12 +225,12 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
         range = [[2,10], [4,10]]
         expect(buffer.getTextInRange(range)).toBe "ems.length <= 1) return items;\n    var pivot = items.shift(), current, left = [], right = [];\n    while("
 
-  describe ".scanRegexMatchesInRange(range, regex, fn)", ->
+  describe ".scanInRange(range, regex, fn)", ->
     describe "when given a regex with no global flag", ->
       it "calls the iterator with the first match for the given regex in the given range", ->
         matches = []
         ranges = []
-        buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/, [[4,0], [6,44]], (match, range) ->
+        buffer.scanInRange /cu(rr)ent/, [[4,0], [6,44]], (match, range) ->
           matches.push(match)
           ranges.push(range)
 
@@ -245,7 +245,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
       it "calls the iterator with each match for the given regex in the given range", ->
         matches = []
         ranges = []
-        buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range) ->
+        buffer.scanInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range) ->
           matches.push(match)
           ranges.push(range)
 
@@ -269,7 +269,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
         it "calls the iterator with the truncated match", ->
           matches = []
           ranges = []
-          buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange /cu(r*)/g, [[4,0], [6,9]], (match, range) ->
+          buffer.scanInRange /cu(r*)/g, [[4,0], [6,9]], (match, range) ->
             matches.push(match)
             ranges.push(range)
 
@@ -288,7 +288,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
         it "calls the iterator with the truncated match", ->
           matches = []
           ranges = []
-          buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange /cu(r*)e/g, [[4,0], [6,9]], (match, range) ->
+          buffer.scanInRange /cu(r*)e/g, [[4,0], [6,9]], (match, range) ->
             matches.push(match)
             ranges.push(range)
 
@@ -302,7 +302,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
     describe "when the iterator calls the 'replace' control function with a replacement string", ->
       it "replaces each occurrence of the regex match with the string", ->
         ranges = []
-        buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { replace }) ->
+        buffer.scanInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { replace }) ->
           ranges.push(range)
           replace("foo")
 
@@ -316,18 +316,18 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
     describe "when the iterator calls the 'stop' control function", ->
       it "stops the traversal", ->
         ranges = []
-        buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { stop }) ->
+        buffer.scanInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { stop }) ->
           ranges.push(range)
           stop() if ranges.length == 2
 
         expect(ranges.length).toBe 2
 
-  describe "backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange(range, regex, fn)", ->
+  describe "backwardsScanInRange(range, regex, fn)", ->
     describe "when given a regex with no global flag", ->
       it "calls the iterator with the last match for the given regex in the given range", ->
         matches = []
         ranges = []
-        buffer.backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/, [[4,0], [6,44]], (match, range) ->
+        buffer.backwardsScanInRange /cu(rr)ent/, [[4,0], [6,44]], (match, range) ->
           matches.push(match)
           ranges.push(range)
 
@@ -342,7 +342,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
       it "calls the iterator with each match for the given regex in the given range, starting with the last match", ->
         matches = []
         ranges = []
-        buffer.backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range) ->
+        buffer.backwardsScanInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range) ->
           matches.push(match)
           ranges.push(range)
 
@@ -364,7 +364,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
     describe "when the iterator calls the 'replace' control function with a replacement string", ->
       it "replaces each occurrence of the regex match with the string", ->
         ranges = []
-        buffer.backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { replace }) ->
+        buffer.backwardsScanInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { replace }) ->
           ranges.push(range)
           replace("foo") unless range.start.isEqual([6,6])
 
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ describe 'Buffer', ->
     describe "when the iterator calls the 'stop' control function", ->
       it "stops the traversal", ->
         ranges = []
-        buffer.backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { stop }) ->
+        buffer.backwardsScanInRange /cu(rr)ent/g, [[4,0], [6,59]], (match, range, { stop }) ->
           ranges.push(range)
           stop() if ranges.length == 2
 
diff --git a/src/app/buffer.coffee b/src/app/buffer.coffee
index b7f53ea44..8669bfb88 100644
--- a/src/app/buffer.coffee
+++ b/src/app/buffer.coffee
@@ -162,12 +162,17 @@ class Buffer
 
     @mode = new (require("ace/mode/#{modeName}").Mode)
 
-  scanRegexMatchesInRange: (regex, range, iterator) ->
+  scanInRange: (regex, range, iterator) ->
     range = Range.fromObject(range)
     global = regex.global
     regex = new RegExp(regex.source, 'gm')
 
-    traverseRecursively = (text, startIndex, endIndex, lengthDelta) =>
+    text = @getText()
+    startIndex = @characterIndexForPosition(range.start)
+    endIndex = @characterIndexForPosition(range.end)
+    lengthDelta = 0
+
+    while true
       regex.lastIndex = startIndex
       return unless match = regex.exec(text)
 
@@ -186,9 +191,9 @@ class Buffer
       startPosition = @positionForCharacterIndex(matchStartIndex + lengthDelta)
       endPosition = @positionForCharacterIndex(matchEndIndex + lengthDelta)
       range = new Range(startPosition, endPosition)
-      recurse = true
+      keepLooping = true
       replacementText = null
-      stop = -> recurse = false
+      stop = -> keepLooping = false
       replace = (text) -> replacementText = text
       iterator(match, range, { stop, replace })
 
@@ -200,25 +205,21 @@ class Buffer
         matchStartIndex++
         matchEndIndex++
 
-      if global and recurse
-        traverseRecursively(text, matchEndIndex, endIndex, lengthDelta)
+      break unless global and keepLooping
+      startIndex = matchEndIndex
 
-    startIndex = @characterIndexForPosition(range.start)
-    endIndex = @characterIndexForPosition(range.end)
-    traverseRecursively(@getText(), startIndex, endIndex, 0)
-
-  backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange: (regex, range, iterator) ->
+  backwardsScanInRange: (regex, range, iterator) ->
     global = regex.global
     regex = new RegExp(regex.source, 'gm')
 
     matches = []
-    @scanRegexMatchesInRange regex, range, (match, matchRange) ->
+    @scanInRange regex, range, (match, matchRange) ->
       matches.push([match, matchRange])
 
     matches.reverse()
 
-    recurse = true
-    stop = -> recurse = false
+    keepLooping = true
+    stop = -> keepLooping = false
     replacementText = null
     replace = (text) -> replacementText = text
 
@@ -226,7 +227,7 @@ class Buffer
       replacementText = null
       iterator(match, matchRange, { stop, replace })
       @change(matchRange, replacementText) if replacementText
-      return unless global and recurse
+      return unless global and keepLooping
 
 
 _.extend(Buffer.prototype, EventEmitter)
diff --git a/src/app/command-interpreter/regex-address.coffee b/src/app/command-interpreter/regex-address.coffee
index eb670a0a3..6ba6aa475 100644
--- a/src/app/command-interpreter/regex-address.coffee
+++ b/src/app/command-interpreter/regex-address.coffee
@@ -12,14 +12,14 @@ class RegexAddress extends Address
     rangeToSearch = new Range(currentRange.end, editor.getEofPosition())
 
     rangeToReturn = null
-    editor.buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange @regex, rangeToSearch, (match, range) ->
+    editor.buffer.scanInRange @regex, rangeToSearch, (match, range) ->
       rangeToReturn = range
 
     if rangeToReturn
       rangeToReturn
     else
       rangeToSearch = new Range([0, 0], rangeToSearch.start)
-      editor.buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange @regex, rangeToSearch, (match, range) ->
+      editor.buffer.scanInRange @regex, rangeToSearch, (match, range) ->
         rangeToReturn = range
 
       rangeToReturn or currentRange
diff --git a/src/app/command-interpreter/select-all-matches.coffee b/src/app/command-interpreter/select-all-matches.coffee
index 6bbf49901..a0eb0babb 100644
--- a/src/app/command-interpreter/select-all-matches.coffee
+++ b/src/app/command-interpreter/select-all-matches.coffee
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ class SelectAllMatches extends Command
 
   execute: (editor, currentRange) ->
     rangesToSelect = []
-    editor.buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange @regex, currentRange, (match, range) ->
+    editor.buffer.scanInRange @regex, currentRange, (match, range) ->
       rangesToSelect.push(range)
     rangesToSelect
diff --git a/src/app/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee b/src/app/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee
index c1ed234eb..9851d2137 100644
--- a/src/app/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee
+++ b/src/app/command-interpreter/substitution.coffee
@@ -10,6 +10,6 @@ class Substitution extends Command
     @regex = new RegExp(pattern, options.join(''))
 
   execute: (editor, currentRange) ->
-    editor.buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange @regex, currentRange, (match, matchRange, { replace }) =>
+    editor.buffer.scanInRange @regex, currentRange, (match, matchRange, { replace }) =>
       replace(@replacementText)
     [currentRange]
diff --git a/src/app/cursor.coffee b/src/app/cursor.coffee
index 47cbefe16..1fc71c5ba 100644
--- a/src/app/cursor.coffee
+++ b/src/app/cursor.coffee
@@ -86,7 +86,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
     range = [bufferPosition, @editor.getEofPosition()]
 
     nextPosition = null
-    @editor.scanRegexMatchesInRange @wordRegex, range, (match, matchRange, { stop }) =>
+    @editor.scanInRange @wordRegex, range, (match, matchRange, { stop }) =>
       if matchRange.start.isGreaterThan(bufferPosition)
         nextPosition = matchRange.start
         stop()
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
     currentBufferPosition = @getBufferPosition()
     beginningOfWordPosition = currentBufferPosition
     range = [[0,0], currentBufferPosition]
-    @editor.backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange @wordRegex, range, (match, matchRange, { stop }) =>
+    @editor.backwardsScanInRange @wordRegex, range, (match, matchRange, { stop }) =>
       if matchRange.end.isGreaterThanOrEqual(currentBufferPosition) or allowPrevious
         beginningOfWordPosition = matchRange.start
       stop()
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
     position = null
     bufferPosition = @getBufferPosition()
     range = [bufferPosition, @editor.getEofPosition()]
-    @editor.scanRegexMatchesInRange @wordRegex, range, (match, matchRange, { stop }) =>
+    @editor.scanInRange @wordRegex, range, (match, matchRange, { stop }) =>
       position = matchRange.end
       if not allowNext and matchRange.start.isGreaterThan(bufferPosition)
         position = bufferPosition
@@ -140,7 +140,7 @@ class Cursor extends View
     position = @getBufferPosition()
     range = @editor.rangeForBufferRow(position.row)
     newPosition = null
-    @editor.scanRegexMatchesInRange /^\s*/, range, (match, matchRange) =>
+    @editor.scanInRange /^\s*/, range, (match, matchRange) =>
       newPosition = matchRange.end
     newPosition = [position.row, 0] if newPosition.isEqual(position)
     @setBufferPosition(newPosition)
diff --git a/src/app/editor.coffee b/src/app/editor.coffee
index 74b5f9640..3b5a89354 100644
--- a/src/app/editor.coffee
+++ b/src/app/editor.coffee
@@ -412,8 +412,8 @@ class Editor extends View
   lineForBufferRow: (row) -> @buffer.lineForRow(row)
   lineLengthForBufferRow: (row) -> @buffer.lineLengthForRow(row)
   rangeForBufferRow: (row) -> @buffer.rangeForRow(row)
-  scanRegexMatchesInRange: (args...) -> @buffer.scanRegexMatchesInRange(args...)
-  backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange: (args...) -> @buffer.backwardsTraverseRegexMatchesInRange(args...)
+  scanInRange: (args...) -> @buffer.scanInRange(args...)
+  backwardsScanInRange: (args...) -> @buffer.backwardsScanInRange(args...)
 
   insertText: (text) ->
     @compositeSelection.insertText(text)