diff --git a/src/branches.cpp b/src/branches.cpp
index b8ca5ebb..99a0eaf8 100644
--- a/src/branches.cpp
+++ b/src/branches.cpp
@@ -79,7 +79,9 @@ namespace l
   {
     uint64_t offset;
 
-    offset = s_.find_first_of('/');
+    offset = s_.find_first_not_of("+<>-=");
+    if(offset > 1)
+      offset = 2;
     *instr_ = s_.substr(0,offset);
     if(offset != std::string::npos)
       *values_ = s_.substr(offset);
diff --git a/tests/tests.cpp b/tests/tests.cpp
index 98f7ee83..3c971676 100644
--- a/tests/tests.cpp
+++ b/tests/tests.cpp
@@ -109,6 +109,10 @@ test_config_branches()
   TEST_MSG("minfreespace: expected = %lu; produced = %lu",
            4321,
            (*bcp0)[1].minfreespace());
+
+  TEST_CHECK(b.from_string("foo/bar") == 0);
+  TEST_CHECK(b.from_string("./foo/bar") == 0);
+  TEST_CHECK(b.from_string("./foo/bar:/bar/baz:blah/asdf") == 0);
 }
 
 void