diff --git a/lib/mutant.rb b/lib/mutant.rb
index f451495b..9f87c464 100644
--- a/lib/mutant.rb
+++ b/lib/mutant.rb
@@ -29,7 +29,6 @@ module Mutant
   symbolset = ->(strings) { strings.map(&:to_sym).to_set.freeze }
 
   SCOPE_OPERATOR     = '::'.freeze
-  CBASE_PATTERN      = /\A#{SCOPE_OPERATOR}/.freeze
 
   # Set of nodes that cannot be on the LHS of an assignment
   NOT_ASSIGNABLE         = symbolset.(%w[int float str dstr class module self nil])
@@ -75,7 +74,7 @@ module Mutant
   # @api private
   #
   def self.constant_lookup(location)
-    location.sub(CBASE_PATTERN, EMPTY_STRING).split(SCOPE_OPERATOR).reduce(Object) do |parent, name|
+    location.split(SCOPE_OPERATOR).reduce(Object) do |parent, name|
       parent.const_get(name, nil)
     end
   end
diff --git a/lib/mutant/expression.rb b/lib/mutant/expression.rb
index 28311d5e..7e9ea7ee 100644
--- a/lib/mutant/expression.rb
+++ b/lib/mutant/expression.rb
@@ -13,10 +13,7 @@ module Mutant
       *OPERATOR_METHODS.map(&:to_s)
     ).freeze
 
-    SCOPE_PATTERN = /
-      (?:#{SCOPE_OPERATOR})?#{SCOPE_NAME_PATTERN}
-      (?:#{SCOPE_OPERATOR}#{SCOPE_NAME_PATTERN})*
-    /x.freeze
+    SCOPE_PATTERN = /#{SCOPE_NAME_PATTERN}(?:#{SCOPE_OPERATOR}#{SCOPE_NAME_PATTERN})*/.freeze
 
     REGISTRY = {}
 
diff --git a/lib/mutant/expression/method.rb b/lib/mutant/expression/method.rb
index 9c86f78e..c7a6ae00 100644
--- a/lib/mutant/expression/method.rb
+++ b/lib/mutant/expression/method.rb
@@ -9,15 +9,9 @@ module Mutant
         '#' => Matcher::Methods::Instance
       }.freeze
 
-      regexp = /
-        \A
-          (?<scope_name>#{SCOPE_PATTERN})
-          (?<scope_symbol>[.#])
-          (?<method_name>#{METHOD_NAME_PATTERN})
-        \z
-      /x.freeze
-
-      register(regexp)
+      register(
+        /\A(?<scope_name>#{SCOPE_PATTERN})(?<scope_symbol>[.#])(?<method_name>#{METHOD_NAME_PATTERN})\z/
+      )
 
       # Return method matcher
       #
diff --git a/spec/integration/mutant/rspec_spec.rb b/spec/integration/mutant/rspec_spec.rb
index e16afbe5..4e6326e5 100644
--- a/spec/integration/mutant/rspec_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/integration/mutant/rspec_spec.rb
@@ -18,26 +18,26 @@ describe 'rspec integration' do
     end
 
     specify 'it allows to kill mutations' do
-      expect(Kernel.system("#{base_cmd} ::TestApp::Literal#string")).to be(true)
+      expect(Kernel.system("#{base_cmd} TestApp::Literal#string")).to be(true)
     end
 
     specify 'it allows to exclude mutations' do
       cli = <<-CMD.split("\n").join(' ')
         #{base_cmd}
-        ::TestApp::Literal#string
-        ::TestApp::Literal#uncovered_string
-          --ignore-subject ::TestApp::Literal#uncovered_string
+        TestApp::Literal#string
+        TestApp::Literal#uncovered_string
+          --ignore-subject TestApp::Literal#uncovered_string
       CMD
       expect(Kernel.system(cli)).to be(true)
     end
 
     specify 'fails to kill mutations when they are not covered' do
-      cli = "#{base_cmd} ::TestApp::Literal#uncovered_string"
+      cli = "#{base_cmd} TestApp::Literal#uncovered_string"
       expect(Kernel.system(cli)).to be(false)
     end
 
     specify 'fails when some mutations are not covered' do
-      cli = "#{base_cmd} ::TestApp::Literal"
+      cli = "#{base_cmd} TestApp::Literal"
       expect(Kernel.system(cli)).to be(false)
     end
   end
diff --git a/spec/unit/mutant/expression/method_spec.rb b/spec/unit/mutant/expression/method_spec.rb
index 6640fde8..7e70ee0a 100644
--- a/spec/unit/mutant/expression/method_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/mutant/expression/method_spec.rb
@@ -6,8 +6,8 @@ describe Mutant::Expression::Method do
 
   let(:object)           { described_class.parse(input) }
   let(:cache)            { Mutant::Cache.new            }
-  let(:instance_method)  { '::TestApp::Literal#string'  }
-  let(:singleton_method) { '::TestApp::Literal.string'  }
+  let(:instance_method)  { 'TestApp::Literal#string'    }
+  let(:singleton_method) { 'TestApp::Literal.string'    }
 
   describe '#match_length' do
     let(:input) { instance_method }
diff --git a/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/flat_spec.rb b/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/flat_spec.rb
index 87ce5e0e..177defcc 100644
--- a/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/flat_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/flat_spec.rb
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@ describe Mutant::Expression::Namespace::Exact do
 
   let(:object)            { described_class.parse(input) }
   let(:cache)             { Mutant::Cache.new            }
-  let(:input)             { '::TestApp::Literal'         }
+  let(:input)             { 'TestApp::Literal'           }
 
   describe '#matcher' do
     subject { object.matcher(cache) }
diff --git a/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/recursive_spec.rb b/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/recursive_spec.rb
index 1dd08908..215456d5 100644
--- a/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/recursive_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/mutant/expression/namespace/recursive_spec.rb
@@ -6,11 +6,11 @@ describe Mutant::Expression::Namespace::Recursive do
 
   let(:object) { described_class.parse(input) }
   let(:cache)  { Mutant::Cache.new            }
-  let(:input)  { '::TestApp::Literal*'        }
+  let(:input)  { 'TestApp::Literal*'          }
 
   describe '#matcher' do
     subject { object.matcher(cache) }
-    it { should eql(Mutant::Matcher::Namespace.new(cache, '::TestApp::Literal')) }
+    it { should eql(Mutant::Matcher::Namespace.new(cache, 'TestApp::Literal')) }
   end
 
   describe '#match_length' do
@@ -23,19 +23,19 @@ describe Mutant::Expression::Namespace::Recursive do
     end
 
     context 'when other expression describes a shorter prefix' do
-      let(:other) { described_class.parse('::TestApp') }
+      let(:other) { described_class.parse('TestApp') }
 
       it { should be(0) }
     end
 
     context 'when other expression describes adjacent namespace' do
-      let(:other) { described_class.parse('::TestApp::LiteralFoo') }
+      let(:other) { described_class.parse('TestApp::LiteralFoo') }
 
       it { should be(0) }
     end
 
     context 'when other expression describes a longer prefix' do
-      let(:other) { described_class.parse('::TestApp::Literal::Deep') }
+      let(:other) { described_class.parse('TestApp::Literal::Deep') }
 
       it { should be(input[0..-2].length) }
     end