diff --git a/src/operators/operator.cc b/src/operators/operator.cc
index 9dee2d16..2571407a 100644
--- a/src/operators/operator.cc
+++ b/src/operators/operator.cc
@@ -109,9 +109,9 @@ Operator *Operator::instantiate(std::string op_string) {
     std::string param = "";
     if (op.find(" ") != std::string::npos) {
         param = op;
-        param.erase(0, op_string.find(" "));
-        op.erase(op_string.find(" "),
-            op_string.length() - op_string.find(" "));
+        param.erase(0, param.find(" ") + 1);
+        op.erase(op.find(" "),
+            op.length() - op.find(" "));
     }
 
     for (std::basic_string<char>::iterator p = op.begin();
diff --git a/src/parser/seclang-scanner.ll b/src/parser/seclang-scanner.ll
index c81bda2b..f3579536 100755
--- a/src/parser/seclang-scanner.ll
+++ b/src/parser/seclang-scanner.ll
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ VAR_FREE_TEXT_SPACE_COMMA [^, \t\"]+
 VAR_FREE_TEXT_SPACE [^ \t\"]+
 
 
-SOMETHING ["]{1}[^@]{1}([^"]|([^\\"]\\\"))*["]{1}
+SOMETHING ["]{1}[^@|!]{1}([^"]|([^\\"]\\\"))*["]{1}
 
 CONFIG_DIR_UNICODE_MAP_FILE (?i:SecUnicodeMapFile)
 
diff --git a/test/test-cases/regression/config-include.json b/test/test-cases/regression/config-include.json
index 1c2874c9..39984a9a 100644
--- a/test/test-cases/regression/config-include.json
+++ b/test/test-cases/regression/config-include.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"config_example2\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"config_example2\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"config_example\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"config_example\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"config_example2\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"config_example2\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
@@ -157,7 +157,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"test\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"test\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
@@ -199,7 +199,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"config_example2\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"config_example2\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
@@ -242,7 +242,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"test\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"test\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
diff --git a/test/test-cases/regression/config-secremoterules.json b/test/test-cases/regression/config-secremoterules.json
index fcc61927..55557d97 100644
--- a/test/test-cases/regression/config-secremoterules.json
+++ b/test/test-cases/regression/config-secremoterules.json
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@pmfromfile \" with param \"https://www.modsecurity.org/modsecurity-regression-test.txt\" against REQUEST_FILENAME"
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@pmfromfile\" with param \"https://www.modsecurity.org/modsecurity-regression-test.txt\" against REQUEST_FILENAME"
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
@@ -88,7 +88,7 @@
       ]
     },
     "expected":{
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"somethingelse\" against ARGS."
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"somethingelse\" against ARGS."
     },
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
diff --git a/test/test-cases/regression/misc.json b/test/test-cases/regression/misc.json
index 2ae8b09e..0ca21636 100644
--- a/test/test-cases/regression/misc.json
+++ b/test/test-cases/regression/misc.json
@@ -6,7 +6,7 @@
     "title":"Testing action :: SecRule directives should be case insensitive",
     "expected":{
       "audit_log":"",
-      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains \" with param \"PHPSESSID\" against REQUEST_HEADERS.",
+      "debug_log":"Executing operator \"@contains\" with param \"PHPSESSID\" against REQUEST_HEADERS.",
       "error_log":""
     },
     "rules":[