diff --git a/src/calibre/library/caches.py b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
index 4d94e3dec7..d577122de8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/library/caches.py
+++ b/src/calibre/library/caches.py
@@ -15,8 +15,7 @@ from calibre.utils.config import tweaks, prefs
 from calibre.utils.date import parse_date, now, UNDEFINED_DATE, clean_date_for_sort
 from calibre.utils.search_query_parser import SearchQueryParser
 from calibre.utils.pyparsing import ParseException
-from calibre.utils.localization import (canonicalize_lang, lang_map, get_udc,
-        get_lang)
+from calibre.utils.localization import (canonicalize_lang, lang_map, get_udc)
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata import title_sort, author_to_author_sort
 from calibre.ebooks.metadata.opf2 import metadata_to_opf
 from calibre import prints
@@ -133,8 +132,8 @@ def _match(query, value, matchkind):
     else:
         internal_match_ok = False
     for t in value:
-        t = icu_lower(t)
         try:     ### ignore regexp exceptions, required because search-ahead tries before typing is finished
+            t = icu_lower(t)
             if (matchkind == EQUALS_MATCH):
                 if internal_match_ok:
                     if query == t:
@@ -151,7 +150,7 @@ def _match(query, value, matchkind):
                 elif query == t:
                     return True
             elif matchkind == REGEXP_MATCH:
-                return re.search(query, t, re.I|re.UNICODE)
+                return re.search(query, icu_lower(t), re.I|re.UNICODE)
             elif matchkind == CONTAINS_MATCH:
                 if pref_use_primary_find_in_search:
                     return primary_find(query, t)[0] != -1
@@ -233,7 +232,6 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
     '''
     def __init__(self, FIELD_MAP, field_metadata, db_prefs=None):
         self.FIELD_MAP = FIELD_MAP
-        l = get_lang()
         self.db_prefs = db_prefs
         self.composites = {}
         self.udc = get_udc()
@@ -763,8 +761,6 @@ class ResultCache(SearchQueryParser): # {{{
                 else:
                     q = query
 
-                au_loc = self.FIELD_MAP['authors']
-
                 for id_ in candidates:
                     item = self._data[id_]
                     if item is None: continue
diff --git a/src/calibre/utils/icu.c b/src/calibre/utils/icu.c
index e936552128..8e8a8e9ec8 100644
--- a/src/calibre/utils/icu.c
+++ b/src/calibre/utils/icu.c
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ icu_Collator_find(icu_Collator *self, PyObject *args, PyObject *kwargs) {
         if (U_SUCCESS(status)) {
             pos = usearch_first(search, &status);
             if (pos != USEARCH_DONE) 
-                length = (pos == USEARCH_DONE) ? -1 : usearch_getMatchedLength(search);
+                length = usearch_getMatchedLength(search);
             else
                 pos = -1;
         }