diff --git a/src/color.c b/src/color.c
index c3d767ea..63ec20ba 100644
--- a/src/color.c
+++ b/src/color.c
@@ -295,7 +295,8 @@ void check_the_multis(linestruct *line)
 	if (openfile->syntax == NULL || openfile->syntax->nmultis == 0)
 		return;
 
-	alloc_multidata_if_needed(line);
+	if (line->multidata == NULL)
+		set_up_multicache(line);
 
 	for (ink = openfile->colorstrings; ink != NULL; ink = ink->next) {
 		/* If it's not a multiline regex, skip. */
@@ -329,14 +330,12 @@ void check_the_multis(linestruct *line)
 }
 
 /* Allocate (for one line) the cache space for multiline color regexes. */
-void alloc_multidata_if_needed(linestruct *fileptr)
+void set_up_multicache(linestruct *line)
 {
-	if (fileptr->multidata == NULL) {
-		fileptr->multidata = (short *)nmalloc(openfile->syntax->nmultis * sizeof(short));
+	line->multidata = (short *)nmalloc(openfile->syntax->nmultis * sizeof(short));
 
-		for (int i = 0; i < openfile->syntax->nmultis; i++)
-			fileptr->multidata[i] = -1;
-	}
+	for (int index = 0; index < openfile->syntax->nmultis; index++)
+		line->multidata[index] = -1;
 }
 
 /* Precalculate the multi-line start and end regex info so we can
@@ -352,7 +351,7 @@ void precalc_multicolorinfo(void)
 
 	/* For each line, allocate cache space for the multiline-regex info. */
 	for (line = openfile->filetop; line != NULL; line = line->next)
-		alloc_multidata_if_needed(line);
+		set_up_multicache(line);
 
 	for (ink = openfile->colorstrings; ink != NULL; ink = ink->next) {
 		/* If this is not a multi-line regex, skip it. */
diff --git a/src/proto.h b/src/proto.h
index 7ed493fd..964f5c36 100644
--- a/src/proto.h
+++ b/src/proto.h
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ void set_colorpairs(void);
 void color_init(void);
 void color_update(void);
 void check_the_multis(linestruct *line);
-void alloc_multidata_if_needed(linestruct *fileptr);
+void set_up_multicache(linestruct *line);
 void precalc_multicolorinfo(void);
 #endif
 
diff --git a/src/winio.c b/src/winio.c
index b4474e83..6e892960 100644
--- a/src/winio.c
+++ b/src/winio.c
@@ -2467,8 +2467,8 @@ void edit_draw(linestruct *fileptr, const char *converted,
 		const colortype *varnish = openfile->colorstrings;
 
 		/* If there are multiline regexes, make sure there is a cache. */
-		if (openfile->syntax->nmultis > 0)
-			alloc_multidata_if_needed(fileptr);
+		if (openfile->syntax->nmultis > 0 && fileptr->multidata == NULL)
+			set_up_multicache(fileptr);
 
 		/* Iterate through all the coloring regexes. */
 		for (; varnish != NULL; varnish = varnish->next) {