diff --git a/syntax/makefile.nanorc b/syntax/makefile.nanorc
index 848a122b..4a14d64e 100644
--- a/syntax/makefile.nanorc
+++ b/syntax/makefile.nanorc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## Syntax highlighting for Makefiles.
 
-syntax makefile "(/((GNU)?m|M)akefile[^/]*$|\.(make|mk)$)"
+syntax makefile "(^|/)((GNU)?m|M)akefile[^/]*$|\.(make|mk)$"
 magic "makefile script"
 
 tabgives "	"
diff --git a/syntax/sh.nanorc b/syntax/sh.nanorc
index 3a5473d1..bf15d44a 100644
--- a/syntax/sh.nanorc
+++ b/syntax/sh.nanorc
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 ## Syntax highlighting for Bourne shell scripts.
 
-syntax sh "(\.sh|(\.|/)(a|ba|c|da|k|mk|pdk|tc|z)sh(rc|_profile)?|/(etc/|\.)profile)$"
+syntax sh "(\.sh|(^|/|\.)(a|ba|c|da|k|mk|pdk|tc|z)sh(rc|_profile)?|(/etc/|(^|/)\.)profile)$"
 header "^#!.*/((env[[:blank:]]+)?((a|ba|c|da|k|mk|pdk|tc|z)?sh)|busybox[[:blank:]]+sh|openrc-run|runscript)\>"
 header "-\*-.*shell-script.*-\*-"
 magic "(POSIX|Bourne-Again) shell script.*text"