diff --git a/tests/construct_tests.c b/tests/construct_tests.c
index 446df7a..cae357a 100644
--- a/tests/construct_tests.c
+++ b/tests/construct_tests.c
@@ -6,6 +6,30 @@
 #include "construct.h"
 #include "testing.h"
 
+static bool
+accepts_from_state(const fsa_t *nfa, int state_id, const char *input)
+{
+	const fsa_state_t *state = &nfa->states[state_id];
+	if ('\0' == *input)
+		return state->final;
+
+	for (int i = 0; i < state->count; ++i) {
+		if (EPSILON == state->rules[i].input
+		    && accepts_from_state(nfa, state->rules[i].next, input))
+			return true;
+		if (*input == state->rules[i].input
+		    && accepts_from_state(nfa, state->rules[i].next, input + 1))
+			return true;
+	}
+
+	return false;
+}
+
+static bool accepts(const fsa_t *nfa, const char *input)
+{
+	return accepts_from_state(nfa, nfa->initial, input);
+}
+
 static void test_empty_expression(void)
 {
 	regex_term_t *terms = malloc(1 * sizeof(regex_term_t));
@@ -20,9 +44,7 @@ static void test_empty_expression(void)
 	fsa_t fsa;
 	construct(&regex, &fsa);
 
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, fsa.count);
-	ASSERT_TRUE(fsa.states[fsa.initial].final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(0, fsa.states[fsa.initial].count);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, ""));
 
 	regex_free(&regex);
 	fsa_free(&fsa);
@@ -43,14 +65,8 @@ static void test_literal_expression(void)
 	fsa_t fsa;
 	construct(&regex, &fsa);
 
-	const fsa_state_t *initial = &fsa.states[fsa.initial];
-	ASSERT_EQ(2, fsa.count);
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, initial->count);
-	ASSERT_EQ('a', initial->rules[0].input);
-
-	const int next = initial->rules[0].next;
-	ASSERT_TRUE(fsa.states[next].final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(0, fsa.states[next].count);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "a"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "b"));
 
 	regex_free(&regex);
 	fsa_free(&fsa);
@@ -73,30 +89,10 @@ static void test_sequence(void)
 	fsa_t fsa;
 	construct(&regex, &fsa);
 
-	int next = fsa.initial;
-	const fsa_state_t *state;
-
-	state = &fsa.states[next];
-	ASSERT_FALSE(state->final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, state->count);
-	ASSERT_EQ('a', state->rules[0].input);
-	next = state->rules[0].next;
-
-	state = &fsa.states[next];
-	ASSERT_FALSE(state->final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, state->count);
-	ASSERT_EQ('b', state->rules[0].input);
-	next = state->rules[0].next;
-
-	state = &fsa.states[next];
-	ASSERT_FALSE(state->final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, state->count);
-	ASSERT_EQ('c', state->rules[0].input);
-	next = state->rules[0].next;
-
-	state = &fsa.states[next];
-	ASSERT_TRUE(state->final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(0, state->count);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "abc"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "a"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "ab"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "d"));
 
 	regex_free(&regex);
 	fsa_free(&fsa);
@@ -120,13 +116,10 @@ static void test_union(void)
 	fsa_t fsa;
 	construct(&regex, &fsa);
 
-	const fsa_state_t *initial = &fsa.states[fsa.initial];
-	ASSERT_EQ(3, initial->count);
-	for (int i = 0; i < 3; ++i) {
-		ASSERT_EQ(literals[i], initial->rules[i].input);
-		const int next = initial->rules[i].next;
-		ASSERT_TRUE(fsa.states[next].final);
-	}
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "a"));
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "b"));
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "c"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "d"));
 
 	regex_free(&regex);
 	fsa_free(&fsa);
@@ -146,11 +139,10 @@ static void test_star(void)
 	fsa_t fsa;
 	construct(&regex, &fsa);
 
-	const fsa_state_t *initial = &fsa.states[fsa.initial];
-	ASSERT_TRUE(initial->final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, initial->count);
-	ASSERT_EQ('a', initial->rules[0].input);
-	ASSERT_EQ(fsa.initial, initial->rules[0].next);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, ""));
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "a"));
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "aaaaaa"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "b"));
 
 	regex_free(&regex);
 	fsa_free(&fsa);
@@ -179,14 +171,8 @@ static void test_subexpression(void)
 	fsa_t fsa;
 	construct(&regex, &fsa);
 
-	const fsa_state_t *initial = &fsa.states[fsa.initial];
-	ASSERT_EQ(2, fsa.count);
-	ASSERT_EQ(1, initial->count);
-	ASSERT_EQ('a', initial->rules[0].input);
-
-	const int next = initial->rules[0].next;
-	ASSERT_TRUE(fsa.states[next].final);
-	ASSERT_EQ(0, fsa.states[next].count);
+	ASSERT_TRUE(accepts(&fsa, "a"));
+	ASSERT_FALSE(accepts(&fsa, "b"));
 
 	regex_free(&regex);
 	fsa_free(&fsa);