diff --git a/spec/compiler/build_tables/perform_spec.cpp b/spec/compiler/build_tables/perform_spec.cpp
index 8c8e91a5..a0eb7b93 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/build_tables/perform_spec.cpp
+++ b/spec/compiler/build_tables/perform_spec.cpp
@@ -95,7 +95,7 @@ describe("building parse and lex tables", []() {
     
     it("accepts when the start symbol is reduced", [&]() {
         AssertThat(parse_state(1).actions, Equals(unordered_map<string, parse_actions>({
-            { ParseTable::END_OF_INPUT, parse_actions({ ParseAction::Accept() }) }
+            { "__END__", parse_actions({ ParseAction::Accept() }) }
         })));
     });
     
diff --git a/spec/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens_spec.cpp b/spec/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens_spec.cpp
index 9631e0b1..35deb055 100644
--- a/spec/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens_spec.cpp
+++ b/spec/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens_spec.cpp
@@ -33,7 +33,6 @@ describe("preparing a grammar", []() {
             { "1", rules::seq({
                 rules::character('a'),
                 rules::character('b') }) },
-            { "__END__", character('\0') },
         })));
     });
     
@@ -53,7 +52,6 @@ describe("preparing a grammar", []() {
             { "rule2", seq({
                 character('a'),
                 character('b') }) },
-            { "__END__", character('\0') },
         })));
     });
 });
diff --git a/src/compiler/build_tables/perform.cpp b/src/compiler/build_tables/perform.cpp
index 637e4dcb..7557f111 100644
--- a/src/compiler/build_tables/perform.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/build_tables/perform.cpp
@@ -7,12 +7,15 @@
 #include "grammar.h"
 
 using std::pair;
+using std::string;
 using std::vector;
 using std::unordered_map;
 
 namespace tree_sitter {
     namespace build_tables {
         static int NOT_FOUND = -1;
+        static string START = "__START__";
+        static string END_OF_INPUT = "__END__";
 
         class TableBuilder {
             const Grammar grammar;
@@ -62,7 +65,7 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
             void add_reduce_actions(const ParseItemSet &item_set, size_t state_index) {
                 for (ParseItem item : item_set) {
                     if (item.is_done()) {
-                        ParseAction action = (item.rule_name == ParseTable::START) ?
+                        ParseAction action = (item.rule_name == START) ?
                             ParseAction::Accept() :
                             ParseAction::Reduce(item.rule_name, item.consumed_sym_count);
                         parse_table.add_action(state_index, item.lookahead_sym_name, action);
@@ -75,6 +78,8 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
                 LexItemSet item_set;
                 for (auto pair : state.actions) {
                     auto symbol = rules::Symbol(pair.first);
+                    if (symbol.name == END_OF_INPUT)
+                        item_set.insert(LexItem(symbol.name, rules::character('\0')));
                     if (lex_grammar.has_definition(symbol))
                         item_set.insert(LexItem(symbol.name, lex_grammar.rule(symbol.name)));
                 }
@@ -113,7 +118,7 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
                 lex_grammar(lex_grammar) {};
 
             pair<ParseTable, LexTable> build() {
-                auto item = ParseItem(ParseTable::START, rules::sym(grammar.start_rule_name), 0, ParseTable::END_OF_INPUT);
+                auto item = ParseItem(START, rules::sym(grammar.start_rule_name), 0, END_OF_INPUT);
                 ParseItemSet item_set = item_set_closure(ParseItemSet({ item }), grammar);
                 add_parse_state(item_set);
                 return pair<ParseTable, LexTable>(parse_table, lex_table);
diff --git a/src/compiler/lex_table.h b/src/compiler/lex_table.h
index 2b3f052c..67b4c9ef 100644
--- a/src/compiler/lex_table.h
+++ b/src/compiler/lex_table.h
@@ -56,8 +56,6 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
         void add_action(size_t state_index, CharMatch match, LexAction action);
         void add_default_action(size_t state_index, LexAction action);
         
-        static const std::string START;
-        static const std::string END_OF_INPUT;
         std::vector<LexState> states;
     };
 }
diff --git a/src/compiler/parse_table.cpp b/src/compiler/parse_table.cpp
index 3df9675e..f3fb5177 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parse_table.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/parse_table.cpp
@@ -73,7 +73,4 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
     void ParseTable::add_default_action(size_t state_index, ParseAction action) {
         states[state_index].default_actions.insert(action);
     }
-    
-    const string ParseTable::START = "__START__";
-    const string ParseTable::END_OF_INPUT = "__END__";
 }
diff --git a/src/compiler/parse_table.h b/src/compiler/parse_table.h
index 1b597c5f..2bbdc47a 100644
--- a/src/compiler/parse_table.h
+++ b/src/compiler/parse_table.h
@@ -61,8 +61,6 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
         void add_action(size_t state_index, std::string symbol_name, ParseAction action);
         void add_default_action(size_t state_index, ParseAction action);
         
-        static const std::string START;
-        static const std::string END_OF_INPUT;
         std::vector<ParseState> states;
         std::unordered_set<std::string> symbol_names;
     };
diff --git a/src/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens.cpp b/src/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens.cpp
index 30391b57..92547f05 100644
--- a/src/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens.cpp
+++ b/src/compiler/prepare_grammar/extract_tokens.cpp
@@ -72,7 +72,6 @@ namespace tree_sitter {
             
             for (auto pair : extractor.tokens)
                 tokens.insert(pair);
-            tokens.insert({ "__END__", character('\0') });
             
             return { 
                 Grammar(input_grammar.start_rule_name, rules),