diff --git a/regex-automata/src/dfa/onepass.rs b/regex-automata/src/dfa/onepass.rs
index 85f820ef54..a56a462511 100644
--- a/regex-automata/src/dfa/onepass.rs
+++ b/regex-automata/src/dfa/onepass.rs
@@ -2215,11 +2215,16 @@ impl DFA {
         // We *also* need to set any explicit slots that are active as part of
         // the path to the match state.
         if self.explicit_slot_start < slots.len() {
-            // NOTE: The 'cache.explicit_slots()' slice is setup at the
-            // beginning of every search such that it is guaranteed to return a
-            // slice of length equivalent to 'slots[explicit_slot_start..]'.
-            slots[self.explicit_slot_start..]
-                .copy_from_slice(cache.explicit_slots());
+            // Copy only the slots that exist in the cache. When a regex has
+            // capture groups with zero repetition (e.g., (abc){0}), the cache
+            // may have fewer explicit slots than what the caller provided.
+            let cache_slots = cache.explicit_slots();
+            let available = core::cmp::min(
+                cache_slots.len(),
+                slots.len().saturating_sub(self.explicit_slot_start),
+            );
+            slots[self.explicit_slot_start..self.explicit_slot_start + available]
+                .copy_from_slice(&cache_slots[..available]);
             epsilons.slots().apply(at, &mut slots[self.explicit_slot_start..]);
         }
         *matched_pid = Some(pid);
@@ -2577,7 +2582,7 @@ impl Cache {
     }
 
     fn setup_search(&mut self, explicit_slot_len: usize) {
-        self.explicit_slot_len = explicit_slot_len;
+        self.explicit_slot_len = core::cmp::min(explicit_slot_len, self.explicit_slots.len());
     }
 }
 
diff --git a/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/mod.rs b/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/mod.rs
index 9d6ab475ef..aa656435d4 100644
--- a/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/mod.rs
+++ b/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/mod.rs
@@ -1,2 +1,3 @@
 #[cfg(not(miri))]
 mod suite;
+mod regression;
diff --git a/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/regression.rs b/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/regression.rs
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..1968e26ea8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/regex-automata/tests/dfa/onepass/regression.rs
@@ -0,0 +1,51 @@
+// Regression test for zero-repetition capture groups causing panic.
+// See: https://github.com/rust-lang/regex/issues/XXX
+#[test]
+fn zero_repetition_capture_group() {
+    use regex_automata::{
+        dfa::onepass::DFA,
+        util::primitives::NonMaxUsize,
+        Anchored, Input,
+    };
+
+    let expr = DFA::new(r"(abc)(ABC){0}").unwrap();
+    let s = "abcABC";
+    let input = Input::new(s).span(0..s.len()).anchored(Anchored::Yes);
+    
+    // Test with slot array sized for the pattern
+    let mut cache = expr.create_cache();
+    let mut slots: Vec<Option<NonMaxUsize>> = vec![None; 4];
+    let pid = expr.try_search_slots(&mut cache, &input, &mut slots).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(pid, Some(regex_automata::PatternID::must(0)));
+    assert_eq!(slots[0], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(0).unwrap()));
+    assert_eq!(slots[1], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(3).unwrap()));
+    assert_eq!(slots[2], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(0).unwrap()));
+    assert_eq!(slots[3], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(3).unwrap()));
+
+    // Test with larger slot array (simulating reuse after a different regex)
+    let mut slots2: Vec<Option<NonMaxUsize>> = vec![None; 6];
+    let pid2 = expr.try_search_slots(&mut cache, &input, &mut slots2).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(pid2, Some(regex_automata::PatternID::must(0)));
+    // First capture group should match
+    assert_eq!(slots2[2], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(0).unwrap()));
+    assert_eq!(slots2[3], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(3).unwrap()));
+    // Second capture group with {0} should be None
+    assert_eq!(slots2[4], None);
+    assert_eq!(slots2[5], None);
+
+    // Test switching between different regexes with different capture group counts
+    let expr2 = DFA::new(r"(abc)(ABC)").unwrap();
+    let mut cache2 = expr2.create_cache();
+    let mut slots3: Vec<Option<NonMaxUsize>> = vec![None; 6];
+    let pid3 = expr2.try_search_slots(&mut cache2, &input, &mut slots3).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(pid3, Some(regex_automata::PatternID::must(0)));
+    assert_eq!(slots3[4], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(3).unwrap()));
+    assert_eq!(slots3[5], Some(NonMaxUsize::new(6).unwrap()));
+
+    // Switch back to the first regex - this previously caused a panic
+    let mut slots4: Vec<Option<NonMaxUsize>> = vec![None; 6];
+    let pid4 = expr.try_search_slots(&mut cache, &input, &mut slots4).unwrap();
+    assert_eq!(pid4, Some(regex_automata::PatternID::must(0)));
+    assert_eq!(slots4[4], None);
+    assert_eq!(slots4[5], None);
+}