diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index e99b749..6f9aaa2 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -7,6 +7,10 @@ and this project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](https://semver.org/spec/v2.0.0
 
 ## [Unreleased]
 
+### Changed
+- **Dependency**: `github.com/coregx/ahocorasick` v0.2.1 → v0.3.0 — zero-allocation
+  `Find`/`FindAt` API (returns `(Match, bool)` instead of `*Match`)
+
 ### Planned
 - Look-around assertions
 - ARM NEON SIMD support (Go 1.26 `simd/archsimd` intrinsics — [#120](https://github.com/coregx/coregex/issues/120))
diff --git a/ROADMAP.md b/ROADMAP.md
index 2f12261..ff03b80 100644
--- a/ROADMAP.md
+++ b/ROADMAP.md
@@ -103,8 +103,10 @@ v0.12.20 ✅ → Premultiplied/tagged StateIDs, break-at-match DFA determinize,
 v0.12.21 ✅ → Tagged start states, zero-alloc API (AllIndex iter.Seq),
                1100x fewer mallocs, UseDFA for tiny NFA, -32% LangArena
          ↓
-v0.12.22 (Current) → Lazy memory architecture (Rust Cache model), 5-7x memory
-                      reduction per pattern, WAF adoption unblocked (#158)
+v0.12.22 ✅ → Lazy memory architecture (Rust Cache model), 5-7x memory
+               reduction per pattern, WAF adoption unblocked (#158)
+         ↓
+v0.12.23 (Current) → ahocorasick v0.3.0 (zero-alloc Find/FindAt API)
          ↓
 v1.0.0-rc → Feature freeze, API locked
          ↓
diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index f8a4a33..bfdc261 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -3,6 +3,6 @@ module github.com/coregx/coregex
 go 1.25.4
 
 require (
-	github.com/coregx/ahocorasick v0.2.1
+	github.com/coregx/ahocorasick v0.3.0
 	golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0
 )
diff --git a/go.sum b/go.sum
index f5a6646..1197961 100644
--- a/go.sum
+++ b/go.sum
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-github.com/coregx/ahocorasick v0.2.1 h1:JsZ5Rb32/SzGiGBl3vIwA8DAnY0+E6BLBhj+4HZsAbo=
-github.com/coregx/ahocorasick v0.2.1/go.mod h1:SDcS9KTiwLP8FHNpYSO3Q3mRqrK8SYJAYpygrhcIils=
+github.com/coregx/ahocorasick v0.3.0 h1:zKln33RykAkG9/eYh/trl85R6x1YChfEtrDQ3NADMsk=
+github.com/coregx/ahocorasick v0.3.0/go.mod h1:SDcS9KTiwLP8FHNpYSO3Q3mRqrK8SYJAYpygrhcIils=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0 h1:DBZZqJ2Rkml6QMQsZywtnjnnGvHza6BTfYFWY9kjEWQ=
 golang.org/x/sys v0.40.0/go.mod h1:OgkHotnGiDImocRcuBABYBEXf8A9a87e/uXjp9XT3ks=
diff --git a/meta/find.go b/meta/find.go
index 108a89b..6aca7e9 100644
--- a/meta/find.go
+++ b/meta/find.go
@@ -590,8 +590,8 @@ func (e *Engine) findTeddy(haystack []byte) *Match {
 	// Fat Teddy's AVX2 SIMD setup overhead exceeds benefit on small inputs.
 	if e.fatTeddyFallback != nil && len(haystack) < fatTeddySmallHaystackThreshold {
 		atomic.AddUint64(&e.stats.AhoCorasickSearches, 1)
-		match := e.fatTeddyFallback.Find(haystack, 0)
-		if match == nil {
+		match, found := e.fatTeddyFallback.Find(haystack, 0)
+		if !found {
 			return nil
 		}
 		return NewMatch(match.Start, match.End, haystack)
@@ -630,8 +630,8 @@ func (e *Engine) findTeddyAt(haystack []byte, at int) *Match {
 	// For Fat Teddy with small haystacks, use Aho-Corasick fallback.
 	if e.fatTeddyFallback != nil && len(haystack) < fatTeddySmallHaystackThreshold {
 		atomic.AddUint64(&e.stats.AhoCorasickSearches, 1)
-		match := e.fatTeddyFallback.FindAt(haystack, at)
-		if match == nil {
+		match, found := e.fatTeddyFallback.FindAt(haystack, at)
+		if !found {
 			return nil
 		}
 		return NewMatch(match.Start, match.End, haystack)
@@ -772,8 +772,8 @@ func (e *Engine) findAhoCorasick(haystack []byte) *Match {
 	}
 	atomic.AddUint64(&e.stats.AhoCorasickSearches, 1)
 
-	m := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, 0)
-	if m == nil {
+	m, found := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, 0)
+	if !found {
 		return nil
 	}
 	return NewMatch(m.Start, m.End, haystack)
@@ -786,8 +786,8 @@ func (e *Engine) findAhoCorasickAt(haystack []byte, at int) *Match {
 	}
 	atomic.AddUint64(&e.stats.AhoCorasickSearches, 1)
 
-	m := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, at)
-	if m == nil {
+	m, found := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, at)
+	if !found {
 		return nil
 	}
 	return NewMatch(m.Start, m.End, haystack)
diff --git a/meta/find_indices.go b/meta/find_indices.go
index 111d387..eb83211 100644
--- a/meta/find_indices.go
+++ b/meta/find_indices.go
@@ -1094,8 +1094,8 @@ func (e *Engine) findIndicesAhoCorasick(haystack []byte) (int, int, bool) {
 	}
 	atomic.AddUint64(&e.stats.AhoCorasickSearches, 1)
 
-	m := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, 0)
-	if m == nil {
+	m, found := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, 0)
+	if !found {
 		return -1, -1, false
 	}
 	return m.Start, m.End, true
@@ -1108,8 +1108,8 @@ func (e *Engine) findIndicesAhoCorasickAt(haystack []byte, at int) (int, int, bo
 	}
 	atomic.AddUint64(&e.stats.AhoCorasickSearches, 1)
 
-	m := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, at)
-	if m == nil {
+	m, found := e.ahoCorasick.Find(haystack, at)
+	if !found {
 		return -1, -1, false
 	}
 	return m.Start, m.End, true
diff --git a/prefilter/ahocorasick.go b/prefilter/ahocorasick.go
index bc3d124..b00ce73 100644
--- a/prefilter/ahocorasick.go
+++ b/prefilter/ahocorasick.go
@@ -54,8 +54,8 @@ func (p *AhoCorasickPrefilter) Find(haystack []byte, start int) int {
 	if start < 0 || start >= len(haystack) {
 		return -1
 	}
-	m := p.ac.Find(haystack, start)
-	if m == nil {
+	m, found := p.ac.Find(haystack, start)
+	if !found {
 		return -1
 	}
 	return m.Start