diff --git a/docs/rules.md b/docs/rules.md
index 5dd4e3f..20ab948 100644
--- a/docs/rules.md
+++ b/docs/rules.md
@@ -332,6 +332,13 @@ The hits are the rule's packets since housecarld started, in all of its
 traffic: a rule without zones counts for every pair it covers. They are
 how you tell an exception that is used from one that isn't.
 
+A raw rule is read when it is a match followed by `accept`, `drop` or
+`reject` (with `counter` and `log` if you like): it counts as an exception
+for every pair of its chain, shown as `raw: …`. One that matches
+interfaces (the matrix can't tell which zones), jumps, translates, sets
+something or uses a verdict map shows as **unknown**: check it yourself.
+Raw rules have hits only if they say `counter`.
+
 A rule whose addresses all lie in networks directly connected to other
 zones is left out of a pair: traffic between those zones can't have them
 (`from wg_net` doesn't concern traffic coming in on the LAN). Routed
diff --git a/internal/matrix/matrix.go b/internal/matrix/matrix.go
index 66aeaa2..65456c0 100644
--- a/internal/matrix/matrix.go
+++ b/internal/matrix/matrix.go
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ package matrix
 import (
 	"fmt"
 	"net/netip"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 
 	"housecarl/internal/api"
@@ -185,8 +186,20 @@ func walk(st *model.State, o Options, c *api.MatrixCell, chain, from, to string)
 	for _, r := range rules {
 		mark := []string{fmt.Sprintf("r%d", r.ID)}
 		if r.Raw != "" {
-			c.Exceptions = append(c.Exceptions, api.MatrixException{RuleID: r.ID, Chain: chain, Label: "rule " + r.Label(), Verdict: "unknown", What: "a raw rule: " + r.Raw,
-				Short: "a raw rule", Marks: mark})
+			rr := readRaw(r.Raw)
+			switch {
+			case !rr.ok:
+				c.Exceptions = append(c.Exceptions, api.MatrixException{RuleID: r.ID, Chain: chain, Label: "rule " + r.Label(), Verdict: "unknown", What: "a raw rule: " + r.Raw,
+					Short: "a raw rule", Marks: mark})
+			case !rr.forNew || chain == model.ChainEarly && rr.verdict == "allowed":
+				// Not for new connections; an early accept decides nothing.
+			case rr.match == "":
+				c.Verdict, c.DecidedBy, c.RuleID, c.Marks = rr.verdict, "rule "+r.Label(), r.ID, mark
+				return true
+			default:
+				c.Exceptions = append(c.Exceptions, api.MatrixException{RuleID: r.ID, Chain: chain, Label: "rule " + r.Label(), Verdict: rr.verdict, What: "raw: " + rr.match,
+					Short: rr.short, Marks: mark})
+			}
 			continue
 		}
 		if !zones(r, from, to) || !forNew(r) {
@@ -321,6 +334,128 @@ func forNew(r *model.Rule) bool {
 	return false
 }
 
+// raw is what the matrix can read of a raw rule.
+type raw struct {
+	ok      bool   // read: it applies to every pair of its chain
+	forNew  bool   // it can match a new connection
+	verdict string // allowed or blocked
+	match   string // what it matches ("" for everything)
+	short   string
+}
+
+// rawStops are words that make a raw rule's reach or effect unclear to
+// the matrix: interfaces (which zones?), jumps, NAT, changes, verdict maps.
+var rawStops = map[string]bool{
+	"iifname": true, "oifname": true, "iif": true, "oif": true, "iiftype": true, "oiftype": true,
+	"jump": true, "goto": true, "return": true, "vmap": true, "queue": true, "continue": true,
+	"dnat": true, "snat": true, "masquerade": true, "redirect": true, "tproxy": true,
+	"set": true, "notrack": true, "dup": true, "fwd": true, "synproxy": true, "flow": true,
+}
+
+// readRaw reads a raw rule that is a match and then accept, drop or
+// reject: the verdict is the last word (but a reject's "with …"); counter
+// and log only count and log.
+func readRaw(text string) raw {
+	toks := fields(text)
+	for i, t := range toks {
+		if t == "comment" {
+			toks = toks[:i]
+			break
+		}
+	}
+	verdict := -1
+	for i, t := range toks {
+		if strings.HasPrefix(t, `"`) {
+			continue
+		}
+		w := strings.Trim(t, ",{}")
+		if rawStops[w] {
+			return raw{}
+		}
+		if w == "accept" || w == "drop" || w == "reject" {
+			verdict = i
+		}
+	}
+	if verdict < 0 || verdict != len(toks)-1 && !(toks[verdict] == "reject" && toks[verdict+1] == "with") {
+		return raw{}
+	}
+	rr := raw{ok: true, forNew: true, verdict: verdictOf(toks[verdict])}
+	var match []string
+	for i := 0; i < verdict; i++ {
+		switch toks[i] {
+		case "counter":
+			continue
+		case "log":
+			// Its options run up to the next match.
+			for i+1 < verdict && map[string]bool{"prefix": true, "level": true, "group": true, "flags": true}[toks[i+1]] {
+				i += 2
+			}
+			continue
+		}
+		match = append(match, toks[i])
+	}
+	rr.match = strings.Join(match, " ")
+	// ct state without new: not for new connections. The states are one
+	// word ("established,related") or a set ("{ established, related }").
+	for i := 0; i+2 < len(match); i++ {
+		if match[i] != "ct" || match[i+1] != "state" {
+			continue
+		}
+		list := match[i+2]
+		if list == "{" || strings.HasPrefix(list, "{") {
+			var b []string
+			for j := i + 2; j < len(match); j++ {
+				b = append(b, match[j])
+				if strings.HasSuffix(match[j], "}") {
+					break
+				}
+			}
+			list = strings.Join(b, " ")
+		}
+		rr.forNew = false
+		for _, st := range strings.FieldsFunc(list, func(c rune) bool { return c == ',' || c == ' ' || c == '{' || c == '}' }) {
+			rr.forNew = rr.forNew || st == "new"
+		}
+	}
+	rr.short = rr.match
+	if m := icmpRe.FindStringSubmatch(rr.match); m != nil {
+		rr.short = m[1]
+	}
+	if len(rr.short) > 40 {
+		rr.short = rr.short[:39] + "…"
+	}
+	return rr
+}
+
+// fields splits a rule into words, a quoted string being one.
+func fields(s string) []string {
+	var out []string
+	var cur strings.Builder
+	quoted := false
+	for _, c := range s {
+		switch {
+		case c == '"':
+			quoted = !quoted
+			cur.WriteRune(c)
+		case !quoted && (c == ' ' || c == '\t'):
+			if cur.Len() > 0 {
+				out = append(out, cur.String())
+				cur.Reset()
+			}
+		default:
+			cur.WriteRune(c)
+		}
+	}
+	if cur.Len() > 0 {
+		out = append(out, cur.String())
+	}
+	return out
+}
+
+// icmpRe finds an ICMP type match in a raw rule: shown as just icmp or
+// icmpv6.
+var icmpRe = regexp.MustCompile(`\b(icmpv6|icmp) type\b`)
+
 // short sums up an exception for the overview: its services (ICMP types
 // as just icmp or icmpv6), with the addresses it is limited to, which
 // matter as much ("tcp/22 from trusted"); times and rates are left to
diff --git a/internal/matrix/matrix_test.go b/internal/matrix/matrix_test.go
index ae6dad2..2be57c7 100644
--- a/internal/matrix/matrix_test.go
+++ b/internal/matrix/matrix_test.go
@@ -158,3 +158,42 @@ func TestSummary(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Errorf("a drop policy's mark: %v", c.Marks)
 	}
 }
+
+// TestRaw: raw rules that are a match and a verdict are read; others stay
+// unknown.
+func TestRaw(t *testing.T) {
+	for _, c := range []struct {
+		raw, verdict, short string
+		ok, forNew          bool
+	}{
+		{"icmpv6 type { nd-router-solicit, nd-neighbor-advert } ip6 hoplimit 255 accept", "allowed", "icmpv6", true, true},
+		{`tcp dport 22 counter log prefix "ssh: " drop comment "x"`, "blocked", "tcp dport 22", true, true},
+		{"ip saddr 10.0.0.1 reject with icmpx type admin-prohibited", "blocked", "ip saddr 10.0.0.1", true, true},
+		{"ct state established,related accept", "allowed", "ct state established,related", true, false},
+		{"ct state { new, untracked } tcp dport 80 accept", "allowed", "ct state { new, untracked } tcp dport 80", true, true},
+		{"counter accept", "allowed", "", true, true},
+		{`iifname "wan" tcp dport 22 accept`, "", "", false, false},
+		{"tcp dport vmap { 22 : accept }", "", "", false, false},
+		{"meta mark set 1 accept", "", "", false, false},
+		{"tcp dport 22 counter", "", "", false, false},
+	} {
+		rr := readRaw(c.raw)
+		if rr.ok != c.ok || c.ok && (rr.verdict != c.verdict || rr.short != c.short || rr.forNew != c.forNew) {
+			t.Errorf("%q: %+v", c.raw, rr)
+		}
+	}
+	// In a pair: an exception that lets ND in, not "unknown".
+	st := state()
+	st.Rules = append(st.Rules, &model.Rule{ID: 90, Chain: "input", Position: 0.5, Raw: "icmpv6 type { nd-router-solicit } ip6 hoplimit 255 accept"})
+	st.Sort()
+	e := find(Build(st), "wan", Firewall).Exceptions
+	found := false
+	for _, x := range e {
+		if x.RuleID == 90 {
+			found = x.Verdict == "allowed" && x.Short == "icmpv6" && strings.HasPrefix(x.What, "raw: icmpv6 type")
+		}
+	}
+	if !found {
+		t.Errorf("the raw ND rule: %+v", e)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/scripts/e2e.sh b/scripts/e2e.sh
index 6dad8bf..8978bd1 100755
--- a/scripts/e2e.sh
+++ b/scripts/e2e.sh
@@ -344,6 +344,7 @@ not_contains "wg0_net"
 run "the internet to the firewall" 0 H matrix wan firewall
 contains "blocked  *sources that can't come from outside"
 contains "allowed  *udp/51820"
+contains "allowed  *raw: icmpv6 type"
 
 # ---- statistics (sampled every 3 seconds here)