diff --git a/webui/locale/messages_en.po b/webui/locale/messages_en.po
index ee52382e..6fb7302b 100644
--- a/webui/locale/messages_en.po
+++ b/webui/locale/messages_en.po
@@ -8,7 +8,7 @@ msgid ""
 msgstr ""
 "Project-Id-Version: I2P MuWire\n"
 "Report-Msgid-Bugs-To: \n"
-"POT-Creation-Date: 2021-10-14 16:54+0000\n"
+"POT-Creation-Date: 2022-02-07 01:30+0000\n"
 "Language: en\n"
 "MIME-Version: 1.0\n"
 "Content-Type: text/plain; charset=UTF-8\n"
@@ -207,8 +207,8 @@ msgstr ""
 #: build/tmp_jsp/com/muwire/webui/TrustUsers_jsp.java:200
 #: build/tmp_jsp/com/muwire/webui/Uploads_jsp.java:219
 #: build/tmp_jsp/com/muwire/webui/Uploads_jsp.java:221
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:265
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:266
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:267
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:268
 msgid "B/sec"
 msgstr ""
 
@@ -1239,18 +1239,22 @@ msgid "MuWire is initializing, please wait"
 msgstr ""
 
 #: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:43
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:75
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:94
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:130
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:172
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:211
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:260
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:77
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:96
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:132
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:174
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:213
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:262
 msgid ""
 "MuWire failed to initialize.  Please close the browser window and restart "
 "the plugin"
 msgstr ""
 
-#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:54
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:52
+msgid "Invalid regular expression"
+msgstr ""
+
+#: src/main/java//com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java:56
 msgid "Please enter a search keyword or file hash"
 msgstr ""
 
diff --git a/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchManager.java b/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchManager.java
index 77083475..96930f59 100644
--- a/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchManager.java
+++ b/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchManager.java
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@ import java.util.HashSet;
 import java.util.Map;
 import java.util.Set;
 import java.util.UUID;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import com.muwire.core.Core;
 import com.muwire.core.SplitPattern;
@@ -21,6 +22,7 @@ import net.i2p.data.Signature;
 
 class SearchManager {
     
+    static final UUID INVALID_REGEX_UUID = UUID.randomUUID();
     
     private final Core core;
     
@@ -37,8 +39,6 @@ class SearchManager {
         else {
             UUID uuid = UUID.randomUUID();
             
-            SearchResults searchResults = new SearchResults(uuid, search);
-            results.put(uuid, searchResults);
             
             boolean hashSearch = false;
             byte [] root = null;
@@ -50,18 +50,40 @@ class SearchManager {
                     // not a hash search
                 }
             }
+            
+            boolean regexSearch = false;
+            if (search.length() > 1 && search.startsWith("/") && search.endsWith("/")) {
+                search = search.substring(1, search.length() - 1);
+                try {
+                    Pattern.compile(search);
+                    regexSearch = true;
+                } catch (Exception e) {
+                    // not a valid regex
+                    return INVALID_REGEX_UUID;
+                }
+            }
+            
+            SearchResults searchResults = new SearchResults(uuid, search);
+            results.put(uuid, searchResults);
             SearchEvent searchEvent = new SearchEvent();
             searchEvent.setOobInfohash(true);
             searchEvent.setCompressedResults(true);
             searchEvent.setPersona(core.getMe());
             searchEvent.setUuid(uuid);
+            searchEvent.setRegex(regexSearch);
             byte[] payload;
             if (hashSearch) {
                 searchEvent.setSearchHash(root);
                 payload = root;
             } else {
-                String[] nonEmpty = SplitPattern.termify(search);
-                payload = String.join(" ", nonEmpty).getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+                String[] nonEmpty;
+                if (regexSearch) {
+                    nonEmpty = new String[] { search };
+                    payload = search.getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+                } else {
+                    nonEmpty = SplitPattern.termify(search);
+                    payload = String.join(" ", nonEmpty).getBytes(StandardCharsets.UTF_8);
+                }
                 searchEvent.setSearchTerms(Arrays.asList(nonEmpty));
                 searchEvent.setSearchComments(core.getMuOptions().getSearchComments());
                 searchEvent.setCollections(core.getMuOptions().getSearchCollections());
diff --git a/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java b/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java
index d0b7d2f5..94ed6cc8 100644
--- a/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java
+++ b/webui/src/main/java/com/muwire/webui/SearchServlet.java
@@ -48,7 +48,9 @@ public class SearchServlet extends HttpServlet {
         if (action.equals("start")) {
             String search = req.getParameter("search");
             UUID newUUID = searchManager.newSearch(search);
-            if (newUUID != null)
+            if (newUUID == SearchManager.INVALID_REGEX_UUID)
+                resp.sendError(403, _t("Invalid regular expression"));
+            else if (newUUID != null)
                 resp.sendRedirect("/MuWire/Home?uuid=" + newUUID.toString());
             else
                 resp.sendError(403, _t("Please enter a search keyword or file hash"));