diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 4bf57e48..518c959a 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -154,11 +154,17 @@ else(HAVE_MKSTEMP)
     set(HAVE_MKSTEMP 0)
 endif(HAVE_MKSTEMP)
 
+if (NOT DEFINED WITH_PCREPOSIX)
+    set(WITH_PCREPOSIX auto)
+endif()
+
 if(HAVE_REGEX_H AND HAVE_REGCOMP AND HAVE_REGEXEC)
     add_definitions(-DHAVE_REGEX=1)
     set(HAVE_REGEX 1)
-    add_definitions(-DENABLE_REGEX=1)
-    set(ENABLE_REGEX 1)
+    if ((NOT WITH_PCREPOSIX) OR (WITH_PCREPOSIX STREQUAL "auto"))
+        add_definitions(-DENABLE_REGEX=1)
+        set(ENABLE_REGEX 1)
+    endif()
 endif()
 
 
@@ -312,6 +318,24 @@ else(HAVE_SUBUNIT)
     add_definitions(-DENABLE_SUBUNIT=0)
 endif (HAVE_SUBUNIT)
 
+if (NOT ENABLE_REGEX AND WITH_PCREPOSIX)
+    # pcreposix functions are just wrappers for pcre functions
+    check_library_exists(pcreposix regcomp "" HAVE_LIBPCREPOSIX)
+    if (HAVE_LIBPCREPOSIX)
+        check_function_exists(regcomp HAVE_REGCOMP)
+        check_function_exists(regexec HAVE_REGEXEC)
+        if (HAVE_REGCOMP AND HAVE_REGEXEC)
+            set(PCREPOSIX "pcreposix")
+            set(ENABLE_PCREPOSIX 1)
+            add_definitions(-DENABLE_PCREPOSIX=1)
+        endif()
+    endif()
+    if (ENABLE_PCREPOSIX)
+        set(ENABLE_REGEX 1)
+        add_definitions(-DENABLE_REGEX=1)
+    endif()
+endif()
+
 ###############################################################################
 # Generate "config.h" from "cmake/config.h.cmake"
 configure_file(${CMAKE_CURRENT_SOURCE_DIR}/cmake/config.h.in
diff --git a/configure.ac b/configure.ac
index b2189066..19abbb3b 100644
--- a/configure.ac
+++ b/configure.ac
@@ -119,6 +119,25 @@ AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-timer-replacement],
   *)   AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-timer-replacement) ;;
 esac], [enable_timer_replacement=autodetect ])
 
+AC_ARG_ENABLE(pcreposix,
+AC_HELP_STRING([--enable-pcreposix],
+	       [enable support for the pcreposix  regular expressions @<:@default=autodetect@:>@]),
+[case "${enableval}" in
+  yes)
+    with_pcreposix=1
+    echo "Enabled PCRE POSIX regular expressions"
+    ;;
+  no)
+    with_pcreposix=0
+    echo "Disabled PCRE POSIX regular expressions"
+    ;;
+  autodetect)
+    echo "PCRE POSIX regular expressions support will be enabled automatically."
+    ;;
+  *)   AC_MSG_ERROR(bad value ${enableval} for --enable-pcreposix) ;;
+esac],
+[echo "PCRE POSIX regular expressions support will be enabled automatically."
+ with_pcreposix=autodetect])
 
 # Checks for programs.
 AC_PROG_SED
@@ -257,11 +276,49 @@ fi
 AC_SUBST(HAVE_REGEX)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(HAVE_REGEX, $HAVE_REGEX, "Regular expressions are supported")
 
-if test "x$HAVE_REGEX" = "x1"; then
+if test "x$HAVE_REGEX" = "x1" && test "x$with_pcreposix" != "x1"; then
     ENABLE_REGEX="1"
 else
     ENABLE_REGEX="0"
 fi
+
+if test "x$ENABLE_REGEX" = "x0"; then
+    # Check for PCRE POSIX regular expressions support.
+    AS_IF([test x"$with_pcreposix" != "x0" && test x"$with_pcreposix" != "x1"], [
+	    PKG_CHECK_EXISTS([libpcreposix], [:], [with_pcreposix=0])
+	    ])
+    AS_IF([test x"$with_pcreposix" != "x0"], [
+	    PKG_CHECK_MODULES([PCREPOSIX], [libpcreposix])
+	    ])
+
+    if test "x0" = x"$with_pcreposix"; then
+        ENABLE_PCREPOSIX="0"
+    else
+        ENABLE_PCREPOSIX="1"
+    fi
+    
+    if test "x$ENABLE_PCREPOSIX" = "x1"; then
+        ENABLE_REGEX="1"
+    else
+        ENABLE_REGEX="0"
+    fi
+else
+    ENABLE_PCREPOSIX="0"
+fi
+
+if test "x0" = x"$ENABLE_PCREPOSIX"; then
+    LIBPCREPOSIX_PC=""
+else
+    LIBPCREPOSIX_PC="libpcreposix"
+fi
+
+AC_SUBST(ENABLE_PCREPOSIX)
+AC_SUBST([LIBPCREPOSIX_PC])
+AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(ENABLE_PCREPOSIX, $ENABLE_PCREPOSIX, [PCRE POSIX regular expressions])
+
+AM_CONDITIONAL(PCREPOSIX, test x"$ENABLE_PCREPOSIX" != "x0")
+
+
 AC_SUBST(ENABLE_REGEX)
 AC_DEFINE_UNQUOTED(ENABLE_REGEX, $ENABLE_REGEX, "Regular expressions are supported and enabled")
 
@@ -369,7 +426,7 @@ AC_OUTPUT
 # Finally, print a summary of the Check's compile options
 
 echo
-echo "=========================================="
+echo "================================================"
 echo "Summary of Check $CHECK_MAJOR_VERSION.$CHECK_MINOR_VERSION.$CHECK_MICRO_VERSION options:"
 echo
 
@@ -423,8 +480,12 @@ echo "timeout unit tests ................... $result"
 if test "x0" = x"$ENABLE_REGEX"; then
     result="no"
 else
-    result="yes"
+    if test "x1" = x"$ENABLE_PCREPOSIX"; then
+        result="pcreposix"
+    else
+        result="yes"
+    fi
 fi
 echo "POSIX regular expressions ............ $result"
 
-echo "=========================================="
+echo "================================================"
diff --git a/tests/CMakeLists.txt b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
index 27ad1bf6..6a18fee1 100644
--- a/tests/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/tests/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -59,7 +59,17 @@ set(CHECK_CHECK_SOURCES
   check_list.c)
 set(CHECK_CHECK_HEADERS check_check.h)
 add_executable(check_check ${CHECK_CHECK_HEADERS} ${CHECK_CHECK_SOURCES})
-target_link_libraries(check_check check compat)
+
+set(CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES
+  check
+  compat)
+if(ENABLE_PCREPOSIX)
+  list(APPEND
+    CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES
+    pcreposix)
+endif()
+
+target_link_libraries(check_check ${CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES})
 
 set(CHECK_CHECK_EXPORT_SOURCES
   check_check_sub.c
@@ -72,16 +82,16 @@ set(CHECK_CHECK_EXPORT_HEADERS check_check.h)
 add_executable(check_check_export
   ${CHECK_CHECK_EXPORT_HEADERS}
   ${CHECK_CHECK_EXPORT_SOURCES})
-target_link_libraries(check_check_export check compat)
+target_link_libraries(check_check_export ${CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES})
 
 set(EX_OUTPUT_SOURCES ex_output.c)
 add_executable(ex_output ${EX_OUTPUT_SOURCES})
-target_link_libraries(ex_output check compat)
+target_link_libraries(ex_output ${CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES})
 
 set(CHECK_NOFORK_SOURCES check_nofork.c)
 add_executable(check_nofork ${CHECK_NOFORK_SOURCES})
-target_link_libraries(check_nofork check compat)
+target_link_libraries(check_nofork ${CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES})
 
 set(CHECK_NOFORK_TEARDOWN_SOURCES check_nofork_teardown.c)
 add_executable(check_nofork_teardown ${CHECK_NOFORK_TEARDOWN_SOURCES})
-target_link_libraries(check_nofork_teardown check compat)
+target_link_libraries(check_nofork_teardown ${CHECK_CHECK_LIBRARIES})
diff --git a/tests/Makefile.am b/tests/Makefile.am
index 06bf29dd..726a75ab 100644
--- a/tests/Makefile.am
+++ b/tests/Makefile.am
@@ -43,7 +43,7 @@ check_check_export_SOURCES = \
 	check_check_fork.c	\
 	check_check_tags.c      \
 	check_check_export_main.c
-check_check_export_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
+check_check_export_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
 
 check_check_SOURCES = \
 	check_check.h			\
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ check_check_SOURCES = \
 	check_check_selective.c         \
 	check_check_tags.c         	\
 	check_check_main.c
-check_check_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheckinternal.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
+check_check_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheckinternal.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
 
 check_mem_leaks_SOURCES = 	\
 	check_mem_leaks.c 		\
@@ -72,21 +72,21 @@ check_mem_leaks_SOURCES = 	\
 	check_check_tags.c         	\
 	check_check_sub.c		\
 	check_check_master.c
-check_mem_leaks_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
+check_mem_leaks_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
 check_mem_leaks_CFLAGS = -DTIMEOUT_TESTS_ENABLED=0 -DMEMORY_LEAKING_TESTS_ENABLED=0
 
 check_stress_SOURCES = check_stress.c
-check_stress_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
+check_stress_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
 
 check_thread_stress_SOURCES = check_thread_stress.c
-check_thread_stress_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la @PTHREAD_LIBS@
+check_thread_stress_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la @PTHREAD_LIBS@
 check_thread_stress_CFLAGS = @PTHREAD_CFLAGS@
 
 check_nofork_SOURCES = check_nofork.c
-check_nofork_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
+check_nofork_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
 
 check_nofork_teardown_SOURCES = check_nofork_teardown.c
-check_nofork_teardown_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
+check_nofork_teardown_LDADD = $(PCREPOSIX_LIBS) $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
 
 ex_output_SOURCES = ex_output.c
 ex_output_LDADD = $(top_builddir)/src/libcheck.la $(top_builddir)/lib/libcompat.la
diff --git a/tests/check_check_master.c b/tests/check_check_master.c
index a78a274b..1e299387 100644
--- a/tests/check_check_master.c
+++ b/tests/check_check_master.c
@@ -23,12 +23,16 @@
 #include <stdlib.h>
 #include <stdio.h>
 #include <string.h>
-#if ENABLE_REGEX
-# include <regex.h>
-#endif
 #include <check.h>
 #include <assert.h>
 #include "check_check.h"
+#if ENABLE_REGEX
+# if ENABLE_PCREPOSIX
+#   include <pcreposix.h>
+# else
+#   include <regex.h>
+# endif
+#endif
 
 int sub_nfailed;
 int sub_ntests;