diff --git a/common/eda_pattern_match.cpp b/common/eda_pattern_match.cpp
index a48ac48f1f..2f6603212f 100644
--- a/common/eda_pattern_match.cpp
+++ b/common/eda_pattern_match.cpp
@@ -78,17 +78,33 @@ public:
 
 bool EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX::SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern )
 {
-    m_pattern = aPattern;
+    if( aPattern.StartsWith( "^" ) && aPattern.EndsWith( "$" ) )
+    {
+        m_pattern = aPattern;
+    }
+    else if( aPattern.StartsWith( "/" ) )
+    {
+        // Requiring a '/' on the end means they get no feedback while they type
+        m_pattern = aPattern.Mid( 1 );
+
+        if( m_pattern.EndsWith( "/" ) )
+            m_pattern = m_pattern.Left( m_pattern.length() - 1 );
+    }
+    else
+    {
+        // For now regular expressions must be explicit
+        return false;
+    }
 
     // Evil and undocumented: wxRegEx::Compile calls wxLogError on error, even
     // though it promises to just return false. Silence the error.
     WX_LOGLEVEL_CONTEXT ctx( wxLOG_FatalError );
 
-    return m_regex.Compile( aPattern, wxRE_ADVANCED );
+    return m_regex.Compile( m_pattern, wxRE_ADVANCED );
 }
 
 
-bool EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX_EXPLICIT::SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern )
+bool EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX_ANCHORED::SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern )
 {
     wxString pattern( aPattern );
 
@@ -186,7 +202,7 @@ EDA_PATTERN_MATCH::FIND_RESULT EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD::Find( const wxString&
 }
 
 
-bool EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_EXPLICIT::SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern )
+bool EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_ANCHORED::SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern )
 {
     m_wildcard_pattern = aPattern;
 
@@ -386,8 +402,8 @@ EDA_COMBINED_MATCHER::EDA_COMBINED_MATCHER( const wxString& aPattern,
         break;
 
     case CTX_NETCLASS:
-        AddMatcher( aPattern, std::make_unique<EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX_EXPLICIT>() );
-        AddMatcher( aPattern, std::make_unique<EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_EXPLICIT>() );
+        AddMatcher( aPattern, std::make_unique<EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX_ANCHORED>() );
+        AddMatcher( aPattern, std::make_unique<EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_ANCHORED>() );
         break;
 
     case CTX_SIGNAL:
diff --git a/common/footprint_filter.cpp b/common/footprint_filter.cpp
index f2bcfe2328..dcca5e98a8 100644
--- a/common/footprint_filter.cpp
+++ b/common/footprint_filter.cpp
@@ -202,7 +202,7 @@ void FOOTPRINT_FILTER::FilterByFootprintFilters( const wxArrayString& aFilters )
 
     for( const wxString& each_pattern : aFilters )
     {
-        m_footprint_filters.push_back( std::make_unique<EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_EXPLICIT>() );
+        m_footprint_filters.push_back( std::make_unique<EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_ANCHORED>() );
         m_footprint_filters.back()->SetPattern( each_pattern.Lower() );
     }
 
diff --git a/include/eda_pattern_match.h b/include/eda_pattern_match.h
index 693642e739..5b1ad91be6 100644
--- a/include/eda_pattern_match.h
+++ b/include/eda_pattern_match.h
@@ -132,7 +132,7 @@ protected:
 };
 
 
-class EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX_EXPLICIT : public EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX
+class EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX_ANCHORED : public EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_REGEX
 {
 public:
     virtual bool SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern ) override;
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ protected:
 };
 
 
-class EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_EXPLICIT : public EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD
+class EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD_ANCHORED : public EDA_PATTERN_MATCH_WILDCARD
 {
 public:
     virtual bool SetPattern( const wxString& aPattern ) override;