diff --git a/search/query/regexp.go b/search/query/regexp.go
index 65f9a656..09544fcf 100644
--- a/search/query/regexp.go
+++ b/search/query/regexp.go
@@ -33,7 +33,9 @@ type RegexpQuery struct {
 
 // NewRegexpQuery creates a new Query which finds
 // documents containing terms that match the
-// specified regular expression.
+// specified regular expression.  The regexp pattern
+// SHOULD NOT include ^ or $ modifiers, the search
+// will only match entire terms even without them.
 func NewRegexpQuery(regexp string) *RegexpQuery {
 	return &RegexpQuery{
 		Regexp: regexp,
@@ -76,14 +78,14 @@ func (q *RegexpQuery) Validate() error {
 
 func (q *RegexpQuery) compile() error {
 	if q.compiled == nil {
-		// require that pattern be anchored to start and end of term
+		// require that pattern NOT be anchored to start and end of term
 		actualRegexp := q.Regexp
-		if !strings.HasPrefix(actualRegexp, "^") {
-			actualRegexp = "^" + actualRegexp
-		}
-		if !strings.HasSuffix(actualRegexp, "$") {
-			actualRegexp = actualRegexp + "$"
+		if strings.HasPrefix(actualRegexp, "^") {
+			actualRegexp = actualRegexp[1:] // remove leading ^
 		}
+		// do not attempt to remove trailing $, it's presence is not
+		// known to interfere with LiteralPrefix() the way ^ does
+		// and removing $ introduces possible ambiguities with escaped \$, \\$, etc
 		var err error
 		q.compiled, err = regexp.Compile(actualRegexp)
 		if err != nil {
diff --git a/search/query/wildcard.go b/search/query/wildcard.go
index 9fbf846d..7fd7482c 100644
--- a/search/query/wildcard.go
+++ b/search/query/wildcard.go
@@ -101,6 +101,6 @@ func (q *WildcardQuery) Validate() error {
 }
 
 func (q *WildcardQuery) convertToRegexp() (*regexp.Regexp, error) {
-	regexpString := "^" + wildcardRegexpReplacer.Replace(q.Wildcard) + "$"
+	regexpString := wildcardRegexpReplacer.Replace(q.Wildcard)
 	return regexp.Compile(regexpString)
 }
diff --git a/search/searcher/search_regexp.go b/search/searcher/search_regexp.go
index f2134d66..84cea434 100644
--- a/search/searcher/search_regexp.go
+++ b/search/searcher/search_regexp.go
@@ -21,6 +21,11 @@ import (
 	"github.com/blevesearch/bleve/search"
 )
 
+// NewRegexpSearcher creates a searcher which will match documents that
+// contain terms which match the pattern regexp.  The match must be EXACT
+// matching the entire term.  The provided regexp SHOULD NOT start with ^
+// or end with $ as this can intefere with the implementation.  Separately,
+// matches will be checked to ensure they match the entire term.
 func NewRegexpSearcher(indexReader index.IndexReader, pattern *regexp.Regexp, field string, boost float64, options search.SearcherOptions) (search.Searcher, error) {
 
 	prefixTerm, complete := pattern.LiteralPrefix()
@@ -79,7 +84,8 @@ func findRegexpCandidateTerms(indexReader index.IndexReader, pattern *regexp.Reg
 	// enumerate the terms and check against regexp
 	tfd, err := fieldDict.Next()
 	for err == nil && tfd != nil {
-		if pattern.MatchString(tfd.Term) {
+		matchPos := pattern.FindStringIndex(tfd.Term)
+		if matchPos != nil && matchPos[0] == 0 && matchPos[1] == len(tfd.Term) {
 			rv = append(rv, tfd.Term)
 			if tooManyClauses(len(rv)) {
 				return rv, tooManyClausesErr()