diff --git a/netbox/netbox/views/misc.py b/netbox/netbox/views/misc.py
index adf539bbe..3c8c93f84 100644
--- a/netbox/netbox/views/misc.py
+++ b/netbox/netbox/views/misc.py
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+import re
 from collections import namedtuple
 
 from django.conf import settings
@@ -160,7 +161,13 @@ class SearchView(View):
                 lookup=lookup
             )
 
-            if form.cleaned_data['lookup'] != LookupTypes.EXACT:
+            # If performing a regex search, pass the highlight value as a compiled pattern
+            if form.cleaned_data['lookup'] == LookupTypes.REGEX:
+                try:
+                    highlight = re.compile(f"({form.cleaned_data['q']})", flags=re.IGNORECASE)
+                except re.error:
+                    pass
+            elif form.cleaned_data['lookup'] != LookupTypes.EXACT:
                 highlight = form.cleaned_data['q']
 
         table = SearchTable(results, highlight=highlight)
diff --git a/netbox/utilities/utils.py b/netbox/utilities/utils.py
index 15275f858..b6f626eb4 100644
--- a/netbox/utilities/utils.py
+++ b/netbox/utilities/utils.py
@@ -514,11 +514,21 @@ def clean_html(html, schemes):
 def highlight_string(value, highlight, trim_pre=None, trim_post=None, trim_placeholder='...'):
     """
     Highlight a string within a string and optionally trim the pre/post portions of the original string.
+
+    Args:
+        value: The body of text being searched against
+        highlight: The string of compiled regex pattern to highlight in `value`
+        trim_pre: Maximum length of pre-highlight text to include
+        trim_post: Maximum length of post-highlight text to include
+        trim_placeholder: String value to swap in for trimmed pre/post text
     """
     # Split value on highlight string
     try:
-        pre, match, post = re.split(fr'({re.escape(highlight)})', value, maxsplit=1, flags=re.IGNORECASE)
-    except ValueError:
+        if type(highlight) is re.Pattern:
+            pre, match, post = highlight.split(value, maxsplit=1)
+        else:
+            pre, match, post = re.split(fr'({highlight})', value, maxsplit=1, flags=re.IGNORECASE)
+    except ValueError as e:
         # Match not found
         return escape(value)