diff --git a/gitweb/gitweb.perl b/gitweb/gitweb.perl
index 90cf78e436..20dc5d59c2 100755
--- a/gitweb/gitweb.perl
+++ b/gitweb/gitweb.perl
@@ -472,13 +472,15 @@ sub filter_snapshot_fmts {
 	}
 }
 
+our $search_use_regexp = $cgi->param('sr');
+
 our $searchtext = $cgi->param('s');
 our $search_regexp;
 if (defined $searchtext) {
 	if (length($searchtext) < 2) {
 		die_error(undef, "At least two characters are required for search parameter");
 	}
-	$search_regexp = quotemeta $searchtext;
+	$search_regexp = $search_use_regexp ? $searchtext : quotemeta $searchtext;
 }
 
 # now read PATH_INFO and use it as alternative to parameters
@@ -608,6 +610,7 @@ (%)
 		searchtype => "st",
 		snapshot_format => "sf",
 		extra_options => "opt",
+		search_use_regexp => "sr",
 	);
 	my %mapping = @mapping;
 
@@ -2584,6 +2587,10 @@ sub git_header_html {
 		      $cgi->sup($cgi->a({-href => href(action=>"search_help")}, "?")) .
 		      " search:\n",
 		      $cgi->textfield(-name => "s", -value => $searchtext) . "\n" .
+		      "<span title=\"Extended regular expression\">" .
+		      $cgi->checkbox(-name => 'sr', -value => 1, -label => 're',
+		                     -checked => $search_use_regexp) .
+		      "</span>" .
 		      "</div>" .
 		      $cgi->end_form() . "\n";
 	}
@@ -5256,7 +5263,8 @@ sub git_search {
 		}
 		$greptype .= $searchtext;
 		my @commitlist = parse_commits($hash, 101, (100 * $page), undef,
-		                               $greptype, '--fixed-strings');
+		                               $greptype, '--regexp-ignore-case',
+		                               $search_use_regexp ? '--extended-regexp' : '--fixed-strings');
 
 		my $paging_nav = '';
 		if ($page > 0) {
@@ -5300,8 +5308,9 @@ sub git_search {
 		my $git_command = git_cmd_str();
 		my $searchqtext = $searchtext;
 		$searchqtext =~ s/'/'\\''/;
+		my $pickaxe_flags = $search_use_regexp ? '--pickaxe-regex' : '';
 		open my $fd, "-|", "$git_command rev-list $hash | " .
-			"$git_command diff-tree -r --stdin -S\'$searchqtext\'";
+			"$git_command diff-tree -r --stdin -S\'$searchqtext\' $pickaxe_flags";
 		undef %co;
 		my @files;
 		while (my $line = <$fd>) {
@@ -5365,7 +5374,9 @@ sub git_search {
 		my $alternate = 1;
 		my $matches = 0;
 		$/ = "\n";
-		open my $fd, "-|", git_cmd(), 'grep', '-n', '-i', '-E', $searchtext, $co{'tree'};
+		open my $fd, "-|", git_cmd(), 'grep', '-n',
+			$search_use_regexp ? ('-E', '-i') : '-F',
+			$searchtext, $co{'tree'};
 		my $lastfile = '';
 		while (my $line = <$fd>) {
 			chomp $line;
@@ -5395,7 +5406,7 @@ sub git_search {
 				print "<div class=\"binary\">Binary file</div>\n";
 			} else {
 				$ltext = untabify($ltext);
-				if ($ltext =~ m/^(.*)($searchtext)(.*)$/i) {
+				if ($ltext =~ m/^(.*)($search_regexp)(.*)$/i) {
 					$ltext = esc_html($1, -nbsp=>1);
 					$ltext .= '<span class="match">';
 					$ltext .= esc_html($2, -nbsp=>1);
@@ -5430,27 +5441,31 @@ sub git_search_help {
 	git_header_html();
 	git_print_page_nav('','', $hash,$hash,$hash);
 	print <<EOT;
+<p><strong>Pattern</strong> is by default a normal string that is matched precisely (but without
+regard to case, except in the case of pickaxe). However, when you check the <em>re</em> checkbox,
+the pattern entered is recognized as the POSIX extended
+<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression">regular expression</a> (also case
+insensitive).</p>
 <dl>
 <dt><b>commit</b></dt>
-<dd>The commit messages and authorship information will be scanned for the given string.</dd>
+<dd>The commit messages and authorship information will be scanned for the given pattern.</dd>
 EOT
 	my ($have_grep) = gitweb_check_feature('grep');
 	if ($have_grep) {
 		print <<EOT;
 <dt><b>grep</b></dt>
 <dd>All files in the currently selected tree (HEAD unless you are explicitly browsing
-    a different one) are searched for the given
-<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Regular_expression">regular expression</a>
-(POSIX extended) and the matches are listed. On large
-trees, this search can take a while and put some strain on the server, so please use it with
-some consideration.</dd>
+    a different one) are searched for the given pattern. On large trees, this search can take
+a while and put some strain on the server, so please use it with some consideration. Note that
+due to git-grep peculiarity, currently if regexp mode is turned off, the matches are
+case-sensitive.</dd>
 EOT
 	}
 	print <<EOT;
 <dt><b>author</b></dt>
-<dd>Name and e-mail of the change author and date of birth of the patch will be scanned for the given string.</dd>
+<dd>Name and e-mail of the change author and date of birth of the patch will be scanned for the given pattern.</dd>
 <dt><b>committer</b></dt>
-<dd>Name and e-mail of the committer and date of commit will be scanned for the given string.</dd>
+<dd>Name and e-mail of the committer and date of commit will be scanned for the given pattern.</dd>
 EOT
 	my ($have_pickaxe) = gitweb_check_feature('pickaxe');
 	if ($have_pickaxe) {
@@ -5458,7 +5473,8 @@ sub git_search_help {
 <dt><b>pickaxe</b></dt>
 <dd>All commits that caused the string to appear or disappear from any file (changes that
 added, removed or "modified" the string) will be listed. This search can take a while and
-takes a lot of strain on the server, so please use it wisely.</dd>
+takes a lot of strain on the server, so please use it wisely. Note that since you may be
+interested even in changes just changing the case as well, this search is case sensitive.</dd>
 EOT
 	}
 	print "</dl>\n";