diff --git a/.github/workflows/ci.yml b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
index 12dbec4..e22ee38 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/ci.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/ci.yml
@@ -63,9 +63,28 @@ jobs:
     - run: py.test --cov=.
     - uses: codecov/codecov-action@v4
 
+
+  extras:
+    runs-on: ubuntu-latest
+    strategy:
+      matrix:
+        extras:
+          - "regex"
+
+    steps:
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
+      - uses: actions/setup-python@v5
+        with:
+          python-version: "3.x"
+      - run: python -m pip install --upgrade pip setuptools
+      - run: python -m pip install -e .[test,${{ matrix.extras }}]
+      - run: relint --version
+      - run: py.test --cov=.
+      - uses: codecov/codecov-action@v4
+
   analyze:
     name: CodeQL Analyze
-    needs: [PyTest]
+    needs: [PyTest,extras]
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     permissions:
       actions: read
diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 6bb6eb8..e8ffccf 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -14,6 +14,8 @@
 
 ```shell-session
 python3 -m pip install relint
+# or, if you have super advanced linting expressions
+python3 -m pip install relint[regex]
 ```
 
 ## [Examples & Recipes – The reLint Cookbook](https://github.com/codingjoe/relint/blob/main/COOKBOOK.md)
diff --git a/pyproject.toml b/pyproject.toml
index d665334..1b4345d 100644
--- a/pyproject.toml
+++ b/pyproject.toml
@@ -35,6 +35,9 @@ test = [
   "pytest-cov",
   "pytest-mock",
 ]
+regex = [
+  "regex"
+]
 
 [project.scripts]
 relint = "relint.__main__:main"
diff --git a/relint/config.py b/relint/config.py
index 38be530..5e9046e 100644
--- a/relint/config.py
+++ b/relint/config.py
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 import collections
-import re
 import warnings
 
+try:
+    import regex as re
+except ImportError:
+    import re
+
 import yaml
 
 from .exceptions import ConfigError
@@ -29,7 +33,7 @@ def load_config(path, fail_warnings, ignore_warnings):
                 file_pattern = re.compile(file_pattern)
                 yield Test(
                     name=test["name"],
-                    pattern=re.compile(test["pattern"], re.MULTILINE),
+                    pattern=re.compile(test["pattern"]),
                     hint=test.get("hint"),
                     file_pattern=file_pattern,
                     error=test.get("error", True) or fail_warnings,
diff --git a/relint/parse.py b/relint/parse.py
index 07138a6..192f3b2 100644
--- a/relint/parse.py
+++ b/relint/parse.py
@@ -1,7 +1,11 @@
 from __future__ import annotations
 
 import collections
-import re
+
+try:
+    import regex as re
+except ImportError:
+    import re
 
 from rich import print as rprint
 from rich.console import Group
@@ -65,7 +69,7 @@ def parse_line_numbers(output):
 
 
 def parse_filenames(output):
-    return re.findall(GIT_DIFF_FILENAME_PATTERN, output)
+    return GIT_DIFF_FILENAME_PATTERN.findall(output)
 
 
 def split_diff_content_by_filename(output: str) -> {str: str}:
@@ -81,7 +85,7 @@ def split_diff_content_by_filename(output: str) -> {str: str}:
     """
     content_by_filename = {}
     filenames = parse_filenames(output)
-    split_content = re.split(GIT_DIFF_SPLIT_PATTERN, output)
+    split_content = GIT_DIFF_SPLIT_PATTERN.split(output)
     split_content = filter(lambda x: x != "", split_content)
 
     for filename, content in zip(filenames, split_content):
diff --git a/tests/test_parse.py b/tests/test_parse.py
index fb33d95..5777d9b 100644
--- a/tests/test_parse.py
+++ b/tests/test_parse.py
@@ -4,8 +4,10 @@
 import pytest
 
 from relint.__main__ import main
+from relint.config import Test
 from relint.exceptions import ConfigError
 from relint.parse import (
+    lint_file,
     match_with_diff_changes,
     parse_diff,
     parse_filenames,
@@ -177,3 +179,40 @@ def test_no_unicode(capsys, tmpdir, fixture_dir):
         with pytest.raises(SystemExit) as exc_info:
             main(["test.png"])
     assert "0" in str(exc_info.value)
+
+
+def test_cc_linting_rule(tmpdir, fixture_dir):
+    regex = pytest.importorskip("regex")
+    cc_file = tmpdir.join("example.cpp")
+    cc_file.write(
+        "#include <iostream>\n"
+        "/* This is an extremely long COMMENT that has over one hundred and twenty characters to test whether this is recognized by the regex or not. */\n"
+        "int main() {\n"
+        '    std::cout << "This is an extremely long CODE that has over one hundred and twenty characters to test whether this is recognized by the regex or not."\n'
+        "    return 0;\n"
+        "}\n"
+    )
+
+    with (fixture_dir / ".relint.yml").open() as fs:
+        config = fs.read()
+    tmpdir.join(".relint.yml").write(config)
+
+    # Load the configuration as Test named tuples
+
+    with tmpdir.as_cwd():
+        assert list(
+            lint_file(
+                str(cc_file),
+                [
+                    Test(
+                        name="No line longer than 120 characters",
+                        pattern=regex.compile(
+                            r".{120,}(?<!\s)(?=\s|$)|.{120,}(?<=\s)(?=\s)"
+                        ),
+                        hint="There should be no line longer than 120 characters in a line.",
+                        file_pattern=regex.compile(r".*\.(cpp|h)"),
+                        error=True,
+                    )
+                ],
+            )
+        )