diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/censored-words.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/censored-words.js.es6
index ffb0cce3aeb..fc5254f58de 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/censored-words.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/censored-words.js.es6
@@ -2,14 +2,17 @@ function escapeRegexp(text) {
   return text.replace(/[-/\\^$*+?.()|[\]{}]/g, '\\$&').replace(/\*/g, "\S*");
 }
 
-export function censorFn(censoredWords, censoredPattern, replacementLetter) {
+export function censorFn(censoredWords, censoredPattern, replacementLetter, watchedWordsRegularExpressions) {
 
   let patterns = [];
 
   replacementLetter = replacementLetter || "■";
 
   if (censoredWords && censoredWords.length) {
-    patterns = censoredWords.split("|").map(t => `(${escapeRegexp(t)})`);
+    patterns = censoredWords.split("|");
+    if (!watchedWordsRegularExpressions) {
+      patterns = patterns.map(t => `(${escapeRegexp(t)})`);
+    }
   }
 
   if (censoredPattern && censoredPattern.length > 0) {
@@ -20,7 +23,11 @@ export function censorFn(censoredWords, censoredPattern, replacementLetter) {
     let censorRegexp;
 
     try {
-      censorRegexp = new RegExp("(\\b(?:" + patterns.join("|") + ")\\b)(?![^\\(]*\\))", "ig");
+      if (watchedWordsRegularExpressions) {
+        censorRegexp = new RegExp("((?:" + patterns.join("|") + "))(?![^\\(]*\\))", "ig");
+      } else {
+        censorRegexp = new RegExp("(\\b(?:" + patterns.join("|") + ")\\b)(?![^\\(]*\\))", "ig");
+      }
 
       if (censorRegexp) {
 
@@ -33,7 +40,11 @@ export function censorFn(censoredWords, censoredPattern, replacementLetter) {
             while (m && m[0]) {
               if (m[0].length > original.length) { return original; } // regex is dangerous
               const replacement = new Array(m[0].length+1).join(replacementLetter);
-              text = text.replace(new RegExp(`(\\b${escapeRegexp(m[0])}\\b)(?![^\\(]*\\))`, "ig"), replacement);
+              if (watchedWordsRegularExpressions) {
+                text = text.replace(new RegExp(`(${escapeRegexp(m[0])})(?![^\\(]*\\))`, "ig"), replacement);
+              } else {
+                text = text.replace(new RegExp(`(\\b${escapeRegexp(m[0])}\\b)(?![^\\(]*\\))`, "ig"), replacement);
+              }
               m = censorRegexp.exec(text);
             }
 
diff --git a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/censored.js.es6 b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/censored.js.es6
index 91a0d297ba0..b9a993b8bf0 100644
--- a/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/censored.js.es6
+++ b/app/assets/javascripts/pretty-text/engines/discourse-markdown/censored.js.es6
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ function censorTree(state, censor) {
 export function setup(helper) {
   helper.registerOptions((opts, siteSettings) => {
     opts.censoredPattern = siteSettings.censored_pattern;
+    opts.watchedWordsRegularExpressions = siteSettings.watched_words_regular_expressions;
   });
 
   helper.registerPlugin(md => {
@@ -33,7 +34,7 @@ export function setup(helper) {
 
     if ((words && words.length > 0) || (patterns && patterns.length > 0)) {
       const replacement = String.fromCharCode(9632);
-      const censor = censorFn(words, patterns, replacement);
+      const censor = censorFn(words, patterns, replacement, md.options.discourse.watchedWordsRegularExpressions);
       md.core.ruler.push('censored', state => censorTree(state, censor));
     }
   });
diff --git a/config/site_settings.yml b/config/site_settings.yml
index acb9877b6e9..9ea097e0acf 100644
--- a/config/site_settings.yml
+++ b/config/site_settings.yml
@@ -633,6 +633,7 @@ posting:
     default: 30
     min: 1
   watched_words_regular_expressions:
+    client: true
     default: false
   enable_advanced_editor_preview_sync:
     hidden: true
diff --git a/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6 b/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6
index 89704ee4cbd..8bcf2046065 100644
--- a/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6
+++ b/test/javascripts/lib/pretty-text-test.js.es6
@@ -607,6 +607,17 @@ QUnit.test("censoring", assert => {
   assert.cooked("No badword or apple here plz.",
     "<p>No ■■■■■■■ or ■■■■■ here plz.</p>",
     "it handles * as wildcard");
+
+  assert.cookedOptions(
+    "Pleased to meet you, but pleeeease call me later, xyz123",
+    { siteSettings: {
+        watched_words_regular_expressions: true,
+        censored_pattern: null
+      },
+      censoredWords: 'xyz*|plee+ase'
+    },
+    "<p>Pleased to meet you, but ■■■■■■■■■ call me later, ■■■123</p>",
+    "supports words as regular expressions");
 });
 
 QUnit.test("code blocks/spans hoisting", assert => {