diff --git a/include/maxscale/config.hh b/include/maxscale/config.hh
index 39742ded5..8647a586f 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/config.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/config.hh
@@ -349,6 +349,45 @@ public:
      */
     SERVER* get_server(const std::string& key) const;
 
+    /**
+     * Get an array of servers. The value is expected to be a comma-separated list of server names.
+     *
+     * @param key Parameter name
+     * @param name_error_out If a server name was not found, it is written here. Only the first such name
+     * is written.
+     * @return Found servers. If even one server name was invalid, the array will be empty.
+     */
+    std::vector<SERVER*> get_server_list(const std::string& key, std::string* name_error_out = nullptr) const;
+
+    /**
+     * Get a compiled regular expression and the ovector size of the pattern. The
+     * return value should be freed by the caller.
+     *
+     * @param key Parameter name
+     * @param options PCRE2 compilation options
+     * @param output_ovec_size Output for match data ovector size. On error,
+     * nothing is written. If NULL, the parameter is ignored.
+     * @return Compiled regex code on success. NULL if key was not found or compilation failed.
+     */
+    std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code>
+    get_compiled_regex(const std::string& key, uint32_t options, uint32_t* output_ovec_size) const;
+
+    /**
+     * Get multiple compiled regular expressions and the maximum ovector size of
+     * the patterns. The returned regex codes should be freed by the caller.
+     *
+     * @param keys An array of parameter keys.
+     * @param options PCRE2 compilation options
+     * @param ovec_size_out If not null, the maximum ovector size of successfully
+     * compiled patterns is written here.
+     * @param compile_error_out If not null, is set to true if a pattern compilation failed.
+     * @return Array of compiled patterns, one element for each key. If a key is not found or the pattern
+     * cannot be compiled, the corresponding element will be null.
+     */
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code>>
+    get_compiled_regexes(const std::vector<std::string>& keys, uint32_t options,
+                         uint32_t* ovec_size_out, bool* compile_error_out);
+
     /**
      * Check if a key exists.
      *
@@ -500,61 +539,6 @@ bool config_param_is_valid(const MXS_MODULE_PARAM* params,
                            const char* value,
                            const CONFIG_CONTEXT* context);
 
-/**
- * @brief Get an array of servers. The caller should free the produced array,
- * but not the array elements.
- *
- * @param params List of configuration parameters
- * @param key Parameter name
- * @param name_error_out If a server name was not found, it is written here. Only the first such name
- * is written.
- * @return Found servers. If even one server name was invalid, the array will be empty.
- */
-std::vector<SERVER*>
-config_get_server_list(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params, const char* key,
-                       std::string* name_error_out = nullptr);
-
-/**
- * Get a compiled regular expression and the ovector size of the pattern. The
- * return value should be freed by the caller.
- *
- * @param params List of configuration parameters
- * @param key Parameter name
- * @param options PCRE2 compilation options
- * @param output_ovec_size Output for match data ovector size. On error,
- * nothing is written. If NULL, the parameter is ignored.
- * @return Compiled regex code on success, NULL otherwise
- */
-pcre2_code* config_get_compiled_regex(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params,
-                                      const char* key,
-                                      uint32_t options,
-                                      uint32_t* output_ovec_size);
-
-/**
- * Get multiple compiled regular expressions and the maximum ovector size of
- * the patterns. The returned regex codes should be freed by the caller.
- *
- * @param params List of configuration parameters
- * @param keys An array of parameter names. If an element is not found in @c params,
- * the corresponding spot in @c out_codes is set to NULL.
- * @param keys_size Size of both @c keys and @c out_arr
- * @param options PCRE2 compilation options
- * @param out_ovec_size If not NULL, the maximum ovector size of successfully
- * compiled patterns is written here.
- * @param out_codes An array of handles to compiled codes. The referenced pointers
- * will be set to point to the compiled codes. The array size must be equal to
- * @c keys array size and it must contain valid pointers.
- *
- * @return True, if all patterns given by @c keys were successfully compiled.
- * False otherwise.
- */
-bool config_get_compiled_regexes(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params,
-                                 const char* keys[],
-                                 int keys_size,
-                                 uint32_t options,
-                                 uint32_t* out_ovec_size,
-                                 pcre2_code** out_codes[]);
-
 /**
  * Break a comma-separated list into a string array. Removes whitespace from list items.
  *
diff --git a/include/maxscale/pcre2.hh b/include/maxscale/pcre2.hh
index 290d93a27..15279f98d 100644
--- a/include/maxscale/pcre2.hh
+++ b/include/maxscale/pcre2.hh
@@ -63,3 +63,21 @@ struct CloserTraits<pcre2_match_data*>
     }
 };
 }
+
+namespace std
+{
+
+template<> class default_delete<pcre2_code>
+{
+public:
+    void operator()(pcre2_code* p)
+    {
+        if (p)
+        {
+            pcre2_code_free(p);
+        }
+    }
+};
+
+}
+
diff --git a/server/core/config.cc b/server/core/config.cc
index 3463fa832..64309497d 100644
--- a/server/core/config.cc
+++ b/server/core/config.cc
@@ -51,7 +51,7 @@
 #include <maxscale/maxscale.h>
 #include <maxscale/maxadmin.h>
 #include <maxscale/paths.h>
-#include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 #include <maxscale/router.hh>
 #include <maxscale/secrets.h>
 #include <maxscale/utils.h>
@@ -1732,10 +1732,9 @@ bool MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER::contains(const string& key) const
     return can_be_null ? m_contents.count(key) > 0 : false;
 }
 
-std::vector<SERVER*> config_get_server_list(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params, const char* key,
-                                            string* name_error_out)
+std::vector<SERVER*> MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER::get_server_list(const string& key, string* name_error_out) const
 {
-    auto names_list = params->get_string(key);
+    auto names_list = get_string(key);
     auto server_names = config_break_list_string(names_list);
     std::vector<SERVER*> server_arr = SERVER::server_find_by_unique_names(server_names);
     for (size_t i = 0; i < server_arr.size(); i++)
@@ -1765,58 +1764,60 @@ char* MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER::get_c_str_copy(const string& key) const
     return rval;
 }
 
-pcre2_code* config_get_compiled_regex(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params,
-                                      const char* key,
-                                      uint32_t options,
-                                      uint32_t* output_ovec_size)
+std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code>
+MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER::get_compiled_regex(const string& key, uint32_t options,
+                                         uint32_t* output_ovec_size) const
 {
-    auto regex_string = params->get_string(key);
-    pcre2_code* code = NULL;
+    auto regex_string = get_string(key);
+    std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code> code;
 
     if (!regex_string.empty())
     {
         uint32_t jit_available = 0;
         pcre2_config(PCRE2_CONFIG_JIT, &jit_available);
-        code = compile_regex_string(regex_string.c_str(), jit_available, options, output_ovec_size);
+        code.reset(compile_regex_string(regex_string.c_str(), jit_available, options, output_ovec_size));
     }
 
     return code;
 }
 
-bool config_get_compiled_regexes(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params,
-                                 const char* keys[],
-                                 int keys_size,
-                                 uint32_t options,
-                                 uint32_t* out_ovec_size,
-                                 pcre2_code** out_codes[])
+std::vector<std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code>>
+MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER::get_compiled_regexes(const std::vector<string>& keys, uint32_t options,
+                                           uint32_t* ovec_size_out, bool* compile_error_out)
 {
-    bool rval = true;
+    std::vector<std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code>> rval;
+    bool compile_error = false;
     uint32_t max_ovec_size = 0;
     uint32_t ovec_size_temp = 0;
-    for (int i = 0; i < keys_size; i++)
+    for (auto& key : keys)
     {
-        mxb_assert(out_codes[i]);
-        *out_codes[i] = config_get_compiled_regex(params,
-                                                  keys[i],
-                                                  options,
-                                                  &ovec_size_temp);
-        if (*out_codes[i])
+        std::unique_ptr<pcre2_code> code;
+        /* get_compiled_regex() returns null if the config setting didn't exist. */
+        if (contains(key))
         {
-            if (ovec_size_temp > max_ovec_size)
+            code = get_compiled_regex(key, options, &ovec_size_temp);
+            if (code)
             {
-                max_ovec_size = ovec_size_temp;
+                if (ovec_size_temp > max_ovec_size)
+                {
+                    max_ovec_size = ovec_size_temp;
+                }
+            }
+            else
+            {
+                compile_error = true;
             }
         }
-        /* config_get_compiled_regex() returns null also if the config setting
-         * didn't exist. Check that before setting error state. */
-        else if (params->contains(keys[i]))
-        {
-            rval = false;
-        }
+        rval.push_back(std::move(code));
     }
-    if (out_ovec_size)
+
+    if (ovec_size_out)
     {
-        *out_ovec_size = max_ovec_size;
+        *ovec_size_out = max_ovec_size;
+    }
+    if (compile_error_out)
+    {
+        *compile_error_out = compile_error;
     }
     return rval;
 }
@@ -3724,7 +3725,7 @@ int create_new_monitor(CONFIG_CONTEXT* obj, std::set<std::string>& monitored_ser
     if (params->contains(CN_SERVERS))
     {
         string name_not_found;
-        auto servers = config_get_server_list(params, CN_SERVERS, &name_not_found);
+        auto servers = params->get_server_list(CN_SERVERS, &name_not_found);
         if (servers.empty())
         {
             err = true;
diff --git a/server/core/monitor.cc b/server/core/monitor.cc
index 1ecfe0fe1..b454e7d54 100644
--- a/server/core/monitor.cc
+++ b/server/core/monitor.cc
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ bool Monitor::configure_base(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
     m_settings.conn_settings.password = params->get_string(CN_PASSWORD);
 
     // The monitor serverlist has already been checked to be valid. Empty value is ok too.
-    auto servers_temp = config_get_server_list(params, CN_SERVERS);
+    auto servers_temp = params->get_server_list(CN_SERVERS);
     for (auto elem : servers_temp)
     {
         // This function checks if server is already monitored. TODO: This should be a config error.
@@ -2233,7 +2233,7 @@ std::vector<MXS_MONITORED_SERVER*> mon_config_get_servers(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAM
     }
 
     string name_error;
-    auto servers = config_get_server_list(params, key, &name_error);
+    auto servers = params->get_server_list(key, &name_error);
     if (!servers.empty())
     {
         // All servers in the array must be monitored by the given monitor.
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/binlogfilter/binlogfilter.hh b/server/modules/filter/binlogfilter/binlogfilter.hh
index 5cfafa5c6..5b1cb1307 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/binlogfilter/binlogfilter.hh
+++ b/server/modules/filter/binlogfilter/binlogfilter.hh
@@ -15,15 +15,16 @@
 #include <string>
 #include <maxscale/ccdefs.hh>
 #include <maxscale/filter.hh>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 #include "binlogfiltersession.hh"
 
 // Binlog Filter configuration
 struct BinlogConfig
 {
     BinlogConfig(const MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* pParams)
-        : match(config_get_compiled_regex(pParams, "match", 0, nullptr))
+        : match(pParams->get_compiled_regex("match", 0, nullptr).release())
         , md_match(match ? pcre2_match_data_create_from_pattern(match, nullptr) : nullptr)
-        , exclude(config_get_compiled_regex(pParams, "exclude", 0, nullptr))
+        , exclude(pParams->get_compiled_regex("exclude", 0, nullptr).release())
         , md_exclude(exclude ? pcre2_match_data_create_from_pattern(exclude, nullptr) : nullptr)
     {
     }
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.cc b/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.cc
index 6b9fcfba0..27017f765 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/ccrfilter/ccrfilter.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #include <maxscale/hint.h>
 #include <maxscale/modinfo.h>
 #include <maxscale/modutil.hh>
-#include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 #include <maxscale/query_classifier.hh>
 
 using std::string;
@@ -97,11 +97,14 @@ public:
             new_instance->m_nomatch = params->get_string(PARAM_IGNORE);
 
             int cflags = params->get_enum("options", option_values);
-            const char* keys[] = {PARAM_MATCH, PARAM_IGNORE};
-            pcre2_code** code_arr[] = {&new_instance->re, &new_instance->nore};
-            if (!config_get_compiled_regexes(params, keys, sizeof(keys) / sizeof(char*),
-                                             cflags, &new_instance->ovector_size,
-                                             code_arr))
+            bool compile_error = false;
+            auto code_arr = params->get_compiled_regexes({PARAM_MATCH, PARAM_IGNORE},
+                                                         cflags,
+                                                         &new_instance->ovector_size,
+                                                         &compile_error);
+            new_instance->re = code_arr[0].release();
+            new_instance->nore = code_arr[1].release();
+            if (compile_error)
             {
                 delete new_instance;
                 new_instance = nullptr;
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.cc b/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.cc
index cd7609558..b0069762c 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.cc
@@ -167,29 +167,24 @@ void QlaFilterSession::close()
 
 QlaInstance* QlaInstance::create(const std::string name, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
 {
-    bool error = false;
     QlaInstance* my_instance = NULL;
 
-    const char* keys[] = {PARAM_MATCH, PARAM_EXCLUDE};
-    pcre2_code* re_match = NULL;
-    pcre2_code* re_exclude = NULL;
     uint32_t ovec_size = 0;
     int cflags = params->get_enum(PARAM_OPTIONS, option_values);
-    pcre2_code** code_arr[] = {&re_match, &re_exclude};
-    if (config_get_compiled_regexes(params,
-                                    keys,
-                                    sizeof(keys) / sizeof(char*),
-                                    cflags,
-                                    &ovec_size,
-                                    code_arr))
+    bool compile_error = false;
+    auto code_arr = params->get_compiled_regexes({PARAM_MATCH, PARAM_EXCLUDE}, cflags,
+                                                 &ovec_size, &compile_error);
+    auto re_match = std::move(code_arr[0]);
+    auto re_exclude = std::move(code_arr[1]);
+    if (!compile_error)
     {
         // The instance is allocated before opening the file since open_log_file() takes the instance as a
         // parameter. Will be fixed (or at least cleaned) with a later refactoring of functions/methods.
         my_instance = new(std::nothrow) QlaInstance(name, params);
         if (my_instance)
         {
-            my_instance->m_re_match = re_match;
-            my_instance->m_re_exclude = re_exclude;
+            my_instance->m_re_match = re_match.release();
+            my_instance->m_re_exclude = re_exclude.release();
             my_instance->m_ovec_size = ovec_size;
             // Try to open the unified log file
             if (my_instance->m_settings.write_unified_log)
@@ -200,24 +195,9 @@ QlaInstance* QlaInstance::create(const std::string name, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* p
                 {
                     delete my_instance;
                     my_instance = NULL;
-                    error = true;
                 }
             }
         }
-        else
-        {
-            error = true;
-        }
-    }
-    else
-    {
-        error = true;
-    }
-
-    if (error)
-    {
-        pcre2_code_free(re_match);
-        pcre2_code_free(re_exclude);
     }
 
     return my_instance;
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.hh b/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.hh
index 24f55bb42..8748b7104 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.hh
+++ b/server/modules/filter/qlafilter/qlafilter.hh
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@
 #include <maxbase/stopwatch.hh>
 #include <maxscale/config.hh>
 #include <maxscale/filter.hh>
-#include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 
 class QlaFilterSession;
 struct LogEventElems;
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/regexfilter/regexfilter.cc b/server/modules/filter/regexfilter/regexfilter.cc
index 0d8d8d565..591d166c1 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/regexfilter/regexfilter.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/regexfilter/regexfilter.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@
 #include <maxscale/filter.hh>
 #include <maxscale/modinfo.h>
 #include <maxscale/modutil.hh>
-#include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 
 /**
  * @file regexfilter.c - a very simple regular expression rewrite filter.
@@ -229,7 +229,7 @@ static MXS_FILTER* createInstance(const char* name, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params
 
         int cflags = params->get_enum("options", option_values);
 
-        if (!(my_instance->re = config_get_compiled_regex(params, "match", cflags, nullptr)))
+        if (!(my_instance->re = params->get_compiled_regex("match", cflags, nullptr).release()))
         {
             free_instance(my_instance);
             return NULL;
diff --git a/server/modules/filter/tee/tee.cc b/server/modules/filter/tee/tee.cc
index a71dfab81..4b5eaf11f 100644
--- a/server/modules/filter/tee/tee.cc
+++ b/server/modules/filter/tee/tee.cc
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 #include <maxscale/alloc.h>
 #include <maxscale/modinfo.h>
 #include <maxscale/modulecmd.hh>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 
 #include "tee.hh"
 #include "teesession.hh"
@@ -66,8 +67,8 @@ Tee* Tee::create(const char* name, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params)
 {
     SERVICE* service = params->get_service("service");
     uint32_t cflags = params->get_enum("options", option_values);
-    pcre2_code* match = config_get_compiled_regex(params, "match", cflags, NULL);
-    pcre2_code* exclude = config_get_compiled_regex(params, "exclude", cflags, NULL);
+    pcre2_code* match = params->get_compiled_regex("match", cflags, NULL).release();
+    pcre2_code* exclude = params->get_compiled_regex("exclude", cflags, NULL).release();
 
     Tee* my_instance = new(std::nothrow) Tee(service,
                                              params->get_string("source"),
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro.cc b/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro.cc
index 1f9c09ef9..1ac50d0a8 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/avrorouter/avro.cc
@@ -40,7 +40,7 @@
 #include <maxscale/server.hh>
 #include <maxscale/service.hh>
 #include <maxscale/utils.hh>
-#include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 #include <maxscale/routingworker.hh>
 #include <binlog_common.hh>
 
@@ -130,8 +130,8 @@ Avro::Avro(SERVICE* service, MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* params, SERVICE* source, SRow
     , row_count(0)
     , row_target(params->get_integer("group_rows"))
     , task_handle(0)
-    , handler(service, handler, config_get_compiled_regex(params, "match", 0, NULL),
-              config_get_compiled_regex(params, "exclude", 0, NULL))
+    , handler(service, handler, params->get_compiled_regex("match", 0, NULL).release(),
+              params->get_compiled_regex("exclude", 0, NULL).release())
 {
     if (source)
     {
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.cc b/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.cc
index 7967359d6..4ad5f27e5 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.cc
+++ b/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.cc
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ Config::Config(MXS_CONFIG_PARAMETER* conf)
     : refresh_min_interval(conf->get_integer("refresh_interval"))
     , refresh_databases(conf->get_bool("refresh_databases"))
     , debug(conf->get_bool("debug"))
-    , ignore_regex(config_get_compiled_regex(conf, "ignore_databases_regex", 0, NULL))
+    , ignore_regex(conf->get_compiled_regex("ignore_databases_regex", 0, NULL).release())
     , ignore_match_data(ignore_regex ? pcre2_match_data_create_from_pattern(ignore_regex, NULL) : NULL)
     , preferred_server(conf->get_server("preferred_server"))
 {
diff --git a/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.hh b/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.hh
index 2e3a2a003..0006816c9 100644
--- a/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.hh
+++ b/server/modules/routing/schemarouter/schemarouter.hh
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 #include <memory>
 
 #include <maxscale/buffer.hh>
-#include <maxscale/pcre2.h>
+#include <maxscale/pcre2.hh>
 #include <maxscale/service.hh>
 #include <maxscale/backend.hh>
 #include <maxscale/protocol/rwbackend.hh>