diff --git a/src/util/StringUtil.re b/src/util/StringUtil.re
index 49a5cab22..582290e85 100644
--- a/src/util/StringUtil.re
+++ b/src/util/StringUtil.re
@@ -38,13 +38,7 @@ let split = Js_of_ocaml.Regexp.split;
 
 let plain_split: (string, string) => list(string) =
   (str, sep) => {
-    Js_of_ocaml.(
-      Js.string(str)##split(Js.string(sep))
-      |> Js.str_array
-      |> Js.to_array
-      |> Array.to_list
-      |> List.map(Js.to_string)
-    );
+    split(Js_of_ocaml.Regexp.regexp_string(sep), str);
   };
 
 let to_lines = String.split_on_char('\n');
diff --git a/test/Test_StringUtil.re b/test/Test_StringUtil.re
index b9c497337..fd2be69fd 100644
--- a/test/Test_StringUtil.re
+++ b/test/Test_StringUtil.re
@@ -37,5 +37,13 @@ let tests = (
         StringUtil.plain_split("abbe", "b"),
       )
     }),
+    test_case("regexp special character in separator", `Quick, () => {
+      check(
+        list(string),
+        "split",
+        ["a", "c"],
+        StringUtil.plain_split("a.*c", ".*"),
+      )
+    }),
   ],
 );