diff --git a/matchtree.go b/matchtree.go
index ccd648d4a..2bc1f66cc 100644
--- a/matchtree.go
+++ b/matchtree.go
@@ -183,6 +183,10 @@ type noVisitMatchTree struct {
 type regexpMatchTree struct {
 	regexp *regexp.Regexp
 
+	// origRegexp is the original parsed regexp from the query structure. It
+	// does not include mutations such as case sensitivity.
+	origRegexp *syntax.Regexp
+
 	fileName bool
 
 	// mutable
@@ -200,8 +204,9 @@ func newRegexpMatchTree(s *query.Regexp) *regexpMatchTree {
 	}
 
 	return &regexpMatchTree{
-		regexp:   regexp.MustCompile(prefix + s.Regexp.String()),
-		fileName: s.FileName,
+		regexp:     regexp.MustCompile(prefix + s.Regexp.String()),
+		origRegexp: s.Regexp,
+		fileName:   s.FileName,
 	}
 }
 
@@ -1107,19 +1112,19 @@ func (d *indexData) newMatchTree(q query.Q, opt matchTreeOpt) (matchTree, error)
 			}, nil
 		}
 
-		var regexp *regexp.Regexp
+		var regexpMT *regexpMatchTree
 		visitMatchTree(subMT, func(mt matchTree) {
 			if t, ok := mt.(*regexpMatchTree); ok {
-				regexp = t.regexp
+				regexpMT = t
 			}
 		})
-		if regexp == nil {
+		if regexpMT == nil {
 			return nil, fmt.Errorf("found %T inside query.Symbol", subMT)
 		}
 
 		return &symbolRegexpMatchTree{
-			regexp:    regexp,
-			all:       regexp.String() == "(?i)(?-s:.*)",
+			regexp:    regexpMT.regexp,
+			all:       isRegexpAll(regexpMT.origRegexp),
 			matchTree: subMT,
 		}, nil
 
@@ -1376,3 +1381,26 @@ func pruneMatchTree(mt matchTree) (matchTree, error) {
 	}
 	return mt, err
 }
+
+// isRegexpAll returns true if the query matches all possible lines.
+//
+// Note: it is possible for a funky regex to actually match all but this
+// returns false. This returns true for normal looking regexes like ".*" or
+// "(?-s:.*)".
+func isRegexpAll(r *syntax.Regexp) bool {
+	// Note: we don't care about any flags since we are looking for .* and we
+	// don't mind if . matches all or everything but newline.
+
+	// Our main target: .*
+	if r.Op == syntax.OpStar && len(r.Sub) == 1 { // *
+		// (?s:.) or (?-s:.)
+		return r.Sub[0].Op == syntax.OpAnyChar || r.Sub[0].Op == syntax.OpAnyCharNotNL
+	}
+
+	// Strip away expressions being wrapped in paranthesis
+	if (r.Op == syntax.OpCapture || r.Op == syntax.OpConcat) && len(r.Sub) == 1 {
+		return isRegexpAll(r.Sub[0])
+	}
+
+	return false
+}
diff --git a/matchtree_test.go b/matchtree_test.go
index 9a7362d92..0f56f7623 100644
--- a/matchtree_test.go
+++ b/matchtree_test.go
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ package zoekt
 
 import (
 	"reflect"
+	"regexp/syntax"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/RoaringBitmap/roaring"
@@ -385,3 +386,38 @@ func TestRepoIDs(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("expected %d document, but got at least 1 more", len(want))
 	}
 }
+
+func TestIsRegexpAll(t *testing.T) {
+	valid := []string{
+		".*",
+		"(.*)",
+		"(?-s:.*)",
+		"(?s:.*)",
+		"(?i)(?-s:.*)",
+	}
+	invalid := []string{
+		".",
+		"foo",
+		"(foo.*)",
+	}
+
+	for _, s := range valid {
+		r, err := syntax.Parse(s, syntax.Perl)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if !isRegexpAll(r) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q to match all", s)
+		}
+	}
+
+	for _, s := range invalid {
+		r, err := syntax.Parse(s, syntax.Perl)
+		if err != nil {
+			t.Fatal(err)
+		}
+		if isRegexpAll(r) {
+			t.Errorf("expected %q to not match all", s)
+		}
+	}
+}