diff --git a/Makefile b/Makefile
index e665a6ef..7be43bea 100644
--- a/Makefile
+++ b/Makefile
@@ -20,7 +20,8 @@ ifdef HOST_BOOST_NEEDS_MT
 HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX=-mt
 endif
 
-LDFLAGS = -pthread -lboost_iostreams$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lboost_filesystem$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lboost_system$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lboost_regex$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lz $(USER_LDFLAGS)
+LDFLAGS = -pthread -lboost_iostreams$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lboost_filesystem$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lboost_system$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX) -lz $(USER_LDFLAGS)
+HOSTHELPER_LDFLAGS =
 
 ifeq ($(THREADS), NATIVE)
 CFLAGS += -DNATIVE_THREADS
@@ -33,6 +34,14 @@ $(error "Bad value for THREADS (expected NATIVE or BOOST)")
 endif
 endif
 
+ifeq ($(REGEX), BOOST)
+CFLAGS += -DUSE_BOOST_REGEX
+LDFLAGS += -lboost_regex$(BOOST_LIB_POSTFIX)
+HOSTHELPER_LDFLAGS += -lboost_regex$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX)
+endif
+HOSTHELPER_LDFLAGS += -lboost_system$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX)
+
+
 ifdef NEED_LIBICONV
 LDFLAGS += -liconv
 endif
diff --git a/options.build b/options.build
index ac76eb14..ab6d89d6 100644
--- a/options.build
+++ b/options.build
@@ -66,6 +66,12 @@ FONT_SRC=unifontfull-5.1.20080820.hex
 # - Default value is 'lua'.
 LUA=lua
 
+# Regex package to use.
+# Currently supported:
+# - NATIVE: std::thread
+# - BOOST: boost_thread
+REGEX=NATIVE
+
 # Threading package to use.
 # Currently supported:
 # - NATIVE: std::thread
diff --git a/src/cmdhelp/Makefile b/src/cmdhelp/Makefile
index 9a27d199..08966092 100644
--- a/src/cmdhelp/Makefile
+++ b/src/cmdhelp/Makefile
@@ -10,10 +10,10 @@ __all__.files: $(JSON_OBJECTS)  inverselist.$(OBJECT_SUFFIX)
 	touch $(ALLFLAGS)
 
 mkstubs$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX): mkstubs.cpp ../library/json.cpp ../library/utf8.cpp ../library/string.cpp ../library/hex.cpp  ../library/eatarg.cpp ../library/int24.cpp
-	$(HOSTCC) -g -std=gnu++0x -I../../include/library -o $@ $^  -lboost_regex$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX) -lboost_system$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX) -Wall
+	$(HOSTCC) -g -std=gnu++0x -I../../include/library -o $@ $^ $(HOSTHELPER_LDFLAGS) -Wall
 
 mkstubsi$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX): mkstubsi.cpp ../library/json.cpp ../library/utf8.cpp ../library/string.cpp ../library/hex.cpp  ../library/eatarg.cpp ../library/int24.cpp
-	$(HOSTCC) -g -std=gnu++0x -I../../include/library -o $@ $^  -lboost_regex$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX) -lboost_system$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX) -Wall
+	$(HOSTCC) -g -std=gnu++0x -I../../include/library -o $@ $^  $(HOSTHELPER_LDFLAGS) -Wall
 
 inverselist.cpp: $(JSON_FILES) mkstubsi$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX)
 	./mkstubsi$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX) $^
diff --git a/src/emulation/Makefile b/src/emulation/Makefile
index 8464066a..8b50fcf3 100644
--- a/src/emulation/Makefile
+++ b/src/emulation/Makefile
@@ -9,7 +9,7 @@ __all__.files: $(CORES_FILES)
 	cat $(CORES_FLAGS) >$(ALLFLAGS)
 
 make-ports$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX): make-ports.cpp ../library/json.cpp ../library/utf8.cpp ../library/string.cpp ../library/portctrl-parse.cpp ../library/portctrl-data.cpp ../library/sha256.cpp ../library/assembler.cpp  ../library/hex.cpp  ../library/eatarg.cpp ../library/int24.cpp ../library/binarystream.cpp ../library/integer-pool.cpp
-	$(HOSTCC) -g -std=gnu++0x -I../../include/library -o $@ $^  -lboost_regex$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX) -lboost_system$(HOST_BOOST_POSTFIX) -Wall -DNO_ASM_GENERATION
+	$(HOSTCC) -g -std=gnu++0x -I../../include/library -o $@ $^  $(HOSTHELPER_LDFLAGS) -Wall -DNO_ASM_GENERATION
 
 bsnes-legacy/$(ALLFILES): forcelook make-ports$(DOT_EXECUTABLE_SUFFIX)
 	$(MAKE) -C bsnes-legacy
diff --git a/src/library/string.cpp b/src/library/string.cpp
index ef592935..6f0c0f7a 100644
--- a/src/library/string.cpp
+++ b/src/library/string.cpp
@@ -3,9 +3,17 @@
 #include "threads.hpp"
 #include "eatarg.hpp"
 #include <cctype>
-#include <boost/regex.hpp>
 #include "map-pointer.hpp"
 
+#ifdef USE_BOOST_REGEX
+#include <boost/regex.hpp>
+namespace regex_ns = boost;
+#else
+#include <regex>
+namespace regex_ns = std;
+#endif
+
+
 std::string strip_CR(const std::string& str)
 {
 	std::string x = str;
@@ -88,11 +96,11 @@ regex_results regex(const std::string& regexp, const std::string& str, const cha
 {
 	static threads::lock m;
 	threads::alock h(m);
-	static std::map<std::string, map_pointer<boost::regex>> regexps;
+	static std::map<std::string, map_pointer<regex_ns::regex>> regexps;
 	if(!regexps.count(regexp)) {
-		boost::regex* y = NULL;
+		regex_ns::regex* y = NULL;
 		try {
-			y = new boost::regex(regexp, boost::regex::extended & ~boost::regex::collate);
+			y = new regex_ns::regex(regexp, regex_ns::regex::extended & ~regex_ns::regex::collate);
 			regexps[regexp] = y;
 		} catch(std::bad_alloc& e) {
 			delete y;
@@ -102,8 +110,8 @@ regex_results regex(const std::string& regexp, const std::string& str, const cha
 		}
 	}
 
-	boost::smatch matches;
-	bool x = boost::regex_match(str.begin(), str.end(), matches, *(regexps[regexp]));
+	regex_ns::smatch matches;
+	bool x = regex_ns::regex_match(str.begin(), str.end(), matches, *(regexps[regexp]));
 	if(x) {
 		std::vector<std::string> res;
 		std::vector<std::pair<size_t, size_t>> mch;
@@ -123,7 +131,7 @@ bool regex_match(const std::string& regexp, const std::string& str, enum regex_m
 	throw(std::bad_alloc, std::runtime_error)
 {
 	static threads::lock m;
-	static std::map<std::string, map_pointer<boost::regex>> regexps;
+	static std::map<std::string, map_pointer<regex_ns::regex>> regexps;
 	static std::map<std::pair<regex_match_mode, std::string> , std::pair<std::string, bool>> transform_cache;
 	std::string _regexp;
 	bool icase = false;
@@ -176,12 +184,12 @@ transformed:
 		transform_cache[key] = std::make_pair(_regexp, icase);
 
 	if(!regexps.count(regexp)) {
-		boost::regex* y = NULL;
-		auto flags = boost::regex::extended & ~boost::regex::collate;
-		flags |= boost::regex::nosubs;
-		if(icase) flags |= boost::regex::icase;
+		regex_ns::regex* y = NULL;
+		auto flags = regex_ns::regex::extended & ~regex_ns::regex::collate;
+		flags |= regex_ns::regex::nosubs;
+		if(icase) flags |= regex_ns::regex::icase;
 		try {
-			y = new boost::regex(_regexp, flags);
+			y = new regex_ns::regex(_regexp, flags);
 			regexps[_regexp] = y;
 		} catch(std::bad_alloc& e) {
 			delete y;
@@ -190,7 +198,7 @@ transformed:
 			throw std::runtime_error(e.what());
 		}
 	}
-	return boost::regex_match(str.begin(), str.end(), *(regexps[_regexp]));
+	return regex_ns::regex_match(str.begin(), str.end(), *(regexps[_regexp]));
 }
 
 namespace