diff --git a/src/plugins/sqldrivers/sqlite/qsql_sqlite.cpp b/src/plugins/sqldrivers/sqlite/qsql_sqlite.cpp
index 1cb0f10494..56eceeecbd 100644
--- a/src/plugins/sqldrivers/sqlite/qsql_sqlite.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/sqldrivers/sqlite/qsql_sqlite.cpp
@@ -51,6 +51,10 @@
 #include <qstringlist.h>
 #include <qvector.h>
 #include <qdebug.h>
+#ifndef QT_NO_REGULAREXPRESSION
+#include <qcache.h>
+#include <qregularexpression.h>
+#endif
 
 #if defined Q_OS_WIN
 # include <qt_windows.h>
@@ -556,6 +560,37 @@ QVariant QSQLiteResult::handle() const
 
 /////////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
+#ifndef QT_NO_REGULAREXPRESSION
+static void _q_regexp(sqlite3_context* context, int argc, sqlite3_value** argv)
+{
+    if (Q_UNLIKELY(argc != 2)) {
+        sqlite3_result_int(context, 0);
+        return;
+    }
+
+    const QString pattern = QString::fromUtf8(
+        reinterpret_cast<const char*>(sqlite3_value_text(argv[0])));
+    const QString subject = QString::fromUtf8(
+        reinterpret_cast<const char*>(sqlite3_value_text(argv[1])));
+
+    auto cache = static_cast<QCache<QString, QRegularExpression>*>(sqlite3_user_data(context));
+    QRegularExpression *regexp = cache->object(pattern);
+    if (!regexp) {
+        regexp = new QRegularExpression(pattern, QRegularExpression::DontCaptureOption
+                                        | QRegularExpression::OptimizeOnFirstUsageOption);
+        cache->insert(pattern, regexp);
+    }
+    const bool found = subject.contains(*regexp);
+
+    sqlite3_result_int(context, int(found));
+}
+
+static void _q_regexp_cleanup(void *cache)
+{
+    delete static_cast<QCache<QString, QRegularExpression>*>(cache);
+}
+#endif
+
 QSQLiteDriver::QSQLiteDriver(QObject * parent)
     : QSqlDriver(*new QSQLiteDriverPrivate, parent)
 {
@@ -615,6 +650,11 @@ bool QSQLiteDriver::open(const QString & db, const QString &, const QString &, c
     bool sharedCache = false;
     bool openReadOnlyOption = false;
     bool openUriOption = false;
+#ifndef QT_NO_REGULAREXPRESSION
+    static const QLatin1String regexpConnectOption = QLatin1String("QSQLITE_ENABLE_REGEXP");
+    bool defineRegexp = false;
+    int regexpCacheSize = 25;
+#endif
 
     const auto opts = conOpts.splitRef(QLatin1Char(';'));
     for (auto option : opts) {
@@ -634,6 +674,22 @@ bool QSQLiteDriver::open(const QString & db, const QString &, const QString &, c
         } else if (option == QLatin1String("QSQLITE_ENABLE_SHARED_CACHE")) {
             sharedCache = true;
         }
+#ifndef QT_NO_REGULAREXPRESSION
+        else if (option.startsWith(regexpConnectOption)) {
+            option = option.mid(regexpConnectOption.size()).trimmed();
+            if (option.isEmpty()) {
+                defineRegexp = true;
+            } else if (option.startsWith(QLatin1Char('='))) {
+                bool ok = false;
+                const int cacheSize = option.mid(1).trimmed().toInt(&ok);
+                if (ok) {
+                    defineRegexp = true;
+                    if (cacheSize > 0)
+                        regexpCacheSize = cacheSize;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+#endif
     }
 
     int openMode = (openReadOnlyOption ? SQLITE_OPEN_READONLY : (SQLITE_OPEN_READWRITE | SQLITE_OPEN_CREATE));
@@ -646,6 +702,13 @@ bool QSQLiteDriver::open(const QString & db, const QString &, const QString &, c
         sqlite3_busy_timeout(d->access, timeOut);
         setOpen(true);
         setOpenError(false);
+#ifndef QT_NO_REGULAREXPRESSION
+        if (defineRegexp) {
+            auto cache = new QCache<QString, QRegularExpression>(regexpCacheSize);
+            sqlite3_create_function_v2(d->access, "regexp", 2, SQLITE_UTF8, cache, &_q_regexp, NULL,
+                                       NULL, &_q_regexp_cleanup);
+        }
+#endif
         return true;
     } else {
         if (d->access) {
diff --git a/src/sql/doc/snippets/code/doc_src_sql-driver.cpp b/src/sql/doc/snippets/code/doc_src_sql-driver.cpp
index f25ad4f2b0..7983386642 100644
--- a/src/sql/doc/snippets/code/doc_src_sql-driver.cpp
+++ b/src/sql/doc/snippets/code/doc_src_sql-driver.cpp
@@ -90,3 +90,8 @@ qDebug() << q.value(0); // outputs the first RETURN/OUT value
 QSqlDatabase: QMYSQL driver not loaded
 QSqlDatabase: available drivers: QMYSQL
 //! [31]
+
+
+//! [34]
+column.contains(QRegularExpression("pattern"));
+//! [34]
diff --git a/src/sql/doc/src/sql-driver.qdoc b/src/sql/doc/src/sql-driver.qdoc
index 364d733e92..57a53006c4 100644
--- a/src/sql/doc/src/sql-driver.qdoc
+++ b/src/sql/doc/src/sql-driver.qdoc
@@ -568,6 +568,22 @@
 
     \snippet code/doc_src_sql-driver.qdoc 23
 
+    \section3 Enable REGEXP operator
+
+    SQLite comes with a REGEXP operation. However the needed implementation must
+    be provided by the user. For convenience a default implementation can be
+    enabled by \l{QSqlDatabase::setConnectOptions()} {setting the connect
+    option} \c{QSQLITE_ENABLE_REGEXP} before \l{QSqlDatabase::open()} {the
+    database connection is opened}. Then a SQL statement like "column REGEXP
+    'pattern'" basically expands to the Qt code
+
+    \snippet code/doc_src_sql-driver.cpp 34
+
+    For better performance the regular expressions are cached internally. By
+    default the cache size is 25, but it can be changed through the option's
+    value. For example passing "\c{QSQLITE_ENABLE_REGEXP=10}" reduces the
+    cache size to 10.
+
     \section3 QSQLITE File Format Compatibility
 
     SQLite minor releases sometimes break file format forward compatibility.
diff --git a/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp b/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp
index 0416215870..eb3a3c444d 100644
--- a/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp
+++ b/src/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase.cpp
@@ -1175,6 +1175,7 @@ QSqlRecord QSqlDatabase::record(const QString& tablename) const
     \li QSQLITE_OPEN_READONLY
     \li QSQLITE_OPEN_URI
     \li QSQLITE_ENABLE_SHARED_CACHE
+    \li QSQLITE_ENABLE_REGEXP
     \endlist
 
     \li
diff --git a/tests/auto/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase/tst_qsqldatabase.cpp b/tests/auto/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase/tst_qsqldatabase.cpp
index 8126e72ad2..a2e9140cc8 100644
--- a/tests/auto/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase/tst_qsqldatabase.cpp
+++ b/tests/auto/sql/kernel/qsqldatabase/tst_qsqldatabase.cpp
@@ -188,6 +188,9 @@ private slots:
     void sqlite_enable_cache_mode_data() { generic_data("QSQLITE"); }
     void sqlite_enable_cache_mode();
 
+    void sqlite_enableRegexp_data() { generic_data("QSQLITE"); }
+    void sqlite_enableRegexp();
+
 private:
     void createTestTables(QSqlDatabase db);
     void dropTestTables(QSqlDatabase db);
@@ -2259,5 +2262,33 @@ void tst_QSqlDatabase::sqlite_enable_cache_mode()
     db2.close();
 }
 
+void tst_QSqlDatabase::sqlite_enableRegexp()
+{
+    QFETCH(QString, dbName);
+    QSqlDatabase db = QSqlDatabase::database(dbName);
+    CHECK_DATABASE(db);
+    if (db.driverName().startsWith("QSQLITE2"))
+        QSKIP("SQLite3 specific test");
+
+    db.close();
+    db.setConnectOptions("QSQLITE_ENABLE_REGEXP");
+    QVERIFY_SQL(db, open());
+
+    QSqlQuery q(db);
+    const QString tableName(qTableName("uint_test", __FILE__, db));
+    QVERIFY_SQL(q, exec(QString("CREATE TABLE %1(text TEXT)").arg(tableName)));
+    QVERIFY_SQL(q, prepare(QString("INSERT INTO %1 VALUES(?)").arg(tableName)));
+    q.addBindValue("a0");
+    QVERIFY_SQL(q, exec());
+    q.addBindValue("a1");
+    QVERIFY_SQL(q, exec());
+
+    QVERIFY_SQL(q, exec(QString("SELECT text FROM %1 WHERE text REGEXP 'a[^0]' "
+                                "ORDER BY text").arg(tableName)));
+    QVERIFY_SQL(q, next());
+    QCOMPARE(q.value(0).toString(), QString("a1"));
+    QFAIL_SQL(q, next());
+}
+
 QTEST_MAIN(tst_QSqlDatabase)
 #include "tst_qsqldatabase.moc"