diff --git a/eos/db/__init__.py b/eos/db/__init__.py
index 9119ab4aa..c453f47bc 100644
--- a/eos/db/__init__.py
+++ b/eos/db/__init__.py
@@ -17,24 +17,32 @@
 # along with eos.  If not, see <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 # ===============================================================================
 
+import re
 import threading
 
-from sqlalchemy import MetaData, create_engine
+from sqlalchemy import MetaData, create_engine, event
 from sqlalchemy.orm import sessionmaker
 
 from . import migration
 from eos import config
 from logbook import Logger
 
+
 pyfalog = Logger(__name__)
 pyfalog.info("Initializing database")
 pyfalog.info("Gamedata connection: {0}", config.gamedata_connectionstring)
 pyfalog.info("Saveddata connection: {0}", config.saveddata_connectionstring)
 
+
 class ReadOnlyException(Exception):
     pass
 
 
+def re_fn(expr, item):
+    reg = re.compile(expr, re.IGNORECASE)
+    return reg.search(item) is not None
+
+
 pyfalog.debug('Initializing gamedata')
 gamedata_connectionstring = config.gamedata_connectionstring
 if callable(gamedata_connectionstring):
@@ -42,6 +50,12 @@ if callable(gamedata_connectionstring):
 else:
     gamedata_engine = create_engine(gamedata_connectionstring, echo=config.debug)
 
+
+@event.listens_for(gamedata_engine, 'connect')
+def create_functions(dbapi_connection, connection_record):
+    dbapi_connection.create_function('regexp', 2, re_fn)
+
+
 gamedata_meta = MetaData()
 gamedata_meta.bind = gamedata_engine
 gamedata_session = sessionmaker(bind=gamedata_engine, autoflush=False, expire_on_commit=False)()