diff --git a/include/common/regex.h b/include/common/regex.h
index 762eb56f2..58b9dc14a 100644
--- a/include/common/regex.h
+++ b/include/common/regex.h
@@ -29,6 +29,12 @@
 #ifdef USE_PCRE
 #include <pcre.h>
 #include <pcreposix.h>
+
+/* For pre-8.20 PCRE compatibility */
+#ifndef PCRE_STUDY_JIT_COMPILE
+#define PCRE_STUDY_JIT_COMPILE 0
+#endif
+
 #else /* no PCRE */
 #include <regex.h>
 #endif
@@ -129,9 +135,14 @@ int regex_exec_match2(const struct my_regex *preg, char *subject, int length,
 static inline void regex_free(struct my_regex *preg) {
 #if defined(USE_PCRE) || defined(USE_PCRE_JIT)
 	pcre_free(preg->reg);
-#ifdef USE_PCRE_JIT
+/* PCRE < 8.20 requires pcre_free() while >= 8.20 requires pcre_study_free(),
+ * which is easily detected using PCRE_CONFIG_JIT.
+ */
+#ifdef PCRE_CONFIG_JIT
 	pcre_free_study(preg->extra);
-#endif
+#else /* PCRE_CONFIG_JIT */
+	pcre_free(preg->extra);
+#endif /* PCRE_CONFIG_JIT */
 #else
 	regfree(&preg->regex);
 #endif
diff --git a/src/regex.c b/src/regex.c
index c0b23cb12..760a1eda4 100644
--- a/src/regex.c
+++ b/src/regex.c
@@ -288,16 +288,12 @@ int regex_comp(const char *str, struct my_regex *regex, int cs, int cap, char **
 		return 0;
 	}
 
-#ifdef USE_PCRE_JIT
 	regex->extra = pcre_study(regex->reg, PCRE_STUDY_JIT_COMPILE, &error);
 	if (!regex->extra && error != NULL) {
 		pcre_free(regex->reg);
 		memprintf(err, "failed to compile regex '%s' (error=%s)", str, error);
 		return 0;
 	}
-#else
-	regex->extra = NULL;
-#endif
 #else
 	int flags = REG_EXTENDED;