diff --git a/api.search/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtil.java b/api.search/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtil.java
--- a/api.search/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtil.java
+++ b/api.search/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtil.java
@@ -132,8 +132,10 @@
             throws PatternSyntaxException {
 
         assert expr != null;
-
-        return Pattern.compile(makeMultiRegexp(expr),
+        String extendedExpr = expr.matches("^[\\w-]*$") //NOI18N
+                ? "*" + expr + "*" //NOI18N
+                : expr;
+        return Pattern.compile(makeMultiRegexp(extendedExpr),
                 Pattern.CASE_INSENSITIVE);
 
     }
diff --git a/api.search/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtilTest.java b/api.search/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtilTest.java
new file mode 100644
--- /dev/null
+++ b/api.search/test/unit/src/org/netbeans/api/search/RegexpUtilTest.java
@@ -0,0 +1,77 @@
+/*
+ * DO NOT ALTER OR REMOVE COPYRIGHT NOTICES OR THIS HEADER.
+ *
+ * Copyright 2013 Oracle and/or its affiliates. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates.
+ * Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.
+ *
+ * The contents of this file are subject to the terms of either the GNU
+ * General Public License Version 2 only ("GPL") or the Common
+ * Development and Distribution License("CDDL") (collectively, the
+ * "License"). You may not use this file except in compliance with the
+ * License. You can obtain a copy of the License at
+ * http://www.netbeans.org/cddl-gplv2.html
+ * or nbbuild/licenses/CDDL-GPL-2-CP. See the License for the
+ * specific language governing permissions and limitations under the
+ * License.  When distributing the software, include this License Header
+ * Notice in each file and include the License file at
+ * nbbuild/licenses/CDDL-GPL-2-CP.  Oracle designates this
+ * particular file as subject to the "Classpath" exception as provided
+ * by Oracle in the GPL Version 2 section of the License file that
+ * accompanied this code. If applicable, add the following below the
+ * License Header, with the fields enclosed by brackets [] replaced by
+ * your own identifying information:
+ * "Portions Copyrighted [year] [name of copyright owner]"
+ *
+ * If you wish your version of this file to be governed by only the CDDL
+ * or only the GPL Version 2, indicate your decision by adding
+ * "[Contributor] elects to include this software in this distribution
+ * under the [CDDL or GPL Version 2] license." If you do not indicate a
+ * single choice of license, a recipient has the option to distribute
+ * your version of this file under either the CDDL, the GPL Version 2 or
+ * to extend the choice of license to its licensees as provided above.
+ * However, if you add GPL Version 2 code and therefore, elected the GPL
+ * Version 2 license, then the option applies only if the new code is
+ * made subject to such option by the copyright holder.
+ *
+ * Contributor(s):
+ *
+ * Portions Copyrighted 2013 Sun Microsystems, Inc.
+ */
+package org.netbeans.api.search;
+
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+import static org.junit.Assert.*;
+import org.junit.Test;
+
+/**
+ *
+ * @author jhavlin
+ */
+public class RegexpUtilTest {
+
+    @Test
+    public void testExtendingSimplePattern() {
+        SearchScopeOptions opts = SearchScopeOptions.create("Test", false);
+        Pattern p = RegexpUtil.makeFileNamePattern(opts);
+        assertTrue(p.matcher("Test").matches());
+        assertTrue(p.matcher("Test.tst").matches());
+        assertTrue(p.matcher("MyTest").matches());
+        assertTrue(p.matcher("SomeTest.tst").matches());
+        assertFalse(p.matcher("SomeTeest.tst").matches());
+
+        SearchScopeOptions opts2 = SearchScopeOptions.create("Test.*", false);
+        Pattern p2 = RegexpUtil.makeFileNamePattern(opts2);
+        assertFalse(p2.matcher("Test").matches());
+        assertTrue(p2.matcher("Test.tst").matches());
+        assertFalse(p2.matcher("MyTest").matches());
+        assertFalse(p2.matcher("SomeTest.tst").matches());
+        assertFalse(p2.matcher("SomeTeest.tst").matches());
+
+        SearchScopeOptions opts3 = SearchScopeOptions.create(".test", false);
+        Pattern p3 = RegexpUtil.makeFileNamePattern(opts3);
+        assertTrue(p3.matcher(".test").matches());
+        assertFalse(p3.matcher(".test.t").matches());
+    }
+}