diff --git a/src/backends/lua/luahighlighter.cpp b/src/backends/lua/luahighlighter.cpp
--- a/src/backends/lua/luahighlighter.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/lua/luahighlighter.cpp
@@ -28,8 +28,8 @@
     addVariables( luahelper_variables() );
 
     addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("[A-Za-z0-9_]+(?=\\()"))    , functionFormat());
-    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\".*\""))                  , stringFormat());
-    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'.*'"))                    , stringFormat());
+    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\"[^\"]*\""))              , stringFormat());
+    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'[^\'].*'"))               , stringFormat());
     addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("--[^\n]*"))                , commentFormat());
     // did not add support for the multiline comment or multiline string
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/octave/octavehighlighter.cpp b/src/backends/octave/octavehighlighter.cpp
--- a/src/backends/octave/octavehighlighter.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/octave/octavehighlighter.cpp
@@ -42,8 +42,8 @@
   m_keywords << QLatin1String("end");
   addKeywords(m_keywords);
 
-  addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\".*\"")), stringFormat());
-  addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'.*'")), stringFormat());
+  addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\"[^\"]*\"")), stringFormat());
+  addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'[^']*'")), stringFormat());
 
   rehighlight();
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/sage/sagehighlighter.cpp b/src/backends/sage/sagehighlighter.cpp
--- a/src/backends/sage/sagehighlighter.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/sage/sagehighlighter.cpp
@@ -73,8 +73,8 @@
                      << QLatin1String("Warning") << QLatin1String("WindowsError") << QLatin1String("ZeroDivisionError");
     addRules(exceptionPatterns, objectFormat());
 
-    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\".*\"")), stringFormat());
-    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'.*'")), stringFormat());
+    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\"[^\"]*\"")), stringFormat());
+    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'[^']*'")), stringFormat());
     addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("#[^\n]*")), commentFormat());
 }
 
diff --git a/src/backends/scilab/scilabhighlighter.cpp b/src/backends/scilab/scilabhighlighter.cpp
--- a/src/backends/scilab/scilabhighlighter.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/scilab/scilabhighlighter.cpp
@@ -38,8 +38,8 @@
     addFunctions(ScilabKeywords::instance()->functions());
     addVariables(ScilabKeywords::instance()->variables());
 
-    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\".*\"")), stringFormat());
-    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'.*'")), stringFormat());
+    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\"[^\"]*\"")), stringFormat());
+    addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("'[^']*'")), stringFormat());
     addRule(QRegExp(QLatin1String("//[^\n]*")), commentFormat());
 
     commentStartExpression = QRegExp(QLatin1String("/\\*"));