diff --git a/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.cpp b/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.cpp
index 24fe9521..42cb87d6 100644
--- a/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.cpp
+++ b/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.cpp
@@ -1,139 +1,136 @@
 /*
     This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
     as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
     of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
 
     This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
     but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
     MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
     GNU General Public License for more details.
 
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
     Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
     Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 
     ---
     Copyright (C) 2013 Filipe Saraiva <filipe@kde.org>
  */
 
 #include "pythonhighlighter.h"
 #include "pythonkeywords.h"
 #include "pythonsession.h"
 
 #include <QTextEdit>
 #include <QDebug>
 
 PythonHighlighter::PythonHighlighter(QObject* parent, PythonSession* session) : Cantor::DefaultHighlighter(parent, session)
 {
     qDebug() << "PythonHighlighter constructor";
     addRule(QRegularExpression(QStringLiteral("\\b\\w+(?=\\()")), functionFormat());
 
     //Code highlighting the different keywords
     addKeywords(PythonKeywords::instance()->keywords());
     addFunctions(PythonKeywords::instance()->functions());
     addVariables(PythonKeywords::instance()->variables());
 }
 
 void PythonHighlighter::highlightBlock(const QString &text)
 {
     if (skipHighlighting(text)) {
         return;
     }
 
     // Do some backend independent highlighting (brackets etc.)
     DefaultHighlighter::highlightBlock(text);
 
     const int IN_MULTILINE_COMMENT = 1;
     const int IN_SMALL_QUOTE_STRING = 2;
     const int IN_SINGLE_QUOTE_STRING = 4;
     const int IN_TRIPLE_QUOTE_STRING = 8;
 
-    QRegExp multiLineCommentStartEnd(QLatin1String("'''"));
-    QRegExp smallQuoteStartEnd(QLatin1String("'"));
-    QRegExp singleQuoteStringStartEnd(QLatin1String("\""));
-    QRegExp tripleQuoteStringStartEnd(QLatin1String("\"\"\""));
-    QRegExp singleLineCommentStart(QLatin1String("#"));
+    static const QRegularExpression multiLineCommentStartEnd(QStringLiteral("'''"));
+    static const QRegularExpression smallQuoteStartEnd(QStringLiteral("'"));
+    static const QRegularExpression singleQuoteStringStartEnd(QStringLiteral("\""));
+    static const QRegularExpression tripleQuoteStringStartEnd(QStringLiteral("\"\"\""));
+    static const QRegularExpression singleLineCommentStart(QStringLiteral("#"));
 
     int state = previousBlockState();
     if (state == -1) {
         state = 0;
     }
 
     QList<int> flags = {
         IN_TRIPLE_QUOTE_STRING,
         IN_SINGLE_QUOTE_STRING,
         IN_SMALL_QUOTE_STRING,
         IN_MULTILINE_COMMENT
     };
-    QList<QRegExp> regexps = {
+    const QVector<QRegularExpression> regexps = {
         tripleQuoteStringStartEnd,
         singleQuoteStringStartEnd,
         smallQuoteStartEnd,
         multiLineCommentStartEnd
     };
     QList<QTextCharFormat> formats = {
         stringFormat(),
         stringFormat(),
         stringFormat(),
         commentFormat()
     };
 
     int pos = 0;
     while (pos < text.length()) {
         // Trying to close current environments
         bool triggered = false;
         for (int i = 0; i < flags.size() && !triggered; i++) {
             int flag = flags[i];
-            QRegExp &regexp = regexps[i];
             QTextCharFormat &format = formats[i];
             if (state & flag) {
-                int new_pos = regexp.indexIn(text, pos);
+                const QRegularExpressionMatch match = regexps.at(i).match(text, pos);
                 int length;
-                if (new_pos == -1) {
+                if (!match.hasMatch()) {
                     length = text.length() - pos;
-                } else {
-                    length = new_pos - pos + regexp.matchedLength();
+                } else { // found a match
+                    length = match.capturedStart(0) - pos + match.capturedLength(0);
                     state -= flag;
                 }
                 setFormat(pos, length, format);
                 pos = pos + length;
                 triggered = true;
             }
         }
         if (triggered) {
             continue;
         }
 
-        QRegExp *minRegexp = nullptr;
+        QRegularExpressionMatch minMatch;
         int minPos = INT_MAX;
         int minIdx = -1;
         for (int i = 0; i < regexps.size(); i++) {
-            QRegExp &regexp = regexps[i];
-            int newPos = regexp.indexIn(text, pos);
-            if (newPos != -1) {
-                minPos = qMin(minPos, newPos);
-                minRegexp = &regexp;
+            const QRegularExpressionMatch match = regexps.at(i).match(text, pos);
+            if (match.hasMatch()) {
+                minPos = qMin(minPos, match.capturedStart(0));
                 minIdx = i;
+                minMatch = match;
             }
         }
 
-        int singleLineCommentStartPos =
-        singleLineCommentStart.indexIn(text, pos);
+        const int singleLineCommentStartPos = text.indexOf(singleLineCommentStart, pos);
 
         if (singleLineCommentStartPos != -1
             && singleLineCommentStartPos < minPos) {
             setFormat(singleLineCommentStartPos, text.length() - singleLineCommentStartPos, commentFormat());
         break;
-            } else if (minRegexp) {
+            } else if (minMatch.hasMatch()) {
                 state += flags[minIdx];
-                pos = minPos +  minRegexp->matchedLength();
-                setFormat(minPos, minRegexp->matchedLength(), formats[minIdx]);
+                pos = minPos + minMatch.capturedLength(0);
+                setFormat(minPos, minMatch.capturedLength(0), formats[minIdx]);
             } else {
                 break;
             }
     }
 
     setCurrentBlockState(state);
 }
diff --git a/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.h b/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.h
index 9bb1804d..6907bc99 100644
--- a/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.h
+++ b/src/backends/python/pythonhighlighter.h
@@ -1,43 +1,45 @@
 /*
     This program is free software; you can redistribute it and/or
     modify it under the terms of the GNU General Public License
     as published by the Free Software Foundation; either version 2
     of the License, or (at your option) any later version.
 
     This program is distributed in the hope that it will be useful,
     but WITHOUT ANY WARRANTY; without even the implied warranty of
     MERCHANTABILITY or FITNESS FOR A PARTICULAR PURPOSE.  See the
     GNU General Public License for more details.
 
     You should have received a copy of the GNU General Public License
     along with this program; if not, write to the Free Software
     Foundation, Inc., 51 Franklin Street, Fifth Floor,
     Boston, MA  02110-1301, USA.
 
     ---
     Copyright (C) 2013 Filipe Saraiva <filipe@kde.org>
  */
 
 #ifndef _PYTHONHIGHLIGHTER_H
 #define _PYTHONHIGHLIGHTER_H
 
+#include <QRegularExpression>
+
 #include "defaulthighlighter.h"
 class PythonSession;
 
 class PythonHighlighter : public Cantor::DefaultHighlighter
 {
     Q_OBJECT
 
   public:
     explicit PythonHighlighter(QObject* parent, PythonSession* session);
     ~PythonHighlighter() override = default;
 
   protected:
     void highlightBlock(const QString& text) override;
 
   private:
-     QRegExp commentStartExpression;
-     QRegExp commentEndExpression;
+     QRegularExpression commentStartExpression;
+     QRegularExpression commentEndExpression;
 };
 
 #endif /* _PYTHONHIGHLIGHTER_H */