diff --git a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_textbox.inc.php b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_textbox.inc.php
index 5ff4ff651e..d3912d89b2 100644
--- a/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_textbox.inc.php
+++ b/etemplate/inc/class.etemplate_widget_textbox.inc.php
@@ -97,7 +97,7 @@ class etemplate_widget_textbox extends etemplate_widget
 	 * - needed: value must NOT be empty
 	 * - min, max: int and float widget only
 	 * - maxlength: maximum length of string (longer strings get truncated to allowed size)
-	 * - preg: perl regular expression incl. delimiters (set by default for int, float and colorpicker)
+	 * - validator: perl regular expression incl. delimiters (set by default for int, float and colorpicker)
 	 * - int and float get casted to their type
 	 *
 	 * @param string $cname current namespace
@@ -112,18 +112,19 @@ class etemplate_widget_textbox extends etemplate_widget
 
 		if (!$this->is_readonly($cname, $form_name))
 		{
-			if (!isset($this->attrs['preg']))
+			if (!isset($this->attrs['validator']))
 			{
 				switch($this->type)
 				{
+					case 'int':
 					case 'integer':
-						$this->attrs['preg'] = '/^-?[0-9]*$/';
+						$this->attrs['validator'] = '/^-?[0-9]*$/';
 						break;
 					case 'float':
-						$this->attrs['preg'] = '/^-?[0-9]*[,.]?[0-9]*$/';
+						$this->attrs['validator'] = '/^-?[0-9]*[,.]?[0-9]*$/';
 						break;
 					case 'colorpicker':
-						$this->attrs['preg'] = '/^(#[0-9a-f]{6}|)$/i';
+						$this->attrs['validator'] = '/^(#[0-9a-f]{6}|)$/i';
 						break;
 				}
 			}
@@ -150,7 +151,7 @@ class etemplate_widget_textbox extends etemplate_widget
 			{
 				$value = mb_substr($value,0,(int) $this->attrs['maxlength']);
 			}
-			if ($this->attrs['preg'] && !preg_match($this->attrs['preg'],$value))
+			if ($this->attrs['validator'] && !preg_match($this->attrs['validator'],$value))
 			{
 				switch($this->type)
 				{
@@ -161,7 +162,7 @@ class etemplate_widget_textbox extends etemplate_widget
 						self::set_validation_error($form_name,lang("'%1' is not a valid floatingpoint number !!!",$value),'');
 						break;
 					default:
-						self::set_validation_error($form_name,lang("'%1' has an invalid format !!!",$value)/*." !preg_match('$this->attrs[preg]', '$value')"*/,'');
+						self::set_validation_error($form_name,lang("'%1' has an invalid format !!!",$value)/*." !preg_match('$this->attrs[validator]', '$value')"*/,'');
 						break;
 				}
 			}
diff --git a/etemplate/js/et2_core_phpExpressionCompiler.js b/etemplate/js/et2_core_phpExpressionCompiler.js
index 44532fa656..63dbabe2ba 100644
--- a/etemplate/js/et2_core_phpExpressionCompiler.js
+++ b/etemplate/js/et2_core_phpExpressionCompiler.js
@@ -70,6 +70,12 @@
 								str += '$';
 								break;
 							}
+							// check for regular expression "/  $/"
+							if (_p.expr.charAt(_p.pos) == _p.expr.charAt(0))
+							{
+								str += '$';
+								break;
+							}
 							if (str)
 							{
 								_tree.push(str); str = "";
diff --git a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_textbox.js b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_textbox.js
index 24a059e172..9559fd01db 100644
--- a/etemplate/js/et2_widget_textbox.js
+++ b/etemplate/js/et2_widget_textbox.js
@@ -62,10 +62,16 @@ var et2_textbox = et2_inputWidget.extend(
 			"type": "integer",
 			"default": -1,
 			"description": "Multiline field width - better to use CSS"
+		},
+		"validator": {
+			"name": "Validator",
+			"type": "string",
+			"default": et2_no_init,
+			"description": "Perl regular expression eg. '/^[0-9][a-f]{4}$/i'"
 		}
 	},
 
-	legacyOptions: ["size", "maxlength"],
+	legacyOptions: ["size", "maxlength", "validator"],
 
 	/**
 	 * Constructor
@@ -126,6 +132,37 @@ var et2_textbox = et2_inputWidget.extend(
 		return this._super.apply(this, arguments);
 	},
 
+	/**
+	 * Clientside validation using regular expression in "validator" attribute
+	 *
+	 * @param {array} _messages
+	 */
+	isValid: function(_messages)
+	{
+		var ok = true;
+		// Check input is valid
+		if(this.options && this.options.validator && !this.options.readonly)
+		{
+			if (typeof this.options.validator == 'string')
+			{
+				var parts = this.options.validator.split('/');
+				var flags = parts.pop();
+				if (parts.length < 2 || parts[0] !== '')
+				{
+					_messages.push(this.egw().lang("'%1' has an invalid format !!!", this.options.validator));
+					return false;	// show invalid expression
+				}
+				parts.shift();
+				this.options.validator = new RegExp(parts.join('/'), flags);
+			}
+			var value = this.getValue();
+			if (!(ok = this.options.validator.test(value)))
+			{
+				_messages.push(this.egw().lang("'%1' has an invalid format !!!", value));
+			}
+		}
+		return this._super.apply(this, arguments) && ok;
+	},
 
 	/**
 	 * Set input widget size