diff --git a/libutils/json-pcre.h b/libutils/json-pcre.h
index 1a06ddbf..ecae5404 100644
--- a/libutils/json-pcre.h
+++ b/libutils/json-pcre.h
@@ -8,6 +8,6 @@
 #include <regex.h>
 
 JsonElement *StringCaptureData(
-    const pcre2_code *regex, const char *pattern, const char *data);
+    const Regex *regex, const char *pattern, const char *data);
 
 #endif
diff --git a/libutils/json.c b/libutils/json.c
index 67c327dd..7310d205 100644
--- a/libutils/json.c
+++ b/libutils/json.c
@@ -2933,7 +2933,7 @@ bool JsonErrorVisitor(ARG_UNUSED JsonElement *element, ARG_UNUSED void *data)
 // takes either a pre-compiled pattern OR a regex (one of the two shouldn't be
 // NULL)
 JsonElement *StringCaptureData(
-    const pcre2_code *const regex, const char *const pattern, const char *const data)
+    const Regex *const regex, const char *const pattern, const char *const data)
 {
     assert(regex != NULL || pattern != NULL);
     assert(data != NULL);
diff --git a/libutils/regex.c b/libutils/regex.c
index 2e9fc450..c1b49831 100644
--- a/libutils/regex.c
+++ b/libutils/regex.c
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@
 
 #include <buffer.h>
 
-pcre2_code *CompileRegex(const char *pattern)
+Regex *CompileRegex(const char *pattern)
 {
     int err_code;
     size_t err_offset;
@@ -61,7 +61,11 @@ pcre2_code *CompileRegex(const char *pattern)
     return NULL;
 }
 
-bool StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *str,
+void RegexDestroy(Regex *regex) {
+    pcre2_code_free(regex);
+}
+
+bool StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(const Regex *regex, const char *str,
                                      size_t *start, size_t *end)
 {
     assert(regex != NULL);
@@ -101,7 +105,7 @@ bool StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *str,
 
 bool StringMatch(const char *pattern, const char *str, size_t *start, size_t *end)
 {
-    pcre2_code *regex = CompileRegex(pattern);
+    Regex *regex = CompileRegex(pattern);
 
     if (regex == NULL)
     {
@@ -109,24 +113,24 @@ bool StringMatch(const char *pattern, const char *str, size_t *start, size_t *en
     }
 
     bool ret = StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(regex, str, start, end);
-    pcre2_code_free(regex);
+    RegexDestroy(regex);
     return ret;
 }
 
 bool StringMatchFull(const char *pattern, const char *str)
 {
-    pcre2_code *regex = CompileRegex(pattern);
+    Regex *regex = CompileRegex(pattern);
     if (regex == NULL)
     {
         return false;
     }
 
     bool ret = StringMatchFullWithPrecompiledRegex(regex, str);
-    pcre2_code_free(regex);
+    RegexDestroy(regex);
     return ret;
 }
 
-bool StringMatchFullWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *str)
+bool StringMatchFullWithPrecompiledRegex(const Regex *regex, const char *str)
 {
     size_t start;
     size_t end;
@@ -149,7 +153,7 @@ bool StringMatchFullWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *st
 
 // If return_names is not set, only the captured data is returned (so
 // for N captures you can expect N elements in the Sequence).
-Seq *StringMatchCapturesWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *str, const bool return_names)
+Seq *StringMatchCapturesWithPrecompiledRegex(const Regex *regex, const char *str, const bool return_names)
 {
     pcre2_match_data *match_data = pcre2_match_data_create_from_pattern(regex, NULL);
     int result = pcre2_match(regex, (PCRE2_SPTR) str, PCRE2_ZERO_TERMINATED,
@@ -289,7 +293,7 @@ bool CompareStringOrRegex(const char *value, const char *compareTo, bool regex)
  * This is a fast partial match function. It checks that the compiled rx matches
  * anywhere inside teststring. It does not allocate or free rx!
  */
-bool RegexPartialMatch(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *teststring)
+bool RegexPartialMatch(const Regex *regex, const char *teststring)
 {
     pcre2_match_data *md = pcre2_match_data_create_from_pattern(regex, NULL);
     int rc = pcre2_match(regex, (PCRE2_SPTR) teststring, PCRE2_ZERO_TERMINATED, 0, 0, md, NULL);
diff --git a/libutils/regex.h.in b/libutils/regex.h.in
index 100de335..0f55bf9d 100644
--- a/libutils/regex.h.in
+++ b/libutils/regex.h.in
@@ -39,20 +39,28 @@
 
 #include <sequence.h>                                           /* Seq */
 
+/**
+ * @note: The definition of the type Regex may change in the future, so code
+ *        using this header should avoid using pcre2_code and use Regex instead
+ *        and use RegexDestroy() instead of pcre2_code_free().
+ */
+typedef pcre2_code Regex;
+
 #define CFENGINE_REGEX_WHITESPACE_IN_CONTEXTS ".*[_A-Za-z0-9][ \\t]+[_A-Za-z0-9].*"
 
 /* Try to use CompileRegex() and StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(). */
-pcre2_code *CompileRegex(const char *pattern);
+Regex *CompileRegex(const char *pattern);
+void RegexDestroy(Regex *regex);
 bool StringMatch(const char *pattern, const char *str, size_t *start, size_t *end);
-bool StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *str,
+bool StringMatchWithPrecompiledRegex(const Regex *regex, const char *str,
                                      size_t *start, size_t *end);
 bool StringMatchFull(const char *pattern, const char *str);
-bool StringMatchFullWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *str);
+bool StringMatchFullWithPrecompiledRegex(const Regex *regex, const char *str);
 Seq *StringMatchCaptures(const char *pattern, const char *str, const bool return_names);
-Seq *StringMatchCapturesWithPrecompiledRegex(const pcre2_code *pattern, const char *str, const bool return_names);
+Seq *StringMatchCapturesWithPrecompiledRegex(const Regex *pattern, const char *str, const bool return_names);
 bool CompareStringOrRegex(const char *value, const char *compareTo, bool regex);
 
 /* Does not free rx! */
-bool RegexPartialMatch(const pcre2_code *regex, const char *teststring);
+bool RegexPartialMatch(const Regex *regex, const char *teststring);
 
 #endif  /* CFENGINE_REGEX_H */