diff --git a/src/backend/regex/regcomp.c b/src/backend/regex/regcomp.c
index eb1f3d57a8..8cd7d56b22 100644
--- a/src/backend/regex/regcomp.c
+++ b/src/backend/regex/regcomp.c
@@ -1155,7 +1155,10 @@ parseqatom(struct vars *v,
 		/* rest of branch can be strung starting from atom->end */
 		s2 = atom->end;
 	}
-	else if (m == 1 && n == 1)
+	else if (m == 1 && n == 1 &&
+			 (qprefer == 0 ||
+			  (atom->flags & (LONGER | SHORTER | MIXED)) == 0 ||
+			  qprefer == (atom->flags & (LONGER | SHORTER | MIXED))))
 	{
 		/* no/vacuous quantifier:  done */
 		EMPTYARC(s, atom->begin);	/* empty prefix */
diff --git a/src/test/regress/expected/regex.out b/src/test/regress/expected/regex.out
index 79a7fa7a84..f0a68ba658 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/expected/regex.out
+++ b/src/test/regress/expected/regex.out
@@ -492,6 +492,55 @@ select regexp_matches('foo/bar/baz',
  {foo,bar,baz}
 (1 row)
 
+-- Test that greediness can be overridden by outer quantifier
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*)(.*)(f*)$');
+ regexp_matches 
+----------------
+ {ll,mmmfff,""}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*){1,1}(.*)(f*)$');
+ regexp_matches 
+----------------
+ {ll,mmmfff,""}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*){1,1}?(.*)(f*)$');
+  regexp_matches  
+------------------
+ {"",llmmmfff,""}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*){1,1}?(.*){1,1}?(f*)$');
+ regexp_matches 
+----------------
+ {"",llmmm,fff}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?)(.*)(f*)$');
+  regexp_matches  
+------------------
+ {"",llmmmfff,""}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?){1,1}(.*)(f*)$');
+ regexp_matches 
+----------------
+ {ll,mmmfff,""}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?){1,1}?(.*)(f*)$');
+  regexp_matches  
+------------------
+ {"",llmmmfff,""}
+(1 row)
+
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?){1,1}?(.*){1,1}?(f*)$');
+ regexp_matches 
+----------------
+ {"",llmmm,fff}
+(1 row)
+
 -- Test for infinite loop in cfindloop with zero-length possible match
 -- but no actual match (can only happen in the presence of backrefs)
 select 'a' ~ '$()|^\1';
diff --git a/src/test/regress/sql/regex.sql b/src/test/regress/sql/regex.sql
index 1361b62570..a1742240c4 100644
--- a/src/test/regress/sql/regex.sql
+++ b/src/test/regress/sql/regex.sql
@@ -118,6 +118,16 @@ select regexp_matches('Programmer', '(\w)(.*?\1)', 'g');
 select regexp_matches('foo/bar/baz',
                       '^([^/]+?)(?:/([^/]+?))(?:/([^/]+?))?$', '');
 
+-- Test that greediness can be overridden by outer quantifier
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*)(.*)(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*){1,1}(.*)(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*){1,1}?(.*)(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*){1,1}?(.*){1,1}?(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?)(.*)(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?){1,1}(.*)(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?){1,1}?(.*)(f*)$');
+select regexp_matches('llmmmfff', '^(l*?){1,1}?(.*){1,1}?(f*)$');
+
 -- Test for infinite loop in cfindloop with zero-length possible match
 -- but no actual match (can only happen in the presence of backrefs)
 select 'a' ~ '$()|^\1';