diff --git a/contrib/mandoc/mansearch.c b/contrib/mandoc/mansearch.c
index 784c17bee714..7fcf82928b87 100644
--- a/contrib/mandoc/mansearch.c
+++ b/contrib/mandoc/mansearch.c
@@ -774,7 +774,13 @@ exprterm(const struct mansearch *search, int argc, char *argv[], int *argi)
 		cs = 0;
 	} else if ((val = strpbrk(argv[*argi], "=~")) == NULL) {
 		e->bits = TYPE_Nm | TYPE_Nd;
+#ifdef __FreeBSD__
+		/* FreeBSD uses regex search by default */
+		e->match.type = DBM_REGEX;
+		val = argv[*argi];
+#else
 		e->match.type = DBM_SUB;
+#endif
 		e->match.str = argv[*argi];
 	} else {
 		if (val == argv[*argi])