diff --git a/src/regex_impl.cc b/src/regex_impl.cc
index 605e9d36..1f8b492d 100644
--- a/src/regex_impl.cc
+++ b/src/regex_impl.cc
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ struct ParsedRegex
     {
         Literal,
         AnyChar,
+        AnyCharExceptNewLine,
         Class,
         CharacterType,
         Sequence,
@@ -296,14 +297,7 @@ private:
                 if (m_flags & Flags::DotMatchesNewLine)
                     return new_node(ParsedRegex::AnyChar);
                 else
-                {
-                    CharacterClass c;
-                    c.negative = true;
-                    c.ranges.push_back({ '\n', '\n' });
-                    auto class_id = m_parsed_regex.character_classes.size();
-                    m_parsed_regex.character_classes.push_back(std::move(c));
-                    return new_node(ParsedRegex::Class, class_id);
-                }
+                    return new_node(ParsedRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine);
             case '(':
             {
                 auto captures = [this, it = (++m_pos).base()]() mutable {
@@ -611,7 +605,8 @@ private:
         ForEachChild<>::apply(m_parsed_regex, index, [this](NodeIndex child_index) {
             auto& child = get_node(child_index);
             if (child.op != ParsedRegex::Literal and child.op != ParsedRegex::Class and
-                child.op != ParsedRegex::CharacterType and child.op != ParsedRegex::AnyChar)
+                child.op != ParsedRegex::CharacterType and child.op != ParsedRegex::AnyChar and
+                child.op != ParsedRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine)
                 parse_error("Lookaround can only contain literals, any chars or character classes");
             if (child.quantifier.type != ParsedRegex::Quantifier::One)
                 parse_error("Quantifiers cannot be used in lookarounds");
@@ -714,6 +709,9 @@ private:
             case ParsedRegex::AnyChar:
                 push_inst(CompiledRegex::AnyChar);
                 break;
+            case ParsedRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine:
+                push_inst(CompiledRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine);
+                break;
             case ParsedRegex::Class:
                 push_inst(CompiledRegex::Class, node.value);
                 break;
@@ -887,6 +885,8 @@ private:
                                                                 : character.value);
                 else if (character.op == ParsedRegex::AnyChar)
                     m_program.lookarounds.push_back(0xF000);
+                else if (character.op == ParsedRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine)
+                    m_program.lookarounds.push_back(0xF001);
                 else if (character.op == ParsedRegex::Class)
                     m_program.lookarounds.push_back(0xF0001 + character.value);
                 else if (character.op == ParsedRegex::CharacterType)
@@ -930,6 +930,13 @@ private:
                 for (auto& b : start_desc.map)
                     b = true;
                return node.quantifier.allows_none();
+            case ParsedRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine:
+                for (Codepoint cp = 0; cp < CompiledRegex::StartDesc::count; ++cp)
+                {
+                    if (cp != '\n')
+                        start_desc.map[cp] = true;
+                }
+               return node.quantifier.allows_none();
             case ParsedRegex::Class:
             {
                 auto& character_class = m_parsed_regex.character_classes[node.value];
@@ -1044,6 +1051,9 @@ String dump_regex(const CompiledRegex& program)
             case CompiledRegex::AnyChar:
                 res += "any char\n";
                 break;
+            case CompiledRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine:
+                res += "anything but newline\n";
+                break;
             case CompiledRegex::Jump:
                 res += format("jump {}\n", inst.param);
                 break;
diff --git a/src/regex_impl.hh b/src/regex_impl.hh
index 14d5bbfd..155eb7ac 100644
--- a/src/regex_impl.hh
+++ b/src/regex_impl.hh
@@ -59,6 +59,7 @@ struct CompiledRegex : RefCountable, UseMemoryDomain<MemoryDomain::Regex>
         Literal,
         Literal_IgnoreCase,
         AnyChar,
+        AnyCharExceptNewLine,
         Class,
         CharacterType,
         Jump,
@@ -322,6 +323,10 @@ private:
                     return StepResult::Failed;
                 case CompiledRegex::AnyChar:
                     return StepResult::Consumed;
+                case CompiledRegex::AnyCharExceptNewLine:
+                    if (pos != config.end and *pos != '\n')
+                        return StepResult::Consumed;
+                    return StepResult::Failed;
                 case CompiledRegex::Jump:
                     thread.inst = static_cast<int16_t>(inst.param);
                     break;
@@ -529,6 +534,11 @@ private:
             const Codepoint ref = *it;
             if (ref == 0xF000)
             {} // any character matches
+            else if (ref == 0xF001)
+            {
+                if (cp == '\n')
+                    return false;
+            }
             else if (ref > 0xF0000 and ref < 0xF8000)
             {
                 if (not is_character_class(m_program.character_classes[ref - 0xF0001], cp))