use re 'debug';
my $fudge = '.*';
my $judge = '\d';
print "$fudge eq $judge = @{[int( $fudge eq $judge )]}\n";
$judge =~ /$fudge/;
$judge =~ /\Q$fudge\E/;
__END__
.* eq \d = 0
Compiling REx ".*"
Final program:
   1: STAR (3)
   2:   REG_ANY (0)
   3: END (0)
anchored(MBOL) implicit minlen 0
Matching REx ".*" against "\d"
   0 <> <\d>                 |  1:STAR(3)
                                  REG_ANY can match 2 times out of 214
+7483647...
   2 <\d> <>                 |  3:  END(0)
Match successful!  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Compiling REx "\.\*"
Final program:
   1: EXACT <.*> (3)
   3: END (0)
anchored ".*" at 0 (checking anchored isall) minlen 2
Guessing start of match in sv for REx "\.\*" against "\d"
Did not find anchored substr ".*"...
Match rejected by optimizer  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<  <<<<<<<<<<<<<<<
Freeing REx: ".*"
Freeing REx: "\.\*"
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Thanks! That seems to be the fix based on some quick and dirty testing.