diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/selectorGenerator.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/selectorGenerator.ts
index 6e0fc548de..966ea15d7b 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/selectorGenerator.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/selectorGenerator.ts
@@ -43,6 +43,7 @@ const kRoleWithNameScore = 140;
 const kAltTextScore = 160;
 const kTextScore = 180;
 const kTitleScore = 200;
+const kTextScoreRegex = 250;
 const kPlaceholderScoreExact = kPlaceholderScore + kExactPenalty;
 const kLabelScoreExact = kLabelScore + kExactPenalty;
 const kRoleWithNameScoreExact = kRoleWithNameScore + kExactPenalty;
@@ -268,11 +269,10 @@ function buildTextCandidates(injectedScript: InjectedScript, element: Element, i
   const candidates: SelectorToken[][] = [];
 
   const escaped = escapeForTextSelector(text, false);
-  const exactEscaped = escapeForTextSelector(text, true);
 
   if (isTargetNode) {
     candidates.push([{ engine: 'internal:text', selector: escaped, score: kTextScore }]);
-    candidates.push([{ engine: 'internal:text', selector: exactEscaped, score: kTextScoreExact }]);
+    candidates.push([{ engine: 'internal:text', selector: escapeForTextSelector(text, true), score: kTextScoreExact }]);
   }
 
   const ariaRole = getAriaRole(element);
@@ -289,7 +289,8 @@ function buildTextCandidates(injectedScript: InjectedScript, element: Element, i
     candidate.push({ engine: 'css', selector: element.nodeName.toLowerCase(), score: kCSSTagNameScore });
   }
   candidates.push([...candidate, { engine: 'internal:has-text', selector: escaped, score: kTextScore }]);
-  candidates.push([...candidate, { engine: 'internal:has-text', selector: exactEscaped, score: kTextScoreExact }]);
+  if (text.length <= 80)
+    candidates.push([...candidate, { engine: 'internal:has-text', selector: '/^' + escapeRegExp(text) + '$/', score: kTextScoreRegex }]);
   penalizeScoreForLength(candidates);
   return candidates;
 }
@@ -467,3 +468,8 @@ function isGuidLike(id: string): boolean {
   }
   return transitionCount >= id.length / 4;
 }
+
+function escapeRegExp(s: string) {
+  // From https://developer.mozilla.org/en-US/docs/Web/JavaScript/Guide/Regular_Expressions#escaping
+  return s.replace(/[.*+?^${}()|[\]\\]/g, '\\$&'); // $& means the whole matched string
+}
diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts
index f1324b40f7..05e8047981 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/utils/isomorphic/locatorGenerators.ts
@@ -75,8 +75,11 @@ function innerAsLocator(factory: LocatorFactory, parsed: ParsedSelector, isFrame
     }
     if (part.name === 'internal:has-text') {
       const { exact, text } = detectExact(part.body as string);
-      tokens.push(factory.generateLocator(base, 'has-text', text, { exact }));
-      continue;
+      // There is no locator equivalent for strict has-text, leave it as is.
+      if (!exact) {
+        tokens.push(factory.generateLocator(base, 'has-text', text, { exact }));
+        continue;
+      }
     }
     if (part.name === 'internal:has') {
       const inner = innerAsLocator(factory, (part.body as NestedSelectorBody).parsed);
diff --git a/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts b/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts
index e6e8047ff2..3d9f844c53 100644
--- a/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/library/locator-generator.spec.ts
@@ -347,6 +347,8 @@ it.describe(() => {
       javascript: `locator('div').filter({ hasText: 'Goodbye world' }).locator('span')`,
       python: 'locator("div").filter(has_text="Goodbye world").locator("span")',
     });
+
+    expect.soft(asLocator('javascript', 'div >> internal:has-text="foo"s', false)).toBe(`locator('div').locator('internal:has-text="foo"s')`);
   });
 });
 
diff --git a/tests/library/selector-generator.spec.ts b/tests/library/selector-generator.spec.ts
index 27a69285e3..4044d69899 100644
--- a/tests/library/selector-generator.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/library/selector-generator.spec.ts
@@ -162,6 +162,15 @@ it.describe('selector generator', () => {
     expect(await generate(page, 'a:has-text("Hello")')).toBe(`a >> internal:has-text="Hello world"i`);
   });
 
+  it('should use internal:has-text with regexp', async ({ page }) => {
+    await page.setContent(`
+      <span>Hello world</span>
+      <div><div>Hello <span>world</span></div>extra</div>
+      <a>Goodbye <span>world</span></a>
+    `);
+    expect(await generate(page, 'div div')).toBe(`div >> internal:has-text=/^Hello world$/`);
+  });
+
   it('should chain text after parent', async ({ page }) => {
     await page.setContent(`
       <div>Hello <span>world</span></div>