diff --git a/lark-stubs/lark.pyi b/lark-stubs/lark.pyi
index 8e5e3dd..511e0ad 100644
--- a/lark-stubs/lark.pyi
+++ b/lark-stubs/lark.pyi
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ class LarkOptions:
     transformer: Optional[Transformer]
     postlex: Optional[PostLex]
     ambiguity: str
+    regex: bool
     debug: bool
     keep_all_tokens: bool
     propagate_positions: bool
@@ -48,6 +49,7 @@ class Lark:
         transformer: Optional[Transformer] = None,
         postlex: Optional[PostLex] = None,
         ambiguity: Literal["explicit", "resolve"] = "resolve",
+        regex: bool = False,
         debug: bool = False,
         keep_all_tokens: bool = False,
         propagate_positions: bool = False,
diff --git a/lark/lark.py b/lark/lark.py
index 4497dd1..2c9dd42 100644
--- a/lark/lark.py
+++ b/lark/lark.py
@@ -14,6 +14,12 @@ from .parse_tree_builder import ParseTreeBuilder
 from .parser_frontends import get_frontend
 from .grammar import Rule
 
+import re
+try:
+    import regex
+except ImportError:
+    regex = None
+
 ###{standalone
 
 class LarkOptions(Serialize):
@@ -34,6 +40,7 @@ class LarkOptions(Serialize):
                          When `False`,  `[]` behaves like the `?` operator,
                              and returns no value at all.
                          (default=`False`. Recommended to set to `True`)
+    regex - When True, uses the `regex` module instead of the stdlib `re`.
     cache - Cache the results of the Lark grammar analysis, for x2 to x3 faster loading.
             LALR only for now.
         When `False`, does nothing (default)
@@ -92,6 +99,7 @@ class LarkOptions(Serialize):
         'start': 'start',
         'priority': 'auto',
         'ambiguity': 'auto',
+        'regex': False,
         'propagate_positions': False,
         'lexer_callbacks': {},
         'maybe_placeholders': False,
@@ -154,6 +162,16 @@ class Lark(Serialize):
 
         self.options = LarkOptions(options)
 
+        # Set regex or re module
+        use_regex = self.options.regex
+        if use_regex:
+            if regex:
+                self.re = regex
+            else:
+                raise ImportError('`regex` module must be installed if calling `Lark(regex=True)`.')
+        else:
+            self.re = re
+
         # Some, but not all file-like objects have a 'name' attribute
         try:
             self.source = grammar.name
@@ -224,7 +242,7 @@ class Lark(Serialize):
         assert self.options.ambiguity in ('resolve', 'explicit', 'auto', )
 
         # Parse the grammar file and compose the grammars (TODO)
-        self.grammar = load_grammar(grammar, self.source)
+        self.grammar = load_grammar(grammar, self.source, self.re)
 
         # Compile the EBNF grammar into BNF
         self.terminals, self.rules, self.ignore_tokens = self.grammar.compile(self.options.start)
@@ -285,7 +303,7 @@ class Lark(Serialize):
     def _build_parser(self):
         self._prepare_callbacks()
         parser_conf = ParserConf(self.rules, self._callbacks, self.options.start)
-        return self.parser_class(self.lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=self.options)
+        return self.parser_class(self.lexer_conf, parser_conf, self.re, options=self.options)
 
     def save(self, f):
         data, m = self.memo_serialize([TerminalDef, Rule])
@@ -312,10 +330,11 @@ class Lark(Serialize):
         if postlex is not None:
             options['postlex'] = postlex
         self.options = LarkOptions.deserialize(options, memo)
+        self.re = regex if self.options.regex else re
         self.rules = [Rule.deserialize(r, memo) for r in data['rules']]
         self.source = '<deserialized>'
         self._prepare_callbacks()
-        self.parser = self.parser_class.deserialize(data['parser'], memo, self._callbacks, self.options.postlex)
+        self.parser = self.parser_class.deserialize(data['parser'], memo, self._callbacks, self.options.postlex, self.re)
         return self
 
     @classmethod
diff --git a/lark/lexer.py b/lark/lexer.py
index 36541d1..4d5c498 100644
--- a/lark/lexer.py
+++ b/lark/lexer.py
@@ -1,9 +1,10 @@
 ## Lexer Implementation
 
+import re
 try:
-    import regex as re
+    import regex
 except ImportError:
-    import re
+    regex = None
 
 from .utils import Str, classify, get_regexp_width, Py36, Serialize
 from .exceptions import UnexpectedCharacters, LexError, UnexpectedToken
@@ -233,7 +234,7 @@ class CallChain:
 
 
 
-def _create_unless(terminals, g_regex_flags):
+def _create_unless(terminals, g_regex_flags, re_):
     tokens_by_type = classify(terminals, lambda t: type(t.pattern))
     assert len(tokens_by_type) <= 2, tokens_by_type.keys()
     embedded_strs = set()
@@ -244,7 +245,7 @@ def _create_unless(terminals, g_regex_flags):
             if strtok.priority > retok.priority:
                 continue
             s = strtok.pattern.value
-            m = re.match(retok.pattern.to_regexp(), s, g_regex_flags)
+            m = re_.match(retok.pattern.to_regexp(), s, g_regex_flags)
             if m and m.group(0) == s:
                 unless.append(strtok)
                 if strtok.pattern.flags <= retok.pattern.flags:
@@ -297,16 +298,17 @@ class Lexer(object):
 
 class TraditionalLexer(Lexer):
 
-    def __init__(self, terminals, ignore=(), user_callbacks={}, g_regex_flags=0):
+    def __init__(self, terminals, re_, ignore=(), user_callbacks={}, g_regex_flags=0):
         assert all(isinstance(t, TerminalDef) for t in terminals), terminals
 
         terminals = list(terminals)
 
+        self.re = re_
         # Sanitization
         for t in terminals:
             try:
-                re.compile(t.pattern.to_regexp(), g_regex_flags)
-            except re.error:
+                self.re.compile(t.pattern.to_regexp(), g_regex_flags)
+            except self.re.error:
                 raise LexError("Cannot compile token %s: %s" % (t.name, t.pattern))
 
             if t.pattern.min_width == 0:
@@ -324,7 +326,7 @@ class TraditionalLexer(Lexer):
         self.build(g_regex_flags)
 
     def build(self, g_regex_flags=0):
-        terminals, self.callback = _create_unless(self.terminals, g_regex_flags)
+        terminals, self.callback = _create_unless(self.terminals, g_regex_flags, re_=self.re)
         assert all(self.callback.values())
 
         for type_, f in self.user_callbacks.items():
@@ -350,7 +352,8 @@ class TraditionalLexer(Lexer):
 
 class ContextualLexer(Lexer):
 
-    def __init__(self, terminals, states, ignore=(), always_accept=(), user_callbacks={}, g_regex_flags=0):
+    def __init__(self, terminals, states, re_, ignore=(), always_accept=(), user_callbacks={}, g_regex_flags=0):
+        self.re = re_
         tokens_by_name = {}
         for t in terminals:
             assert t.name not in tokens_by_name, t
@@ -365,12 +368,12 @@ class ContextualLexer(Lexer):
             except KeyError:
                 accepts = set(accepts) | set(ignore) | set(always_accept)
                 state_tokens = [tokens_by_name[n] for n in accepts if n and n in tokens_by_name]
-                lexer = TraditionalLexer(state_tokens, ignore=ignore, user_callbacks=user_callbacks, g_regex_flags=g_regex_flags)
+                lexer = TraditionalLexer(state_tokens, re_=self.re, ignore=ignore, user_callbacks=user_callbacks, g_regex_flags=g_regex_flags)
                 lexer_by_tokens[key] = lexer
 
             self.lexers[state] = lexer
 
-        self.root_lexer = TraditionalLexer(terminals, ignore=ignore, user_callbacks=user_callbacks, g_regex_flags=g_regex_flags)
+        self.root_lexer = TraditionalLexer(terminals, re_=self.re, ignore=ignore, user_callbacks=user_callbacks, g_regex_flags=g_regex_flags)
 
     def lex(self, stream, get_parser_state):
         parser_state = get_parser_state()
diff --git a/lark/load_grammar.py b/lark/load_grammar.py
index a4bef03..407d8d1 100644
--- a/lark/load_grammar.py
+++ b/lark/load_grammar.py
@@ -616,7 +616,7 @@ class Grammar:
 
 
 _imported_grammars = {}
-def import_grammar(grammar_path, base_paths=[]):
+def import_grammar(grammar_path, re_, base_paths=[]):
     if grammar_path not in _imported_grammars:
         import_paths = base_paths + IMPORT_PATHS
         for import_path in import_paths:
@@ -624,7 +624,7 @@ def import_grammar(grammar_path, base_paths=[]):
                 joined_path = os.path.join(import_path, grammar_path)
                 with open(joined_path, encoding='utf8') as f:
                     text = f.read()
-                grammar = load_grammar(text, joined_path)
+                grammar = load_grammar(text, joined_path, re_)
                 _imported_grammars[grammar_path] = grammar
                 break
         else:
@@ -755,7 +755,8 @@ def _find_used_symbols(tree):
               for t in x.scan_values(lambda t: t.type in ('RULE', 'TERMINAL'))}
 
 class GrammarLoader:
-    def __init__(self):
+    def __init__(self, re_):
+        self.re = re_
         terminals = [TerminalDef(name, PatternRE(value)) for name, value in TERMINALS.items()]
 
         rules = [options_from_rule(name, None, x) for name, x in  RULES.items()]
@@ -764,7 +765,7 @@ class GrammarLoader:
         lexer_conf = LexerConf(terminals, ['WS', 'COMMENT'])
 
         parser_conf = ParserConf(rules, callback, ['start'])
-        self.parser = LALR_TraditionalLexer(lexer_conf, parser_conf)
+        self.parser = LALR_TraditionalLexer(lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_)
 
         self.canonize_tree = CanonizeTree()
 
@@ -862,7 +863,7 @@ class GrammarLoader:
         # import grammars
         for dotted_path, (base_paths, aliases) in imports.items():
             grammar_path = os.path.join(*dotted_path) + EXT
-            g = import_grammar(grammar_path, base_paths=base_paths)
+            g = import_grammar(grammar_path, self.re, base_paths=base_paths)
             new_td, new_rd = import_from_grammar_into_namespace(g, '__'.join(dotted_path), aliases)
 
             term_defs += new_td
@@ -942,4 +943,5 @@ class GrammarLoader:
 
 
 
-load_grammar = GrammarLoader().load_grammar
+def load_grammar(grammar, source, re_):
+    return GrammarLoader(re_).load_grammar(grammar, source)
diff --git a/lark/parser_frontends.py b/lark/parser_frontends.py
index 9f80ed4..c453ab6 100644
--- a/lark/parser_frontends.py
+++ b/lark/parser_frontends.py
@@ -1,7 +1,3 @@
-try:
-    import regex as re
-except ImportError:
-    import re
 from functools import partial
 
 from .utils import get_regexp_width, Serialize
@@ -66,14 +62,16 @@ class WithLexer(_ParserFrontend):
     __serialize_fields__ = 'parser', 'lexer_conf', 'start'
     __serialize_namespace__ = LexerConf,
 
-    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=None):
+    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options=None):
         self.lexer_conf = lexer_conf
         self.start = parser_conf.start
         self.postlex = lexer_conf.postlex
+        self.re = re_
 
     @classmethod
-    def deserialize(cls, data, memo, callbacks, postlex):
+    def deserialize(cls, data, memo, callbacks, postlex, re_):
         inst = super(WithLexer, cls).deserialize(data, memo)
+        inst.re = re_
         inst.postlex = postlex
         inst.parser = LALR_Parser.deserialize(inst.parser, memo, callbacks)
         inst.init_lexer()
@@ -91,13 +89,14 @@ class WithLexer(_ParserFrontend):
         return self._parse(token_stream, start)
 
     def init_traditional_lexer(self):
-        self.lexer = TraditionalLexer(self.lexer_conf.tokens, ignore=self.lexer_conf.ignore, user_callbacks=self.lexer_conf.callbacks, g_regex_flags=self.lexer_conf.g_regex_flags)
+        self.lexer = TraditionalLexer(self.lexer_conf.tokens, re_=self.re, ignore=self.lexer_conf.ignore, user_callbacks=self.lexer_conf.callbacks, g_regex_flags=self.lexer_conf.g_regex_flags)
 
 class LALR_WithLexer(WithLexer):
-    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=None):
+    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options=None):
         debug = options.debug if options else False
+        self.re = re_
         self.parser = LALR_Parser(parser_conf, debug=debug)
-        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options)
+        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options)
 
         self.init_lexer()
 
@@ -113,6 +112,7 @@ class LALR_ContextualLexer(LALR_WithLexer):
         states = {idx:list(t.keys()) for idx, t in self.parser._parse_table.states.items()}
         always_accept = self.postlex.always_accept if self.postlex else ()
         self.lexer = ContextualLexer(self.lexer_conf.tokens, states,
+                                     re_=self.re,
                                      ignore=self.lexer_conf.ignore,
                                      always_accept=always_accept,
                                      user_callbacks=self.lexer_conf.callbacks,
@@ -129,11 +129,11 @@ class LALR_ContextualLexer(LALR_WithLexer):
 ###}
 
 class LALR_CustomLexer(LALR_WithLexer):
-    def __init__(self, lexer_cls, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=None):
-        self.lexer = lexer_cls(lexer_conf)
+    def __init__(self, lexer_cls, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options=None):
+        self.lexer = lexer_cls(lexer_conf, re_=re_)
         debug = options.debug if options else False
         self.parser = LALR_Parser(parser_conf, debug=debug)
-        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options)
+        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options)
 
 
 def tokenize_text(text):
@@ -146,8 +146,8 @@ def tokenize_text(text):
         yield Token('CHAR', ch, line=line, column=i - col_start_pos)
 
 class Earley(WithLexer):
-    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=None):
-        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options)
+    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options=None):
+        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options)
         self.init_traditional_lexer()
 
         resolve_ambiguity = options.ambiguity == 'resolve'
@@ -159,7 +159,9 @@ class Earley(WithLexer):
 
 
 class XEarley(_ParserFrontend):
-    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=None, **kw):
+    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options=None, **kw):
+        self.re = re_
+
         self.token_by_name = {t.name:t for t in lexer_conf.tokens}
         self.start = parser_conf.start
 
@@ -191,7 +193,7 @@ class XEarley(_ParserFrontend):
                 if width == 0:
                     raise ValueError("Dynamic Earley doesn't allow zero-width regexps", t)
 
-            self.regexps[t.name] = re.compile(regexp, lexer_conf.g_regex_flags)
+            self.regexps[t.name] = self.re.compile(regexp, lexer_conf.g_regex_flags)
 
     def parse(self, text, start):
         return self._parse(text, start)
@@ -204,8 +206,8 @@ class XEarley_CompleteLex(XEarley):
 
 class CYK(WithLexer):
 
-    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options=None):
-        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, options)
+    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options=None):
+        WithLexer.__init__(self, lexer_conf, parser_conf, re_, options)
         self.init_traditional_lexer()
 
         self._analysis = GrammarAnalyzer(parser_conf)
diff --git a/tests/test_parser.py b/tests/test_parser.py
index c6f420e..f8f37df 100644
--- a/tests/test_parser.py
+++ b/tests/test_parser.py
@@ -551,8 +551,8 @@ class CustomLexer(Lexer):
     Purpose of this custom lexer is to test the integration,
     so it uses the traditionalparser as implementation without custom lexing behaviour.
     """
-    def __init__(self, lexer_conf):
-        self.lexer = TraditionalLexer(lexer_conf.tokens, ignore=lexer_conf.ignore, user_callbacks=lexer_conf.callbacks, g_regex_flags=lexer_conf.g_regex_flags)
+    def __init__(self, lexer_conf, re_):
+        self.lexer = TraditionalLexer(lexer_conf.tokens, re_, ignore=lexer_conf.ignore, user_callbacks=lexer_conf.callbacks, g_regex_flags=lexer_conf.g_regex_flags)
     def lex(self, *args, **kwargs):
         return self.lexer.lex(*args, **kwargs)
 
diff --git a/tests/test_regex.py b/tests/test_regex.py
index db0bb85..6932a6b 100644
--- a/tests/test_regex.py
+++ b/tests/test_regex.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@ class TestRegex(unittest.TestCase):
                     NAME: ID_START ID_CONTINUE*
                     ID_START: /[\p{Lu}\p{Ll}\p{Lt}\p{Lm}\p{Lo}\p{Nl}_]+/
                     ID_CONTINUE: ID_START | /[\p{Mn}\p{Mc}\p{Nd}\p{Pc}·]+/
-                """)
+                """, regex=True)
 
         self.assertEqual(g.parse('வணக்கம்'), 'வணக்கம்')
 
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class TestRegex(unittest.TestCase):
         g = Lark(r"""
                     ?start: NAME
                     NAME: /[\w]+/
-                """)
+                """, regex=True)
         self.assertEqual(g.parse('வணக்கம்'), 'வணக்கம்')