diff --git a/changelog.d/mrf-domain-regex-escape.security b/changelog.d/mrf-domain-regex-escape.security
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..07274c37b
--- /dev/null
+++ b/changelog.d/mrf-domain-regex-escape.security
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+MRF domain rules now match dots literally, so a rule for `good.example` no longer also matches `goodxexample`, and wildcard rules no longer backtrack on hostile host names
diff --git a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex
index 2496d1858..ddcd85624 100644
--- a/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex
+++ b/lib/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf.ex
@@ -148,14 +148,13 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF do
   @spec subdomains_regex([String.t()]) :: [Regex.t()]
   def subdomains_regex(domains) when is_list(domains) do
     for domain <- domains do
-      try do
-        target = String.replace(domain, "*.", "(.*\\.)*")
-        ~r<^#{target}$>i
-      rescue
-        e ->
-          Logger.error("MRF: Invalid subdomain Regex: #{domain}")
-          reraise e, __STACKTRACE__
-      end
+      {prefix, rest} =
+        case domain do
+          "*." <> rest -> {"(.*\\.)?", rest}
+          _ -> {"", domain}
+        end
+
+      ~r<^#{prefix}#{Regex.escape(rest)}$>i
     end
   end
 
diff --git a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs
index d897e529d..83c0b0ae5 100644
--- a/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs
+++ b/test/pleroma/web/activity_pub/mrf_test.exs
@@ -6,8 +6,6 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
   use ExUnit.Case
   use Pleroma.Tests.Helpers
 
-  import ExUnit.CaptureLog
-
   alias Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRF
 
   defp regexes_match!([], []), do: true
@@ -21,14 +19,14 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
   test "subdomains_regex/1" do
     regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["unsafe.tld", "*.unsafe.tld"])
 
-    assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^unsafe.tld$/i, ~r/^(.*\.)*unsafe.tld$/i])
+    assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^unsafe\.tld$/i, ~r/^(.*\.)?unsafe\.tld$/i])
   end
 
   describe "subdomain_match/2" do
     test "common domains" do
       regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["unsafe.tld", "unsafe2.tld"])
 
-      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^unsafe.tld$/i, ~r/^unsafe2.tld$/i])
+      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^unsafe\.tld$/i, ~r/^unsafe2\.tld$/i])
 
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "unsafe.tld")
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "unsafe2.tld")
@@ -39,7 +37,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
     test "wildcard domains with one subdomain" do
       regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["*.unsafe.tld"])
 
-      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^(.*\.)*unsafe.tld$/i])
+      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^(.*\.)?unsafe\.tld$/i])
 
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "unsafe.tld")
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "sub.unsafe.tld")
@@ -50,7 +48,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
     test "wildcard domains with two subdomains" do
       regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["*.unsafe.tld"])
 
-      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^(.*\.)*unsafe.tld$/i])
+      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^(.*\.)?unsafe\.tld$/i])
 
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "unsafe.tld")
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "sub.sub.unsafe.tld")
@@ -61,7 +59,7 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
     test "matches are case-insensitive" do
       regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["UnSafe.TLD", "UnSAFE2.Tld"])
 
-      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^UnSafe.TLD$/i, ~r/^UnSAFE2.Tld$/i])
+      assert regexes_match!(regexes, [~r/^UnSafe\.TLD$/i, ~r/^UnSAFE2\.Tld$/i])
 
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "UNSAFE.TLD")
       assert MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "UNSAFE2.TLD")
@@ -72,11 +70,20 @@ defmodule Pleroma.Web.ActivityPub.MRFTest do
       refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "example.com")
     end
 
-    test "logs sensible error on accidental wildcard" do
-      assert_raise Regex.CompileError, fn ->
-        assert capture_log(MRF.subdomains_regex(["*unsafe.tld"])) =~
-                 "MRF: Invalid subdomain Regex: *unsafe.tld"
-      end
+    test "dots only match dots" do
+      regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["unsafe.tld", "*.other.tld"])
+
+      refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "unsafextld")
+      refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "otherxtld")
+      refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "sub.otherxtld")
+    end
+
+    test "accidental wildcards and regex syntax match nothing" do
+      regexes = MRF.subdomains_regex(["*unsafe.tld", "bad(.tld"])
+
+      refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "unsafe.tld")
+      refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "sub.unsafe.tld")
+      refute MRF.subdomain_match?(regexes, "bad.tld")
     end
   end