diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 6ec934d5..1ff92d19 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -8,7 +8,8 @@
 
 * Do not log 'allow' action as intercepted in the debug log.
 
-* Optimize regex execution to not capture unless 'capture' action used.
+* Warn if a regular expression captures subexpressions, but the
+  "capture" action was not specified.
 
 * Performance improvements in memory management.
 
diff --git a/apache2/msc_pcre.c b/apache2/msc_pcre.c
index 4729d3b9..11fd9e72 100644
--- a/apache2/msc_pcre.c
+++ b/apache2/msc_pcre.c
@@ -91,3 +91,11 @@ int msc_regexec(msc_regex_t *regex, const char *s, unsigned int slen,
 
     return msc_regexec_capture(regex, s, slen, NULL, 0, error_msg);
 }
+
+/**
+ * Gets info on a compiled regex.
+ */
+int msc_fullinfo(msc_regex_t *regex, int what, void *where)
+{
+    return pcre_fullinfo(regex->re, regex->pe, what, where);
+}
diff --git a/apache2/msc_pcre.h b/apache2/msc_pcre.h
index 8cc9dc33..d9af38b5 100644
--- a/apache2/msc_pcre.h
+++ b/apache2/msc_pcre.h
@@ -36,4 +36,6 @@ int DSOLOCAL msc_regexec_capture(msc_regex_t *regex, const char *s,
 int DSOLOCAL msc_regexec(msc_regex_t *regex, const char *s, unsigned int slen,
     char **error_msg);
 
+int DSOLOCAL msc_fullinfo(msc_regex_t *regex, int what, void *where);
+
 #endif
diff --git a/apache2/re_operators.c b/apache2/re_operators.c
index ff595e4f..30fb62aa 100644
--- a/apache2/re_operators.c
+++ b/apache2/re_operators.c
@@ -108,18 +108,19 @@ static int msre_op_rx_execute(modsec_rec *msr, msre_rule *rule, msre_var *var, c
     /* Are we supposed to capture subexpressions? */
     capture = apr_table_get(rule->actionset->actions, "capture") ? 1 : 0;
 
-    if (capture) {
-        if (msr->txcfg->debuglog_level >= 9) {
-            msr_log(msr, 9, "Using captured regex execution.");
+    /* Warn when the regex captures but "capture" is not set */
+    if (msr->txcfg->debuglog_level >= 2) {
+        int capcount;
+        rc = msc_fullinfo(regex, PCRE_INFO_CAPTURECOUNT, &capcount);
+        if ((capture == 0) && (capcount > 0)) {
+            msr_log(msr, 2, "Warning. regex captures, but \"capture\" action not set.");
         }
-        rc = msc_regexec_capture(regex, target, target_length, ovector, 30, &my_error_msg);
-    }
-    else {
-        if (msr->txcfg->debuglog_level >= 9) {
-            msr_log(msr, 9, "Using uncaptured regex execution.");
-        }
-        rc = msc_regexec(regex, target, target_length, &my_error_msg);
     }
+
+    /* We always use capture so that ovector can be used as working space
+     * and no memory has to be allocated for any backreferences.
+     */
+    rc = msc_regexec_capture(regex, target, target_length, ovector, 30, &my_error_msg);
     if (rc < -1) {
         *error_msg = apr_psprintf(msr->mp, "Regex execution failed: %s", my_error_msg);
         return -1;