diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.test.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.test.ts
index 4633f20744a..8acca0c7ec5 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.test.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.test.ts
@@ -273,6 +273,15 @@ describe('interpolateQueryExpr', () => {
     replace: jest.fn().mockImplementation((...rest: unknown[]) => 'templateVarReplaced'),
   } as unknown as TemplateSrv;
   let ds = getMockInfluxDS(getMockDSInstanceSettings(), templateSrvStub);
+
+  // Mock console.warn as we expect tests to use it
+  beforeEach(() => {
+    jest.spyOn(console, 'warn').mockImplementation();
+  });
+  afterEach(() => {
+    jest.restoreAllMocks();
+  });
+
   it('should return the value as it is', () => {
     const value = 'normalValue';
     const variableMock = queryBuilder().withId('tempVar').withName('tempVar').withMulti(false).build();
@@ -281,6 +290,18 @@ describe('interpolateQueryExpr', () => {
     expect(result).toBe(expectation);
   });
 
+  it('should return the escaped value if the value wrapped in regex without !~ or =~', () => {
+    const value = '/special/path';
+    const variableMock = queryBuilder().withId('tempVar').withName('tempVar').withMulti(false).build();
+    const result = ds.interpolateQueryExpr(
+      value,
+      variableMock,
+      'select atan(z/sqrt(3.14)), that where path /$tempVar/'
+    );
+    const expectation = `\\/special\\/path`;
+    expect(result).toBe(expectation);
+  });
+
   it('should return the escaped value if the value wrapped in regex', () => {
     const value = '/special/path';
     const variableMock = queryBuilder().withId('tempVar').withName('tempVar').withMulti(false).build();
diff --git a/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.ts b/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.ts
index a21031f20ab..92d26d51058 100644
--- a/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.ts
+++ b/public/app/plugins/datasource/influxdb/datasource.ts
@@ -347,10 +347,7 @@ export default class InfluxDatasource extends DataSourceWithBackend<InfluxQuery,
     // we want to see how it's been used. If it is used in a regex expression
     // we escape it. Otherwise, we return it directly.
     // The regex below searches for regexes within the query string
-    const regexMatcher = new RegExp(
-      /(\s*(=|!)~\s*)\/((?![*+?])(?:[^\r\n\[/\\]|\\.|\[(?:[^\r\n\]\\]|\\.)*\])+)\/((?:g(?:im?|mi?)?|i(?:gm?|mg?)?|m(?:gi?|ig?)?)?)/,
-      'gm'
-    );
+    const regexMatcher = new RegExp(/(?<=\/).+?(?=\/)/, 'gm');
     // If matches are found this regex is evaluated to check if the variable is contained in the regex /^...$/ (^ and $ is optional)
     // i.e. /^$myVar$/ or /$myVar/ or /^($myVar)$/
     const regex = new RegExp(`\\/(?:\\^)?(.*)(\\$${variable.name})(.*)(?:\\$)?\\/`, 'gm');
@@ -364,14 +361,22 @@ export default class InfluxDatasource extends DataSourceWithBackend<InfluxQuery,
     if (!queryMatches) {
       return value;
     }
+    // Use the variable specific regex against the query
+    if (!query.match(regex)) {
+      return value;
+    }
     for (const match of queryMatches) {
-      if (!match.match(regex)) {
-        continue;
-      }
+      // It is expected that the RegExp should be valid. As our regex matcher matches any text between two '/'
+      // we also validate that the expression compiles before assuming it is a regular expression.
+      try {
+        new RegExp(match);
 
-      // If the value is a string array first escape them then join them with pipe
-      // then put inside parenthesis.
-      return typeof value === 'string' ? escapeRegex(value) : `(${value.map((v) => escapeRegex(v)).join('|')})`;
+        // If the value is a string array first escape them then join them with pipe
+        // then put inside parenthesis.
+        return typeof value === 'string' ? escapeRegex(value) : `(${value.map((v) => escapeRegex(v)).join('|')})`;
+      } catch (e) {
+        console.warn(`Supplied match is not valid regex: ${match}`);
+      }
     }
 
     return value;