diff --git a/src/plugins/texteditor/storagesettings.cpp b/src/plugins/texteditor/storagesettings.cpp
index 9a0f6e2c540..a4b805f92ff 100644
--- a/src/plugins/texteditor/storagesettings.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/texteditor/storagesettings.cpp
@@ -112,8 +112,16 @@ bool StorageSettings::removeTrailingWhitespace(const QString &fileName) const
 #if (QT_VERSION >= QT_VERSION_CHECK(5, 12, 0))
                 = QRegularExpression::wildcardToRegularExpression(pattern);
 #else
-                = QRegExp(pattern, Utils::HostOsInfo::fileNameCaseSensitivity(),
-                          QRegExp::Wildcard).pattern();
+                = pattern;
+        // handle at least the most likely appearing
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('.', "\\.");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('$', "\\$");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('(', "\\(").replace(')', "\\)");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('[', "\\[").replace(']', "\\]");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('{', "\\{").replace('}', "\\}");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('+', "\\+");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('*', ".*");
+        wildcardRegExp.replace('?', '.');
 #endif
         QRegularExpression patternRegExp(wildcardRegExp);
         QRegularExpressionMatch patternMatch = patternRegExp.match(fileName);