diff --git a/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.cpp b/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.cpp
index 4087bd987c7..671f3964100 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.cpp
@@ -48,28 +48,7 @@ BazaarEditorWidget::BazaarEditorWidget() :
     // === <change> <file|dir> 'mainwindow.cpp'
     setDiffFilePattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^=== [a-z]+ [a-z]+ '(.+)'\\s*")));
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^revno: (\\d+)")));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> BazaarEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    const QString txt = toPlainText();
-    if (txt.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-
-    QRegExp changeNumRx(QLatin1String("^(" BZR_CHANGE_PATTERN ") "));
-    QTC_ASSERT(changeNumRx.isValid(), return changes);
-    if (changeNumRx.indexIn(txt) != -1) {
-        changes.insert(changeNumRx.cap(1));
-        changeNumRx.setPattern(QLatin1String("\n(" BZR_CHANGE_PATTERN ") "));
-        QTC_ASSERT(changeNumRx.isValid(), return changes);
-        int pos = 0;
-        while ((pos = changeNumRx.indexIn(txt, pos)) != -1) {
-            pos += changeNumRx.matchedLength();
-            changes.insert(changeNumRx.cap(1));
-        }
-    }
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern("^(" BZR_CHANGE_PATTERN ") ");
 }
 
 QString BazaarEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &cursorIn) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.h b/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.h
index 09584462a15..96a9f1610f9 100644
--- a/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/bazaar/bazaareditor.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ public:
     BazaarEditorWidget();
 
 private:
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &cursor) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(
             const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
diff --git a/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.cpp b/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.cpp
index bcac505c484..341cc92ad84 100644
--- a/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.cpp
@@ -52,24 +52,8 @@ ClearCaseEditorWidget::ClearCaseEditorWidget() :
     setDiffFilePattern(diffFilePattern);
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("version \"([^\"]+)\"")));
     setAnnotateRevisionTextFormat(tr("Annotate version \"%1\""));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> ClearCaseEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    QString txt = toPlainText();
-    if (txt.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-    // search until header
-    int separator = txt.indexOf(QRegExp(QLatin1String("\n-{30}")));
-    QRegExp r(QLatin1String("([^|]*)\\|[^\n]*\n"));
-    QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-    int pos = r.indexIn(txt, 0);
-    while (pos != -1 && pos < separator) {
-        changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        pos = r.indexIn(txt, pos + r.matchedLength());
-    }
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern("([^|]*)\\|[^\\n]*\\n");
+    setAnnotationSeparatorPattern("\\n-{30}");
 }
 
 QString ClearCaseEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &c) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.h b/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.h
index 3c9d95fa095..e97a6ecb22e 100644
--- a/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/clearcase/clearcaseeditor.h
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ public:
     ClearCaseEditorWidget();
 
 private:
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(
             const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
diff --git a/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.cpp b/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.cpp
index 8e0b0bbb2ca..638945e4e31 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.cpp
@@ -59,28 +59,7 @@ CvsEditorWidget::CvsEditorWidget() :
     setDiffFilePattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^[-+]{3} ([^\\t]+)")));
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^revision (.+)$")));
     setAnnotateRevisionTextFormat(tr("Annotate revision \"%1\""));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> CvsEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    const QString txt = toPlainText();
-    if (txt.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-    // Hunt for first change number in annotation: "1.1 (author)"
-    QRegExp r(QLatin1String(CVS_REVISION_AT_START_PATTERN));
-    QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-    if (r.indexIn(txt) != -1) {
-        changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        r.setPattern(QLatin1String("\n(" CVS_REVISION_PATTERN ") "));
-        QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-        int pos = 0;
-        while ((pos = r.indexIn(txt, pos)) != -1) {
-            pos += r.matchedLength();
-            changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        }
-    }
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern("^(" CVS_REVISION_PATTERN ") ");
 }
 
 QString CvsEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &c) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.h b/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.h
index f7ce08fd0b0..83990d9bc35 100644
--- a/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/cvs/cvseditor.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ public:
     CvsEditorWidget();
 
 private:
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(
             const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/giteditor.cpp b/src/plugins/git/giteditor.cpp
index d9c29afebf4..26842a6b1ac 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/giteditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/git/giteditor.cpp
@@ -75,28 +75,7 @@ GitEditorWidget::GitEditorWidget() :
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp("^commit ([0-9a-f]{8})[0-9a-f]{32}"));
     setAnnotateRevisionTextFormat(tr("&Blame %1"));
     setAnnotatePreviousRevisionTextFormat(tr("Blame &Parent Revision %1"));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> GitEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    const QString txt = toPlainText();
-    if (txt.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-    // Hunt for first change number in annotation: "<change>:"
-    QRegExp r("^(" CHANGE_PATTERN ") ");
-    QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-    if (r.indexIn(txt) != -1) {
-        changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        r.setPattern("\n(" CHANGE_PATTERN ") ");
-        QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-        int pos = 0;
-        while ((pos = r.indexIn(txt, pos)) != -1) {
-            pos += r.matchedLength();
-            changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        }
-    }
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern("^(" CHANGE_PATTERN ") ");
 }
 
 QString GitEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &c) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/git/giteditor.h b/src/plugins/git/giteditor.h
index bc7df7fe9e6..246ca9788f8 100644
--- a/src/plugins/git/giteditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/git/giteditor.h
@@ -54,7 +54,6 @@ private:
     void resetChange(const QByteArray &resetType);
     void addDiffActions(QMenu *menu, const VcsBase::DiffChunk &chunk) override;
     void aboutToOpen(const QString &fileName, const QString &realFileName) override;
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
     QString decorateVersion(const QString &revision) const override;
diff --git a/src/plugins/mercurial/constants.h b/src/plugins/mercurial/constants.h
index 1813d16723b..7f8982d49ee 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mercurial/constants.h
+++ b/src/plugins/mercurial/constants.h
@@ -37,10 +37,10 @@ const char MERCURIALDEFAULT[] = "hg";
 const char MERCURIAL_CONTEXT[] = "Mercurial Context";
 
 // Changeset identifiers
-const char CHANGESETID12[] = " ([a-f0-9]{12,12}) "; //match 12 hex chars and capture
-const char CHANGESETID40[] = " ([a-f0-9]{40,40}) ";
-const char CHANGEIDEXACT12[] = "[a-f0-9]{12,12}"; //match 12 hex chars a
-const char CHANGEIDEXACT40[] = "[a-f0-9]{40,40}";
+const char CHANGESETID12[] = " ([a-f0-9]{12}) "; //match 12 hex chars and capture
+const char CHANGESETID40[] = " ([a-f0-9]{40}) ";
+const char CHANGEIDEXACT12[] = "[a-f0-9]{12}"; //match 12 hex chars
+const char CHANGEIDEXACT40[] = "[a-f0-9]{40}";
 // match diff header. e.g. +++ b/filename
 const char DIFFIDENTIFIER[] = "^(?:diff --git a/|[+-]{3} (?:/dev/null|[ab]/(.+$)))";
 
diff --git a/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.cpp b/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.cpp
index e4c313e11ab..676f26ea8ff 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.cpp
@@ -45,7 +45,6 @@ namespace Internal  {
 MercurialEditorWidget::MercurialEditorWidget(MercurialClient *client) :
         exactIdentifier12(QLatin1String(Constants::CHANGEIDEXACT12)),
         exactIdentifier40(QLatin1String(Constants::CHANGEIDEXACT40)),
-        changesetIdentifier12(QLatin1String(Constants::CHANGESETID12)),
         changesetIdentifier40(QLatin1String(Constants::CHANGESETID40)),
         m_client(client)
 {
@@ -53,22 +52,7 @@ MercurialEditorWidget::MercurialEditorWidget(MercurialClient *client) :
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^changeset:\\s+(\\S+)$")));
     setAnnotateRevisionTextFormat(tr("&Annotate %1"));
     setAnnotatePreviousRevisionTextFormat(tr("Annotate &parent revision %1"));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> MercurialEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    const QString data = toPlainText();
-    if (data.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-
-    int position = 0;
-    while ((position = changesetIdentifier12.indexIn(data, position)) != -1) {
-        changes.insert(changesetIdentifier12.cap(1));
-        position += changesetIdentifier12.matchedLength();
-    }
-
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern(Constants::CHANGESETID12);
 }
 
 QString MercurialEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &cursorIn) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.h b/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.h
index 12976a3d779..868f84f535c 100644
--- a/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/mercurial/mercurialeditor.h
@@ -41,7 +41,6 @@ public:
     explicit MercurialEditorWidget(MercurialClient *client);
 
 private:
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &cursor) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(
             const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
@@ -50,7 +49,6 @@ private:
 
     mutable QRegExp exactIdentifier12;
     mutable QRegExp exactIdentifier40;
-    mutable QRegExp changesetIdentifier12;
     const QRegExp changesetIdentifier40;
 
     MercurialClient *m_client;
diff --git a/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.cpp b/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.cpp
index e686d4e427b..82e7d166f27 100644
--- a/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.cpp
@@ -63,28 +63,7 @@ PerforceEditorWidget::PerforceEditorWidget() :
     setDiffFilePattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^(?:={4}|\\+{3}) (.+)(?:\\t|#\\d)")));
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^... #\\d change (\\d+) ")));
     setAnnotateRevisionTextFormat(tr("Annotate change list \"%1\""));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> PerforceEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    const QString txt = toPlainText();
-    if (txt.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-    // Hunt for first change number in annotation: "<change>:"
-    QRegExp r(QLatin1String("^(\\d+):"));
-    QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-    if (r.indexIn(txt) != -1) {
-        changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        r.setPattern(QLatin1String("\n(\\d+):"));
-        QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-        int pos = 0;
-        while ((pos = r.indexIn(txt, pos)) != -1) {
-            pos += r.matchedLength();
-            changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        }
-    }
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern("^(\\d+):");
 }
 
 QString PerforceEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &c) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.h b/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.h
index 2a91373aacd..92a9d234869 100644
--- a/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/perforce/perforceeditor.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ public:
     PerforceEditorWidget();
 
 private:
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(
             const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
diff --git a/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.cpp b/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.cpp
index cb48da5daaf..7ef6e08443b 100644
--- a/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.cpp
@@ -59,30 +59,7 @@ SubversionEditorWidget::SubversionEditorWidget() :
     setDiffFilePattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^[-+]{3} ([^\\t]+)|^Index: .*|^=+$")));
     setLogEntryPattern(QRegExp(QLatin1String("^(r\\d+) \\|")));
     setAnnotateRevisionTextFormat(tr("Annotate revision \"%1\""));
-}
-
-QSet<QString> SubversionEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
-{
-    QSet<QString> changes;
-    const QString txt = toPlainText();
-    if (txt.isEmpty())
-        return changes;
-    // Hunt for first change number in annotation: "<change>:"
-    QRegExp r(QLatin1String("^(\\d+):"));
-    QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-    if (r.indexIn(txt) != -1) {
-        changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        r.setPattern(QLatin1String("\n(\\d+):"));
-        QTC_ASSERT(r.isValid(), return changes);
-        int pos = 0;
-        while ((pos = r.indexIn(txt, pos)) != -1) {
-            pos += r.matchedLength();
-            changes.insert(r.cap(1));
-        }
-    }
-    if (Subversion::Constants::debug)
-        qDebug() << "SubversionEditor::annotationChanges() returns #" << changes.size();
-    return changes;
+    setAnnotationEntryPattern("^(\\d+):");
 }
 
 QString SubversionEditorWidget::changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &c) const
diff --git a/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.h b/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.h
index 6b2446ffdea..a7b44f66b9a 100644
--- a/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/subversion/subversioneditor.h
@@ -40,7 +40,6 @@ public:
     SubversionEditorWidget();
 
 private:
-    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const override;
     QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &) const override;
     VcsBase::BaseAnnotationHighlighter *createAnnotationHighlighter(
             const QSet<QString> &changes) const override;
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.cpp b/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.cpp
index 0471968dcfd..aae366dcb47 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.cpp
+++ b/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.cpp
@@ -50,6 +50,7 @@
 #include <QDebug>
 #include <QFileInfo>
 #include <QFile>
+#include <QRegularExpression>
 #include <QRegExp>
 #include <QSet>
 #include <QTextCodec>
@@ -556,6 +557,8 @@ public:
 
     QRegExp m_diffFilePattern;
     QRegExp m_logEntryPattern;
+    QRegularExpression m_annotationEntryPattern;
+    QRegularExpression m_annotationSeparatorPattern;
     QList<int> m_entrySections; // line number where this section starts
     int m_cursorLine = -1;
     int m_firstLineNumber = -1;
@@ -661,6 +664,20 @@ void VcsBaseEditorWidget::setLogEntryPattern(const QRegExp &pattern)
     d->m_logEntryPattern = pattern;
 }
 
+void VcsBaseEditorWidget::setAnnotationEntryPattern(const QString &pattern)
+{
+    const QRegularExpression re(pattern, QRegularExpression::MultilineOption);
+    QTC_ASSERT(re.isValid() && re.captureCount() >= 1, return);
+    d->m_annotationEntryPattern = re;
+}
+
+void VcsBaseEditorWidget::setAnnotationSeparatorPattern(const QString &pattern)
+{
+    const QRegularExpression re(pattern);
+    QTC_ASSERT(re.isValid() && re.captureCount() >= 1, return);
+    d->m_annotationSeparatorPattern = re;
+}
+
 bool VcsBaseEditorWidget::supportChangeLinks() const
 {
     switch (d->m_parameters->type) {
@@ -1537,6 +1554,26 @@ void VcsBaseEditorWidget::addChangeActions(QMenu *, const QString &)
 {
 }
 
+QSet<QString> VcsBaseEditorWidget::annotationChanges() const
+{
+    QSet<QString> changes;
+    QString text = toPlainText();
+    QStringRef txt(&text);
+    if (txt.isEmpty())
+        return changes;
+    if (d->m_annotationSeparatorPattern.isValid()) {
+        const QRegularExpressionMatch match = d->m_annotationSeparatorPattern.match(txt);
+        if (match.hasMatch())
+            txt.truncate(match.capturedStart());
+    }
+    QRegularExpressionMatchIterator i = d->m_annotationEntryPattern.globalMatch(txt);
+    while (i.hasNext()) {
+        const QRegularExpressionMatch match = i.next();
+        changes.insert(match.captured(1));
+    }
+    return changes;
+}
+
 QString VcsBaseEditorWidget::decorateVersion(const QString &revision) const
 {
     return revision;
diff --git a/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.h b/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.h
index 863d300d62f..caf2d4575db 100644
--- a/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.h
+++ b/src/plugins/vcsbase/vcsbaseeditor.h
@@ -148,6 +148,10 @@ protected:
     void setDiffFilePattern(const QRegExp &pattern);
     // Pattern for log entry. hash/revision number must be in the first capture group
     void setLogEntryPattern(const QRegExp &pattern);
+    // Pattern for annotation entry. hash/revision number must be in the first capture group
+    void setAnnotationEntryPattern(const QString &pattern);
+    // Pattern for annotation separator. Lookup will stop on match.
+    void setAnnotationSeparatorPattern(const QString &pattern);
     virtual bool supportChangeLinks() const;
     virtual QString fileNameForLine(int line) const;
 
@@ -246,7 +250,7 @@ protected:
 
     // Implement to return a set of change identifiers in
     // annotation mode
-    virtual QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const = 0;
+    QSet<QString> annotationChanges() const;
     // Implement to identify a change number at the cursor position
     virtual QString changeUnderCursor(const QTextCursor &) const = 0;
     // Factory functions for highlighters