diff --git a/qa/coccinelle/banned-functions.cocci b/qa/coccinelle/banned-functions.cocci
index f7343f2aa1..03f3438536 100644
--- a/qa/coccinelle/banned-functions.cocci
+++ b/qa/coccinelle/banned-functions.cocci
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 @banned@
-identifier func =~ "^\(sprintf\|strcat\|strcpy\|strncpy\|strncat\)$";
+identifier func =~ "^(sprintf|strcat|strcpy|strncpy|strncat)$";
 position p1;
 @@
 
diff --git a/qa/coccinelle/size_t.cocci b/qa/coccinelle/size_t.cocci
index ec1db56e7f..4bd5b9f26c 100644
--- a/qa/coccinelle/size_t.cocci
+++ b/qa/coccinelle/size_t.cocci
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 @sizet@
 size_t p;
-identifier func =~ "^\(sprintf\|printf\|SCLog.*\)$";
+identifier func =~ "^(sprintf|printf|SCLog.*)$";
 identifier funcn =~ "^.*nprintf$";
 position p1;
 typedef uint16_t;