diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index a14b0fab..8b750f3d 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -72,12 +72,19 @@
 * Do not try to set a zero width, or height, if the compositor sends a
   _configure_ event with only one dimension being zero
   ([#1925][1925]).
+* Auto-detection of URLs (i.e. not OSC-8 based URLs) are now regex
+  based.
 
 [1925]: https://codeberg.org/dnkl/foot/issues/1925
 
 
 ### Deprecated
 ### Removed
+
+* `url.uri-characters` and `url.protocols`. Both options have been
+  replaced by `url.regex`.
+
+
 ### Fixed
 
 * Kitty keyboard protocol: alternate key reporting failing to report
diff --git a/config.c b/config.c
index a9db87d5..c96e7168 100644
--- a/config.c
+++ b/config.c
@@ -420,14 +420,6 @@ done:
     return ret;
 }
 
-static int
-c32cmp_single(const void *_a, const void *_b)
-{
-    const char32_t *a = _a;
-    const char32_t *b = _b;
-    return *a - *b;
-}
-
 static bool
 str_has_prefix(const char *str, const char *prefix)
 {
@@ -1225,7 +1217,6 @@ parse_section_url(struct context *ctx)
 {
     struct config *conf = ctx->conf;
     const char *key = ctx->key;
-    const char *value = ctx->value;
 
     if (streq(key, "launch"))
         return value_to_spawn_template(ctx, &conf->url.launch);
@@ -1243,70 +1234,6 @@ parse_section_url(struct context *ctx)
             (int *)&conf->url.osc8_underline);
     }
 
-    else if (streq(key, "protocols")) {
-        for (size_t i = 0; i < conf->url.prot_count; i++)
-            free(conf->url.protocols[i]);
-        free(conf->url.protocols);
-
-        conf->url.max_prot_len = 0;
-        conf->url.prot_count = 0;
-        conf->url.protocols = NULL;
-
-        char *copy = xstrdup(value);
-
-        for (char *prot = strtok(copy, ",");
-             prot != NULL;
-             prot = strtok(NULL, ","))
-        {
-
-            /* Strip leading whitespace */
-            while (isspace(prot[0]))
-                prot++;
-
-            /* Strip trailing whitespace */
-            size_t len = strlen(prot);
-            while (isspace(prot[len - 1]))
-                len--;
-            prot[len] = '\0';
-
-            size_t chars = mbsntoc32(NULL, prot, len, 0);
-            if (chars == (size_t)-1) {
-                ctx->value = prot;
-                LOG_CONTEXTUAL_ERRNO("invalid protocol");
-                return false;
-            }
-
-            conf->url.prot_count++;
-            conf->url.protocols = xrealloc(
-                conf->url.protocols,
-                conf->url.prot_count * sizeof(conf->url.protocols[0]));
-
-            size_t idx = conf->url.prot_count - 1;
-            conf->url.protocols[idx] = xmalloc((chars + 1 + 3) * sizeof(char32_t));
-            mbsntoc32(conf->url.protocols[idx], prot, len, chars + 1);
-            c32cpy(&conf->url.protocols[idx][chars], U"://");
-
-            chars += 3;  /* Include the "://" */
-            if (chars > conf->url.max_prot_len)
-                conf->url.max_prot_len = chars;
-        }
-
-        free(copy);
-        return true;
-    }
-
-    else if (streq(key, "uri-characters")) {
-        if (!value_to_wchars(ctx, &conf->url.uri_characters))
-            return false;
-
-        qsort(
-            conf->url.uri_characters,
-            c32len(conf->url.uri_characters),
-            sizeof(conf->url.uri_characters[0]),
-            &c32cmp_single);
-        return true;
-    }
-
     else {
         LOG_CONTEXTUAL_ERR("not a valid option: %s", key);
         return false;
@@ -3196,7 +3123,6 @@ config_load(struct config *conf, const char *conf_path,
         },
         .url = {
             .label_letters = xc32dup(U"sadfjklewcmpgh"),
-            .uri_characters = xc32dup(U"abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789-_.,~:;/?#@!$&%*+=\"'()[]"),
             .osc8_underline = OSC8_UNDERLINE_URL_MODE,
         },
         .can_shape_grapheme = fcft_caps & FCFT_CAPABILITY_GRAPHEME_SHAPING,
@@ -3315,34 +3241,6 @@ config_load(struct config *conf, const char *conf_path,
     tokenize_cmdline("--action ${action-name}=${action-label}", &conf->desktop_notifications.command_action_arg.argv.args);
     tokenize_cmdline("xdg-open ${url}", &conf->url.launch.argv.args);
 
-    static const char32_t *url_protocols[] = {
-        U"http://",
-        U"https://",
-        U"ftp://",
-        U"ftps://",
-        U"file://",
-        U"gemini://",
-        U"gopher://",
-        U"irc://",
-        U"ircs://",
-    };
-    conf->url.protocols = xmalloc(
-        ALEN(url_protocols) * sizeof(conf->url.protocols[0]));
-    conf->url.prot_count = ALEN(url_protocols);
-    conf->url.max_prot_len = 0;
-
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < ALEN(url_protocols); i++) {
-        size_t len = c32len(url_protocols[i]);
-        if (len > conf->url.max_prot_len)
-            conf->url.max_prot_len = len;
-        conf->url.protocols[i] = xc32dup(url_protocols[i]);
-    }
-
-    qsort(
-        conf->url.uri_characters,
-        c32len(conf->url.uri_characters),
-        sizeof(conf->url.uri_characters[0]),
-        &c32cmp_single);
 
     tll_foreach(*initial_user_notifications, it) {
         tll_push_back(conf->notifications, it->item);
@@ -3577,12 +3475,7 @@ config_clone(const struct config *old)
     config_font_list_clone(&conf->csd.font, &old->csd.font);
 
     conf->url.label_letters = xc32dup(old->url.label_letters);
-    conf->url.uri_characters = xc32dup(old->url.uri_characters);
     spawn_template_clone(&conf->url.launch, &old->url.launch);
-    conf->url.protocols = xmalloc(
-        old->url.prot_count * sizeof(conf->url.protocols[0]));
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < old->url.prot_count; i++)
-        conf->url.protocols[i] = xc32dup(old->url.protocols[i]);
 
     key_binding_list_clone(&conf->bindings.key, &old->bindings.key);
     key_binding_list_clone(&conf->bindings.search, &old->bindings.search);
@@ -3663,10 +3556,6 @@ config_free(struct config *conf)
 
     free(conf->url.label_letters);
     spawn_template_free(&conf->url.launch);
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < conf->url.prot_count; i++)
-        free(conf->url.protocols[i]);
-    free(conf->url.protocols);
-    free(conf->url.uri_characters);
 
     free_key_binding_list(&conf->bindings.key);
     free_key_binding_list(&conf->bindings.search);
diff --git a/config.h b/config.h
index 7d9f88c3..a7947d9d 100644
--- a/config.h
+++ b/config.h
@@ -219,11 +219,6 @@ struct config {
             OSC8_UNDERLINE_URL_MODE,
             OSC8_UNDERLINE_ALWAYS,
         } osc8_underline;
-
-        char32_t **protocols;
-        char32_t *uri_characters;
-        size_t prot_count;
-        size_t max_prot_len;
     } url;
 
     struct {
diff --git a/doc/foot.ini.5.scd b/doc/foot.ini.5.scd
index 903d3375..813348c9 100644
--- a/doc/foot.ini.5.scd
+++ b/doc/foot.ini.5.scd
@@ -782,19 +782,6 @@ xdgtoken=95ebdfe56e4f47ddb5bba9d7dc3a2c35
 	
 	Default: _sadfjklewcmpgh_.
 
-*protocols*
-	Comma separated list of protocols (schemes) that should be
-	recognized in URL mode. Note that only auto-detected URLs are
-	affected by this option. OSC-8 URLs are always enabled, regardless
-	of protocol. Default: _http, https, ftp, ftps, file, gemini,
-	gopher, irc, ircs_.
-
-*uri-characters*
-	Set of characters allowed in auto-detected URLs. Any character not
-	included in this set constitutes a URL delimiter.
-	
-	Default:
-	_abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789-\_.,~:;/?#@!$&%\*+="'()[]_
 
 # SECTION: cursor
 
diff --git a/foot.ini b/foot.ini
index 17fabd3d..864c990c 100644
--- a/foot.ini
+++ b/foot.ini
@@ -69,8 +69,6 @@
 # launch=xdg-open ${url}
 # label-letters=sadfjklewcmpgh
 # osc8-underline=url-mode
-# protocols=http, https, ftp, ftps, file, gemini, gopher
-# uri-characters=abcdefghijklmnopqrstuvwxyzABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ0123456789-_.,~:;/?#@!$&%*+="'()[]
 
 [cursor]
 # style=block
diff --git a/tests/test-config.c b/tests/test-config.c
index 303ddd6f..37cf4f22 100644
--- a/tests/test-config.c
+++ b/tests/test-config.c
@@ -106,50 +106,6 @@ test_c32string(struct context *ctx, bool (*parse_fun)(struct context *ctx),
     }
 }
 
-static void
-test_protocols(struct context *ctx, bool (*parse_fun)(struct context *ctx),
-               const char *key, char32_t **const *ptr)
-{
-    ctx->key = key;
-
-    static const struct {
-        const char *option_string;
-        int count;
-        const char32_t *value[2];
-        bool invalid;
-    } input[] = {
-        {""},
-        {"http", 1, {U"http://"}},
-        {" http", 1, {U"http://"}},
-        {"http, https", 2, {U"http://", U"https://"}},
-        {"longprotocolislong", 1, {U"longprotocolislong://"}},
-    };
-
-    for (size_t i = 0; i < ALEN(input); i++) {
-        ctx->value = input[i].option_string;
-
-        if (input[i].invalid) {
-            if (parse_fun(ctx)) {
-                BUG("[%s].%s=%s: did not fail to parse as expected",
-                    ctx->section, ctx->key, &ctx->value[0]);
-            }
-        } else {
-            if (!parse_fun(ctx)) {
-                BUG("[%s].%s=%s: failed to parse",
-                    ctx->section, ctx->key, &ctx->value[0]);
-            }
-            for (int c = 0; c < input[i].count; c++) {
-                if (c32cmp((*ptr)[c], input[i].value[c]) != 0) {
-                    BUG("[%s].%s=%s: set value[%d] (%ls) not the expected one (%ls)",
-                        ctx->section, ctx->key, &ctx->value[c], c,
-                        (const wchar_t *)(*ptr)[c],
-                        (const wchar_t *)input[i].value[c]);
-                }
-            }
-        }
-    }
-}
-
 static void
 test_boolean(struct context *ctx, bool (*parse_fun)(struct context *ctx),
              const char *key, const bool *ptr)
@@ -647,9 +603,6 @@ test_section_url(void)
               (int []){OSC8_UNDERLINE_URL_MODE, OSC8_UNDERLINE_ALWAYS},
               (int *)&conf.url.osc8_underline);
     test_c32string(&ctx, &parse_section_url, "label-letters", &conf.url.label_letters);
-    test_protocols(&ctx, &parse_section_url, "protocols", &conf.url.protocols);
-
-    /* TODO: uri-characters (wchar string, but sorted) */
 
     config_free(&conf);
 }