diff --git a/re.c b/re.c
index 9d7a783..b6f30cf 100644
--- a/re.c
+++ b/re.c
@@ -71,7 +71,18 @@ static int ismetachar(char c);
 /* Public functions: */
 int re_match(const char* pattern, const char* text, int* matchlength)
 {
+#if (RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS == 1)
+  re_t re_p; /* pointer to (to be created) copy of compiled regex */
+  int ret = -1;
+
+  re_p = re_compile(pattern);
+  ret = re_matchp(re_p, text, matchlength);
+  free(re_p);
+
+  return (ret);
+#else
   return re_matchp(re_compile(pattern), text, matchlength);
+#endif
 }
 
 int re_matchp(re_t pattern, const char* text, int* matchlength)
@@ -113,6 +124,9 @@ re_t re_compile(const char* pattern)
   static regex_t re_compiled[MAX_REGEXP_OBJECTS];
   static unsigned char ccl_buf[MAX_CHAR_CLASS_LEN];
   int ccl_bufidx = 1;
+#if (RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS == 1)
+  re_t re_p; /* pointer to (to be created) copy of compiled regex in re_compiled */
+#endif
 
   char c;     /* current char in pattern   */
   int i = 0;  /* index into pattern        */
@@ -238,9 +252,26 @@ re_t re_compile(const char* pattern)
   /* 'UNUSED' is a sentinel used to indicate end-of-pattern */
   re_compiled[j].type = UNUSED;
 
-  return (re_t) re_compiled;
+#if (RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS == 1)
+  re_p = (re_t)calloc(1, sizeof(re_compiled));
+  memcpy(re_p, re_compiled, sizeof(re_compiled));
+  return re_p;
+#else
+  return (re_t)re_compiled;
+#endif
 }
 
+#if (RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS == 1)
+void re_freecompile(re_t pattern)
+{
+  if (pattern)
+  {
+    free(pattern);
+    pattern = NULL;
+  }
+}
+#endif
+
 void re_print(regex_t* pattern)
 {
   const char* types[] = { "UNUSED", "DOT", "BEGIN", "END", "QUESTIONMARK", "STAR", "PLUS", "CHAR", "CHAR_CLASS", "INV_CHAR_CLASS", "DIGIT", "NOT_DIGIT", "ALPHA", "NOT_ALPHA", "WHITESPACE", "NOT_WHITESPACE", "BRANCH" };
diff --git a/re.h b/re.h
index b120f21..e5bf2c5 100644
--- a/re.h
+++ b/re.h
@@ -36,6 +36,11 @@
 #define RE_DOT_MATCHES_NEWLINE 1
 #endif
 
+/* Define to Support for multiple patterns */
+#ifndef RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS
+#define RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS 0
+#endif
+
 #ifdef __cplusplus
 extern "C"{
 #endif
@@ -49,10 +54,13 @@ typedef struct regex_t* re_t;
 /* Compile regex string pattern to a regex_t-array. */
 re_t re_compile(const char* pattern);
 
-
 /* Find matches of the compiled pattern inside text. */
 int  re_matchp(re_t pattern, const char* text, int* matchlenght);
 
+/* Free memory of the compiled pattern */
+#if (RE_ENABLE_MULTI_PATTERNS == 1)
+void re_freecompile(re_t pattern);
+#endif
 
 /* Find matches of the txt pattern inside text (will compile automatically first). */
 int  re_match(const char* pattern, const char* text, int* matchlenght);