--- mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl.orig	2013-09-23 00:27:59.000000000 +0000
+++ mysql-test/mysql-test-run.pl	2013-09-23 00:29:19.000000000 +0000
@@ -1889,6 +1889,7 @@
   $list =~ s/\n {22}(\S)/ $1/g;
 
   my @list= split '\n', $list;
+  $exe_mysqld =~ s/([\\.+*{}\(\)[\]])/\\\1/g; # escape everything that looks like a regex - https://mariadb.atlassian.net/browse/MDEV-4977
   mtr_error("Could not find version of MariaDB")
      unless shift(@list) =~ /^$exe_mysqld\s+Ver\s(\d+)\.(\d+)\.(\d+)(\S*)/;
   $mysql_version_id= $1*10000 + $2*100 + $3;