diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 883f23479..87be33af6 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ option(USE_NSEC                "Support nanosecond precision file mtimes and cti
 option(USE_GSSAPI              "Enable SPNEGO authentication using GSSAPI" OFF)
    set(USE_HTTP_PARSER         "" CACHE STRING "Selects HTTP Parser support: http-parser, llhttp, or builtin. (Defaults to builtin.)")
 #  set(USE_XDIFF               "" CACHE STRING "Specifies the xdiff implementation; either system or builtin.")
-   set(REGEX_BACKEND           "" CACHE STRING "Selects regex provider. One of regcomp_l, pcre2, pcre, regcomp, or builtin.")
+   set(USE_REGEX               "" CACHE STRING "Selects regex provider. One of regcomp_l, pcre2, pcre, regcomp, or builtin.")
    set(USE_COMPRESSION         "" CACHE STRING "Selects compression backend. Either builtin or zlib.")
 
 # Debugging options
diff --git a/cmake/SelectRegex.cmake b/cmake/SelectRegex.cmake
index 840ec7f34..64cc2f148 100644
--- a/cmake/SelectRegex.cmake
+++ b/cmake/SelectRegex.cmake
@@ -1,27 +1,35 @@
 # Specify regular expression implementation
 find_package(PCRE)
 
-if(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "")
+set(OPTION_NAME "USE_REGEX")
+
+# Fall back to the previous cmake configuration, "USE_BUNDLED_ZLIB"
+if(NOT USE_REGEX AND REGEX_BACKEND)
+	set(USE_REGEX "${REGEX_BACKEND}")
+	set(OPTION_NAME "REGEX_BACKEND")
+endif()
+
+if(NOT USE_REGEX)
 	check_symbol_exists(regcomp_l "regex.h;xlocale.h" HAVE_REGCOMP_L)
 
 	if(HAVE_REGCOMP_L)
 		# 'regcomp_l' has been explicitly marked unavailable on iOS_SDK
 		if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME MATCHES "iOS")
-			set(REGEX_BACKEND "regcomp")
+			set(USE_REGEX "regcomp")
 		else()
-			set(REGEX_BACKEND "regcomp_l")
+			set(USE_REGEX "regcomp_l")
 		endif()
 	elseif(PCRE_FOUND)
-		set(REGEX_BACKEND "pcre")
+		set(USE_REGEX "pcre")
 	else()
-		set(REGEX_BACKEND "builtin")
+		set(USE_REGEX "builtin")
 	endif()
 endif()
 
-if(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "regcomp_l")
+if(USE_REGEX STREQUAL "regcomp_l")
 	add_feature_info(regex ON "using system regcomp_l")
 	set(GIT_REGEX_REGCOMP_L 1)
-elseif(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "pcre2")
+elseif(USE_REGEX STREQUAL "pcre2")
 	find_package(PCRE2)
 
 	if(NOT PCRE2_FOUND)
@@ -34,23 +42,23 @@ elseif(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "pcre2")
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_SYSTEM_INCLUDES ${PCRE2_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_SYSTEM_LIBS ${PCRE2_LIBRARIES})
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_PC_REQUIRES "libpcre2-8")
-elseif(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "pcre")
+elseif(USE_REGEX STREQUAL "pcre")
 	add_feature_info(regex ON "using system PCRE")
 	set(GIT_REGEX_PCRE 1)
 
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_SYSTEM_INCLUDES ${PCRE_INCLUDE_DIRS})
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_SYSTEM_LIBS ${PCRE_LIBRARIES})
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_PC_REQUIRES "libpcre")
-elseif(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "regcomp")
+elseif(USE_REGEX STREQUAL "regcomp")
 	add_feature_info(regex ON "using system regcomp")
 	set(GIT_REGEX_REGCOMP 1)
-elseif(REGEX_BACKEND STREQUAL "builtin")
-	add_feature_info(regex ON "using bundled PCRE")
+elseif(USE_REGEX STREQUAL "builtin")
+	add_feature_info(regex ON "using builtin")
 	set(GIT_REGEX_BUILTIN 1)
 
 	add_subdirectory("${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/pcre" "${PROJECT_BINARY_DIR}/deps/pcre")
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_DEPENDENCY_INCLUDES "${PROJECT_SOURCE_DIR}/deps/pcre")
 	list(APPEND LIBGIT2_DEPENDENCY_OBJECTS $<TARGET_OBJECTS:pcre>)
 else()
-	message(FATAL_ERROR "The REGEX_BACKEND option provided is not supported")
+	message(FATAL_ERROR "unknown setting to ${OPTION_NAME}: ${USE_REGEX}")
 endif()