diff --git a/.gitignore b/.gitignore
index ad95556..836bd64 100644
--- a/.gitignore
+++ b/.gitignore
@@ -26,3 +26,5 @@ db
 profile-*
 .__*
 .idea
+
+package-lock.json
diff --git a/lib/persistence/mongo.js b/lib/persistence/mongo.js
index 4681a9b..1bbc0c2 100644
--- a/lib/persistence/mongo.js
+++ b/lib/persistence/mongo.js
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@ OTHER DEALINGS IN THE SOFTWARE.
 "use strict";
 
 var AbstractPersistence = require("./abstract");
+var escape = require('escape-string-regexp');
 var mongo = require('mongodb');
 var MongoClient = mongo.MongoClient;
 var util = require("util");
@@ -267,7 +268,8 @@ MongoPersistence.prototype.storeRetained = function(packet, cb) {
 };
 
 MongoPersistence.prototype.lookupRetained = function(pattern, cb) {
-  var regexp = new RegExp(pattern.replace(/(#|\+)/, ".+").replace('\\', '\\\\'));
+  var actual = escape(pattern).replace(/(#|\\\+).*$/, '');
+  var regexp = new RegExp(actual);
   var stream = this._retained.find({ topic: { $regex: regexp } }).stream();
   var matched = [];
   var matcher = new Matcher();
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 93b9401..6b646dd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -74,6 +74,7 @@
     "clone": "^1.0.2",
     "commander": "~2.9.0",
     "deepcopy": "^0.6.1",
+    "escape-string-regexp": "^1.0.5",
     "extend": "^3.0.0",
     "json-buffer": "~2.0.11",
     "jsonschema": "^1.0.3",