diff --git a/xwork-core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java b/xwork-core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java
index b46dea322..f72aad8da 100644
--- a/xwork-core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java
+++ b/xwork-core/src/main/java/com/opensymphony/xwork2/validator/validators/URLValidator.java
@@ -73,19 +73,18 @@ public class URLValidator extends FieldValidatorSupport {
         } else if (StringUtils.isNotEmpty(urlRegex)) {
             return urlRegex;
         } else {
-            return "^(https?|ftp):\\/\\/" +
-                    "(([a-z0-9$_\\.\\+!\\*\\'\\(\\),;\\?&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})+" +
-                    "(:([a-z0-9$_\\.\\+!\\*\\'\\(\\),;\\?&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})+)?" +
-                    "@)?(#?" +
-                    ")((([a-z0-9]\\.|[a-z0-9][a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9]\\.)*" +
+            return "^(?:https?|ftp):\\/\\/" +
+                    "(?:(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;?&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})+" +
+                    "(?::(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;?&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})+)?" +
+                    "@)?#?" +
+                    "(?:(?:(?:[a-z0-9](?:[a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?\\.)*" +
                     "[a-z][a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9]" +
-                    "|((\\d|[1-9]\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])\\.){3}" +
-                    "(\\d|[1-9]\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4][0-9]|25[0-5])" +
-                    ")(:\\d+)?" +
-                    ")(((\\/([a-z0-9$_\\.\\+!\\*\\'\\(\\),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)*" +
-                    "(\\?([a-z0-9$_\\.\\+!\\*\\'\\(\\),;:@&=\\-\\/\\:]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)" +
-                    "?)?)?" +
-                    "(#([a-z0-9$_\\.\\+!\\*\\'\\(\\),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)?" +
+                    "|(?:(?:[1-9]?\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4]\\d|25[0-5])\\.){3}" +
+                    "(?:[1-9]?\\d|1\\d{2}|2[0-4]\\d|25[0-5])" +
+                    ")(?::\\d+)?" +
+                    ")(?:(?:\\/(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)*" +
+                    "(?:\\?(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-\\/:]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)?)?" +
+                    "(?:#(?:[a-z0-9$_.+!*'(),;:@&=\\-]|%[0-9a-f]{2})*)?" +
                     "$";
         }
     }