diff --git a/front_end/bindings/IgnoreListManager.js b/front_end/bindings/IgnoreListManager.js
index 7ccc3e8b46..034bcd99c8 100644
--- a/front_end/bindings/IgnoreListManager.js
+++ b/front_end/bindings/IgnoreListManager.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
 import * as Common from '../common/common.js';
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
 import * as SDK from '../sdk/sdk.js';
 import * as Workspace from '../workspace/workspace.js';
 
@@ -366,7 +367,7 @@ export class IgnoreListManager {
       return '';
     }
     if (!parsedURL.isValid) {
-      return '^' + url.escapeForRegExp() + '$';
+      return '^' + Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(url) + '$';
     }
     let name = parsedURL.lastPathComponent;
     if (name) {
@@ -389,7 +390,7 @@ export class IgnoreListManager {
       }
       prefix += '.*';
     }
-    return prefix + name.escapeForRegExp() + (url.endsWith(name) ? '$' : '\\b');
+    return prefix + Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(name) + (url.endsWith(name) ? '$' : '\\b');
   }
 }
 
diff --git a/front_end/elements/StylesSidebarPane.js b/front_end/elements/StylesSidebarPane.js
index d46344716d..9f00319184 100644
--- a/front_end/elements/StylesSidebarPane.js
+++ b/front_end/elements/StylesSidebarPane.js
@@ -32,6 +32,7 @@ import * as Common from '../common/common.js';
 import * as Components from '../components/components.js';
 import * as Host from '../host/host.js';
 import * as InlineEditor from '../inline_editor/inline_editor.js';
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
 import {ls} from '../platform/platform.js';
 import * as Root from '../root/root.js';
 import * as SDK from '../sdk/sdk.js';
@@ -250,7 +251,7 @@ export class StylesSidebarPane extends ElementsSidebarPane {
     input.placeholder = placeholder;
 
     function searchHandler() {
-      const regex = input.value ? new RegExp(input.value.escapeForRegExp(), 'i') : null;
+      const regex = input.value ? new RegExp(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(input.value), 'i') : null;
       filterCallback(regex);
     }
     input.addEventListener('input', searchHandler, false);
diff --git a/front_end/legacy/legacy-defs.d.ts b/front_end/legacy/legacy-defs.d.ts
index 356e5e9168..5e08202693 100644
--- a/front_end/legacy/legacy-defs.d.ts
+++ b/front_end/legacy/legacy-defs.d.ts
@@ -27,10 +27,6 @@ interface Uint32Array {
   upperBound(value: number, comparator?: {(a: number, b: number): number}, left?: number, right?: number): number;
 }
 
-interface String {
-  escapeForRegExp(): string;
-}
-
 interface RegExp {
   __fromRegExpQuery: boolean;
 }
diff --git a/front_end/network/NetworkLogView.js b/front_end/network/NetworkLogView.js
index 6110595611..bc8583aeb5 100644
--- a/front_end/network/NetworkLogView.js
+++ b/front_end/network/NetworkLogView.js
@@ -282,14 +282,7 @@ export class NetworkLogView extends UI.Widget.VBox {
    * @return {!Filter}
    */
   static _createRequestDomainFilter(value) {
-    /**
-     * @param {string} string
-     * @return {string}
-     */
-    function escapeForRegExp(string) {
-      return string.escapeForRegExp();
-    }
-    const escapedPattern = value.split('*').map(escapeForRegExp).join('.*');
+    const escapedPattern = value.split('*').map(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp).join('.*');
     return NetworkLogView._requestDomainFilter.bind(null, new RegExp('^' + escapedPattern + '$', 'i'));
   }
 
@@ -506,7 +499,7 @@ export class NetworkLogView extends UI.Widget.VBox {
    * @return {boolean}
    */
   static _requestUrlFilter(value, request) {
-    const regex = new RegExp(value.escapeForRegExp(), 'i');
+    const regex = new RegExp(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(value), 'i');
     return regex.test(request.url());
   }
 
@@ -1713,13 +1706,14 @@ export class NetworkLogView extends UI.Widget.VBox {
       const regex = descriptor.regex;
       let filter;
       if (key) {
-        const defaultText = (key + ':' + text).escapeForRegExp();
+        const defaultText = Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(key + ':' + text);
         filter = this._createSpecialFilter(/** @type {!FilterType} */ (key), text) ||
             NetworkLogView._requestPathFilter.bind(null, new RegExp(defaultText, 'i'));
       } else if (descriptor.regex) {
         filter = NetworkLogView._requestPathFilter.bind(null, /** @type {!RegExp} */ (regex));
       } else {
-        filter = NetworkLogView._requestPathFilter.bind(null, new RegExp(text.escapeForRegExp(), 'i'));
+        filter = NetworkLogView._requestPathFilter.bind(
+            null, new RegExp(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(text), 'i'));
       }
       return descriptor.negative ? NetworkLogView._negativeFilter.bind(null, filter) : filter;
     });
diff --git a/front_end/platform/string-utilities.ts b/front_end/platform/string-utilities.ts
index db1c70881e..4faed41cdf 100644
--- a/front_end/platform/string-utilities.ts
+++ b/front_end/platform/string-utilities.ts
@@ -357,16 +357,17 @@ export const removeURLFragment = (inputStr: string): string => {
   return url.toString();
 };
 
+const SPECIAL_REGEX_CHARACTERS = '^[]{}()\\.^$*+?|-,';
+
 export const regexSpecialCharacters = function(): string {
-  return '^[]{}()\\.^$*+?|-,';
+  return SPECIAL_REGEX_CHARACTERS;
 };
 
 export const filterRegex = function(query: string): RegExp {
-  const toEscape = regexSpecialCharacters();
   let regexString = '';
   for (let i = 0; i < query.length; ++i) {
     let c = query.charAt(i);
-    if (toEscape.indexOf(c) !== -1) {
+    if (SPECIAL_REGEX_CHARACTERS.indexOf(c) !== -1) {
       c = '\\' + c;
     }
     if (i) {
@@ -458,3 +459,7 @@ export const trimEndWithMaxLength = (str: string, maxLength: number): string =>
   }
   return str.substr(0, maxLength - 1) + '…';
 };
+
+export const escapeForRegExp = (str: string): string => {
+  return escapeCharacters(str, SPECIAL_REGEX_CHARACTERS);
+};
diff --git a/front_end/platform/utilities.js b/front_end/platform/utilities.js
index 13fcd10b19..1b99ec8d88 100644
--- a/front_end/platform/utilities.js
+++ b/front_end/platform/utilities.js
@@ -33,7 +33,7 @@
  * that has been migrated, it will need to be imported.
  */
 import {inverse} from './map-utilities.js';
-import {caseInsensetiveComparator, escapeCharacters, regexSpecialCharacters, sprintf} from './string-utilities.js';
+import {caseInsensetiveComparator, regexSpecialCharacters, sprintf} from './string-utilities.js';
 
 // Still used in the test runners that can't use ES modules :(
 String.sprintf = sprintf;
@@ -43,14 +43,6 @@ String.regexSpecialCharacters = regexSpecialCharacters;
 // @ts-ignore https://crbug.com/1050549
 String.caseInsensetiveComparator = caseInsensetiveComparator;
 
-/**
- * @this {string}
- * @return {string}
- */
-String.prototype.escapeForRegExp = function() {
-  return escapeCharacters(this, regexSpecialCharacters());
-};
-
 /**
  * @param {string} a
  * @param {string} b
diff --git a/front_end/recorder/RecordingFileSystem.ts b/front_end/recorder/RecordingFileSystem.ts
index eed4c497db..71697ba424 100644
--- a/front_end/recorder/RecordingFileSystem.ts
+++ b/front_end/recorder/RecordingFileSystem.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import * as Common from '../common/common.js';
 import * as i18n from '../i18n/i18n.js';
 import * as Persistence from '../persistence/persistence.js';
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
 import * as TextUtils from '../text_utils/text_utils.js';  // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 import * as Workspace from '../workspace/workspace.js';    // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 
@@ -109,7 +110,7 @@ export class RecordingFileSystem extends Persistence.PlatformFileSystem.Platform
   }
 
   async searchInPath(query: string, _progress: Common.Progress.Progress): Promise<string[]> {
-    const re = new RegExp(query.escapeForRegExp(), 'i');
+    const re = new RegExp(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(query), 'i');
     const allRecordings: Recording[] = this._recordingsSetting.get();
     const matchedRecordings = allRecordings.filter(recording => recording.content.match(re));
     return matchedRecordings.map(recording => `recording:///${escapeRecordingName(recording.name)}`);
diff --git a/front_end/resources/StorageItemsView.js b/front_end/resources/StorageItemsView.js
index 4f20170cdb..7e63423bde 100644
--- a/front_end/resources/StorageItemsView.js
+++ b/front_end/resources/StorageItemsView.js
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
 import * as Common from '../common/common.js';
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
 import * as UI from '../ui/ui.js';
 
 export class StorageItemsView extends UI.Widget.VBox {
@@ -74,7 +75,7 @@ export class StorageItemsView extends UI.Widget.VBox {
    */
   _filterChanged(event) {
     const text = /** @type {?string} */ (event.data);
-    this._filterRegex = text ? new RegExp(text.escapeForRegExp(), 'i') : null;
+    this._filterRegex = text ? new RegExp(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(text), 'i') : null;
     this.refreshItems();
   }
 
diff --git a/front_end/sdk/DebuggerModel.js b/front_end/sdk/DebuggerModel.js
index f1f51922c9..e889e5a6ce 100644
--- a/front_end/sdk/DebuggerModel.js
+++ b/front_end/sdk/DebuggerModel.js
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 import * as Common from '../common/common.js';
 import * as Host from '../host/host.js';
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
 import * as ProtocolClient from '../protocol_client/protocol_client.js';  // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 import * as Root from '../root/root.js';
 
@@ -432,7 +433,8 @@ export class DebuggerModel extends SDKModel {
     let urlRegex;
     if (this.target().type() === Type.Node) {
       const platformPath = Common.ParsedURL.ParsedURL.urlToPlatformPath(url, Host.Platform.isWin());
-      urlRegex = `${platformPath.escapeForRegExp()}|${url.escapeForRegExp()}`;
+      urlRegex =
+          `${Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(platformPath)}|${Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(url)}`;
     }
     // Adjust column if needed.
     let minColumnNumber = 0;
diff --git a/front_end/sdk/NetworkRequest.js b/front_end/sdk/NetworkRequest.js
index 9d1b06d721..9df4375b77 100644
--- a/front_end/sdk/NetworkRequest.js
+++ b/front_end/sdk/NetworkRequest.js
@@ -1234,7 +1234,7 @@ export class NetworkRequest extends Common.ObjectWrapper.ObjectWrapper {
    * @return {!Array.<!NameValue>}
    */
   _parseMultipartFormDataParameters(data, boundary) {
-    const sanitizedBoundary = boundary.escapeForRegExp();
+    const sanitizedBoundary = Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(boundary);
     const keyValuePattern = new RegExp(
         // Header with an optional file name.
         '^\\r\\ncontent-disposition\\s*:\\s*form-data\\s*;\\s*name="([^"]*)"(?:\\s*;\\s*filename="([^"]*)")?' +
diff --git a/front_end/snippets/ScriptSnippetFileSystem.ts b/front_end/snippets/ScriptSnippetFileSystem.ts
index 297e80653c..8560ceaf3b 100644
--- a/front_end/snippets/ScriptSnippetFileSystem.ts
+++ b/front_end/snippets/ScriptSnippetFileSystem.ts
@@ -7,6 +7,7 @@
 import * as Common from '../common/common.js';
 import * as i18n from '../i18n/i18n.js';
 import * as Persistence from '../persistence/persistence.js';
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
 import * as SDK from '../sdk/sdk.js';
 import * as TextUtils from '../text_utils/text_utils.js';  // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 import * as UI from '../ui/ui.js';
@@ -110,7 +111,7 @@ export class SnippetFileSystem extends Persistence.PlatformFileSystem.PlatformFi
   }
 
   async searchInPath(query: string, _progress: Common.Progress.Progress): Promise<string[]> {
-    const re = new RegExp(query.escapeForRegExp(), 'i');
+    const re = new RegExp(Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(query), 'i');
     const allSnippets: Snippet[] = this._snippetsSetting.get();
     const matchedSnippets = allSnippets.filter(snippet => snippet.content.match(re));
     return matchedSnippets.map(snippet => `snippet:///${escapeSnippetName(snippet.name)}`);
diff --git a/front_end/text_editor/CodeMirrorTextEditor.js b/front_end/text_editor/CodeMirrorTextEditor.js
index 6a965c6bad..b102c4e5d7 100644
--- a/front_end/text_editor/CodeMirrorTextEditor.js
+++ b/front_end/text_editor/CodeMirrorTextEditor.js
@@ -1862,7 +1862,7 @@ export class SelectNextOccurrenceController {
       return undefined;
     }
 
-    let regexSource = textToFind.escapeForRegExp();
+    let regexSource = Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(textToFind);
     if (fullWord) {
       regexSource = '\\b' + regexSource + '\\b';
     }
diff --git a/front_end/ui/FilterSuggestionBuilder.js b/front_end/ui/FilterSuggestionBuilder.js
index ae18668745..271b3da9b6 100644
--- a/front_end/ui/FilterSuggestionBuilder.js
+++ b/front_end/ui/FilterSuggestionBuilder.js
@@ -2,6 +2,8 @@
 // Use of this source code is governed by a BSD-style license that can be
 // found in the LICENSE file.
 
+import * as Platform from '../platform/platform.js';
+
 import {Suggestion, Suggestions} from './SuggestBox.js';  // eslint-disable-line no-unused-vars
 
 export class FilterSuggestionBuilder {
@@ -37,7 +39,7 @@ export class FilterSuggestionBuilder {
     /** @type {!Suggestions} */
     const suggestions = [];
     if (valueDelimiterIndex === -1) {
-      const matcher = new RegExp('^' + prefix.escapeForRegExp(), 'i');
+      const matcher = new RegExp('^' + Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(prefix), 'i');
       for (const key of this._keys) {
         if (matcher.test(key)) {
           suggestions.push(/** @type {!Suggestion} */ ({text: modifier + key + ':'}));
@@ -46,7 +48,7 @@ export class FilterSuggestionBuilder {
     } else {
       const key = prefix.substring(0, valueDelimiterIndex).toLowerCase();
       const value = prefix.substring(valueDelimiterIndex + 1);
-      const matcher = new RegExp('^' + value.escapeForRegExp(), 'i');
+      const matcher = new RegExp('^' + Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(value), 'i');
       const values = Array.from(this._valuesMap.get(key) || new Set());
       this._valueSorter(key, values);
       for (const item of values) {
diff --git a/test/unittests/front_end/platform/StringUtilities_test.ts b/test/unittests/front_end/platform/StringUtilities_test.ts
index 7f13c2492c..cc604462f5 100644
--- a/test/unittests/front_end/platform/StringUtilities_test.ts
+++ b/test/unittests/front_end/platform/StringUtilities_test.ts
@@ -622,4 +622,11 @@ describe('StringUtilities', () => {
     }
   });
 
+  describe('escapeForRegExp', () => {
+    it('escapes regex characters', () => {
+      const inputString = '^[]{}()\\.^$*+?|-';
+      const outputString = Platform.StringUtilities.escapeForRegExp(inputString);
+      assert.strictEqual(outputString, '\\^\\[\\]\\{\\}\\(\\)\\\\\\.\\^\\$\\*\\+\\?\\|\\-');
+    });
+  });
 });
diff --git a/test/unittests/front_end/platform/Utilities_test.ts b/test/unittests/front_end/platform/Utilities_test.ts
index 9b10c8aa3a..a7ade59317 100644
--- a/test/unittests/front_end/platform/Utilities_test.ts
+++ b/test/unittests/front_end/platform/Utilities_test.ts
@@ -108,10 +108,4 @@ describe('Utilities', () => {
       }
     }
   });
-
-  it('escapes regex characters', () => {
-    const inputString = '^[]{}()\\.^$*+?|-';
-    const outputString = inputString.escapeForRegExp();
-    assert.strictEqual(outputString, '\\^\\[\\]\\{\\}\\(\\)\\\\\\.\\^\\$\\*\\+\\?\\|\\-');
-  });
 });