diff --git a/include/regex.h b/include/regex.h
index 24eca2c297..5cf3ef7636 100644
--- a/include/regex.h
+++ b/include/regex.h
@@ -37,7 +37,8 @@ extern int __regcomp (regex_t *__preg, const char *__pattern, int __cflags);
 libc_hidden_proto (__regcomp)
 
 extern int __regexec (const regex_t *__preg, const char *__string,
-		      size_t __nmatch, regmatch_t __pmatch[], int __eflags);
+		      size_t __nmatch, regmatch_t __pmatch[_VLA_ARG (__nmatch)],
+		      int __eflags);
 libc_hidden_proto (__regexec)
 
 extern size_t __regerror (int __errcode, const regex_t *__preg,
diff --git a/misc/sys/cdefs.h b/misc/sys/cdefs.h
index e490fc1aeb..6b6e4c233c 100644
--- a/misc/sys/cdefs.h
+++ b/misc/sys/cdefs.h
@@ -632,4 +632,14 @@ _Static_assert (0, "IEEE 128-bits long double requires redirection on this platf
 # define __attribute_returns_twice__ /* Ignore.  */
 #endif
 
+
+#if (defined __STDC_VERSION__ && 199901L <= __STDC_VERSION__	\
+     && !defined __STDC_NO_VLA__)
+/* Used to specify a variable bound in a declaration of a function
+   VLA-like parameter, as in 'int f (int n, int[_VLA_ARG (n)n]);'  */
+# define _VLA_ARG(arg) arg
+#else
+# define _VLA_ARG(arg)
+#endif
+
 #endif	 /* sys/cdefs.h */
diff --git a/posix/regex.h b/posix/regex.h
index 14fb1d8364..52ccc4b577 100644
--- a/posix/regex.h
+++ b/posix/regex.h
@@ -654,9 +654,8 @@ extern int regcomp (regex_t *_Restrict_ __preg,
 
 extern int regexec (const regex_t *_Restrict_ __preg,
 		    const char *_Restrict_ __String, size_t __nmatch,
-		    regmatch_t __pmatch[_Restrict_arr_],
-		    int __eflags)
-    __attr_access ((__write_only__, 4, 3));
+		    regmatch_t __pmatch[_Restrict_arr_ _VLA_ARG (__nmatch)],
+		    int __eflags);
 
 extern size_t regerror (int __errcode, const regex_t *_Restrict_ __preg,
 			char *_Restrict_ __errbuf, size_t __errbuf_size)