diff --git a/scripts/call.py b/scripts/call.py
index 18cca8c..4fa64a7 100644
--- a/scripts/call.py
+++ b/scripts/call.py
@@ -203,14 +203,8 @@ def main(args):
             "pseudogene",  # FIXME: do we want all these?
         ]:
             # FIXME: we may need to add more chars to the regex
-            gidx = (
-                re.search('gene_id "[A-Za-z0-9_]+";', line[-1]).group(0).split('"')[-2]
-            )
-            tidx = (
-                re.search('transcript_id "[A-Za-z0-9_]+";', line[-1])
-                .group(0)
-                .split('"')[-2]
-            )
+            gidx = re.search('gene_id "([^"]+)"', line[-1]).group(1)
+            tidx = re.search('transcript_id "([^"]+)"', line[-1]).group(1)
             transcript2gene[tidx] = gidx
             genestrand[gidx] = line[6]
             genechr[gidx] = line[0]
diff --git a/scripts/remap.py b/scripts/remap.py
index 28aea0d..9c37ca0 100644
--- a/scripts/remap.py
+++ b/scripts/remap.py
@@ -53,11 +53,7 @@ def main(args):
 
         if line[2] != "exon":
             continue
-        tidx = (
-            re.search('transcript_id "[A-Za-z0-9_]+";', line[-1])
-            .group(0)
-            .split('"')[-2]
-        )
+        tidx = re.search('transcript_id "([^"]+)"', line[-1]).group(1)
         if tidx in transcripts:
             s, e = int(line[3]), int(line[4])
             transcripts[tidx].append((s, e))