diff --git a/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.cc b/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.cc
index b16ee843ac..bdf3d09e68 100644
--- a/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.cc
+++ b/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.cc
@@ -194,14 +194,22 @@ void InMemoryPerProcess::resolveMultiMatches(const std::string& var,
 
 void InMemoryPerProcess::resolveRegularExpression(const std::string& var,
     std::vector<const VariableValue *> *l, variables::KeyExclusions &ke) {
+    // Callers that do not hold a compiled regex (e.g. the compartment-prefixed
+    // overloads) still pay the compilation cost here.
     Utils::Regex r(var, true);
+    resolveRegularExpression(&r, l, ke);
+}
+
+
+void InMemoryPerProcess::resolveRegularExpression(const Utils::Regex *r,
+    std::vector<const VariableValue *> *l, variables::KeyExclusions &ke) {
     std::list<std::string> expiredVars;
 
     {
         const std::shared_lock lock(m_mutex); // read lock (shared access)
 
         for (const auto& x : m_map) {
-            const auto ret = Utils::regex_search(x.first, r);
+            const auto ret = Utils::regex_search(x.first, *r);
             if (ret <= 0) {
                 continue;
             }
diff --git a/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.h b/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.h
index 4aa7b1d076..9f7d9506f4 100644
--- a/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.h
+++ b/src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.h
@@ -99,6 +99,13 @@ class InMemoryPerProcess :
     void resolveRegularExpression(const std::string& var,
         std::vector<const VariableValue *> *l,
         variables::KeyExclusions &ke) override;
+    // Concrete fast path: reuse an already-compiled regex (e.g. the one a
+    // VariableRegex holds in m_r) instead of recompiling the pattern on every
+    // call. Intentionally NOT declared on the Collection base class, to keep
+    // that public interface's vtable - and therefore its ABI - unchanged.
+    void resolveRegularExpression(const Utils::Regex *r,
+        std::vector<const VariableValue *> *l,
+        variables::KeyExclusions &ke);
 
     /* store */
     virtual void store(const std::string &key, std::string &compartment,
diff --git a/src/variables/tx.h b/src/variables/tx.h
index 1fae827f13..59e2103c8e 100644
--- a/src/variables/tx.h
+++ b/src/variables/tx.h
@@ -25,6 +25,7 @@
 
 #include "src/variables/variable.h"
 #include "src/run_time_string.h"
+#include "src/collection/backend/in_memory-per_process.h"
 
 namespace modsecurity {
 
@@ -66,17 +67,26 @@ class Tx_NoDictElement : public Variable {
 class Tx_DictElementRegexp : public VariableRegex {
  public:
     explicit Tx_DictElementRegexp(const std::string &dictElement)
-        : VariableRegex("TX", dictElement),
-        m_dictElement(dictElement) { }
+        : VariableRegex("TX", dictElement) { }
 
     void evaluate(Transaction *t,
         RuleWithActions *rule,
         std::vector<const VariableValue *> *l) override {
-        t->m_collections.m_tx_collection->resolveRegularExpression(
-            m_dictElement, l, m_keyExclusion);
+        // TX is always backed by InMemoryPerProcess. Reuse the regex compiled
+        // once in VariableRegex::m_r via the backend's concrete fast path,
+        // instead of recompiling the pattern on every transaction. This is kept
+        // off the Collection base class to avoid an ABI-breaking vtable change;
+        // any other backend falls back to the string-based resolution.
+        auto *collection = t->m_collections.m_tx_collection;
+        if (auto *inMemory =
+                dynamic_cast<collection::backend::InMemoryPerProcess *>(
+                    collection)) {
+            inMemory->resolveRegularExpression(&m_r, l, m_keyExclusion);
+        } else {
+            collection->resolveRegularExpression(m_r.pattern, l,
+                m_keyExclusion);
+        }
     }
-
-    std::string m_dictElement;
 };
 
 
diff --git a/test/test-cases/regression/variable-tx-regex-precompiled.json b/test/test-cases/regression/variable-tx-regex-precompiled.json
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..870cb2170c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/test-cases/regression/variable-tx-regex-precompiled.json
@@ -0,0 +1,78 @@
+[
+  {
+    "enabled": 1,
+    "version_min": 300000,
+    "title": "TX regex variable selector (precompiled regex) - matches in a chained rule",
+    "client": {
+      "ip": "200.249.12.31",
+      "port": 123
+    },
+    "server": {
+      "ip": "200.249.12.31",
+      "port": 80
+    },
+    "request": {
+      "headers": {
+        "Host": "localhost",
+        "User-Agent": "curl/7.38.0",
+        "Content-Length": "0"
+      },
+      "uri": "/test",
+      "method": "GET"
+    },
+    "response": {
+      "headers": {
+        "Content-Type": "text/html",
+        "Content-Length": "8"
+      },
+      "body": ["no need."]
+    },
+    "expected": {
+      "http_code": 403
+    },
+    "rules": [
+      "SecRuleEngine On",
+      "SecAction \"id:1,phase:1,nolog,pass,setvar:'tx.score_a=1',setvar:'tx.score_b=1',setvar:'tx.other=1'\"",
+      "SecRule REQUEST_URI \"@contains /test\" \"id:2,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,chain\"",
+      "    SecRule TX:/^score_/ \"@eq 1\" \"t:none\""
+    ]
+  },
+  {
+    "enabled": 1,
+    "version_min": 300000,
+    "title": "TX regex variable selector (precompiled regex) - selector excludes non-matching keys",
+    "client": {
+      "ip": "200.249.12.31",
+      "port": 123
+    },
+    "server": {
+      "ip": "200.249.12.31",
+      "port": 80
+    },
+    "request": {
+      "headers": {
+        "Host": "localhost",
+        "User-Agent": "curl/7.38.0",
+        "Content-Length": "0"
+      },
+      "uri": "/test",
+      "method": "GET"
+    },
+    "response": {
+      "headers": {
+        "Content-Type": "text/html",
+        "Content-Length": "8"
+      },
+      "body": ["no need."]
+    },
+    "expected": {
+      "http_code": 200
+    },
+    "rules": [
+      "SecRuleEngine On",
+      "SecAction \"id:1,phase:1,nolog,pass,setvar:'tx.other=1'\"",
+      "SecRule REQUEST_URI \"@contains /test\" \"id:2,phase:2,deny,status:403,log,chain\"",
+      "    SecRule TX:/^score_/ \"@eq 1\" \"t:none\""
+    ]
+  }
+]