diff --git a/Lib/distutils/cygwinccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/cygwinccompiler.py
index 4887523..da2c74a 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/cygwinccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/cygwinccompiler.py
@@ -409,7 +409,7 @@
         out = os.popen(gcc_exe + ' -dumpversion','r')
         out_string = out.read()
         out.close()
-        result = re.search('(\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)*)',out_string)
+        result = re.search('(\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)*)', out_string, re.ASCII)
         if result:
             gcc_version = StrictVersion(result.group(1))
         else:
@@ -421,7 +421,7 @@
         out = os.popen(ld_exe + ' -v','r')
         out_string = out.read()
         out.close()
-        result = re.search('(\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)*)',out_string)
+        result = re.search('(\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)*)', out_string, re.ASCII)
         if result:
             ld_version = StrictVersion(result.group(1))
         else:
@@ -433,7 +433,7 @@
         out = os.popen(dllwrap_exe + ' --version','r')
         out_string = out.read()
         out.close()
-        result = re.search(' (\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)*)',out_string)
+        result = re.search(' (\d+\.\d+(\.\d+)*)', out_string, re.ASCII)
         if result:
             dllwrap_version = StrictVersion(result.group(1))
         else:
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/emxccompiler.py b/Lib/distutils/emxccompiler.py
index d9ee82d..62a4c5b 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/emxccompiler.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/emxccompiler.py
@@ -300,7 +300,7 @@
         out = os.popen(gcc_exe + ' -dumpversion','r')
         out_string = out.read()
         out.close()
-        result = re.search('(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)',out_string)
+        result = re.search('(\d+\.\d+\.\d+)', out_string, re.ASCII)
         if result:
             gcc_version = StrictVersion(result.group(1))
         else:
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py b/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
index 3a120dd..b17743a 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/sysconfig.py
@@ -512,7 +512,7 @@
                         # patched up as well.
                         'CFLAGS', 'PY_CFLAGS', 'BLDSHARED'):
                     flags = _config_vars[key]
-                    flags = re.sub('-arch\s+\w+\s', ' ', flags)
+                    flags = re.sub('-arch\s+\w+\s', ' ', flags, re.ASCII)
                     flags = re.sub('-isysroot [^ \t]*', ' ', flags)
                     _config_vars[key] = flags
 
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/util.py b/Lib/distutils/util.py
index 76798b9..b87dfbe 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/util.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/util.py
@@ -81,7 +81,7 @@
         return "%s-%s.%s" % (osname, version, release)
     elif osname[:6] == "cygwin":
         osname = "cygwin"
-        rel_re = re.compile (r'[\d.]+')
+        rel_re = re.compile (r'[\d.]+', re.ASCII)
         m = rel_re.match(release)
         if m:
             release = m.group()
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/version.py b/Lib/distutils/version.py
index f71b2f6..907f71c 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/version.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/version.py
@@ -134,7 +134,7 @@
     """
 
     version_re = re.compile(r'^(\d+) \. (\d+) (\. (\d+))? ([ab](\d+))?$',
-                            re.VERBOSE)
+                            re.VERBOSE | re.ASCII)
 
 
     def parse (self, vstring):
diff --git a/Lib/distutils/versionpredicate.py b/Lib/distutils/versionpredicate.py
index 434b34f..b0dd9f4 100644
--- a/Lib/distutils/versionpredicate.py
+++ b/Lib/distutils/versionpredicate.py
@@ -5,7 +5,8 @@
 import operator
 
 
-re_validPackage = re.compile(r"(?i)^\s*([a-z_]\w*(?:\.[a-z_]\w*)*)(.*)")
+re_validPackage = re.compile(r"(?i)^\s*([a-z_]\w*(?:\.[a-z_]\w*)*)(.*)",
+    re.ASCII)
 # (package) (rest)
 
 re_paren = re.compile(r"^\s*\((.*)\)\s*$") # (list) inside of parentheses
@@ -153,7 +154,8 @@
     global _provision_rx
     if _provision_rx is None:
         _provision_rx = re.compile(
-            "([a-zA-Z_]\w*(?:\.[a-zA-Z_]\w*)*)(?:\s*\(\s*([^)\s]+)\s*\))?$")
+            "([a-zA-Z_]\w*(?:\.[a-zA-Z_]\w*)*)(?:\s*\(\s*([^)\s]+)\s*\))?$",
+            re.ASCII)
     value = value.strip()
     m = _provision_rx.match(value)
     if not m: