diff --git a/src/nvim/path.c b/src/nvim/path.c
index cf7cd98829..21a3a67e24 100644
--- a/src/nvim/path.c
+++ b/src/nvim/path.c
@@ -620,7 +620,7 @@ static size_t do_path_expand(garray_T *gap, const char *path, size_t wildoff, in
   static int stardepth = 0;  // depth for "**" expansion
 
   // Expanding "**" may take a long time, check for CTRL-C.
-  if (stardepth > 0) {
+  if (stardepth > 0 && !(flags & EW_NOBREAK)) {
     os_breakcheck();
     if (got_int) {
       return 0;
@@ -701,7 +701,8 @@ static size_t do_path_expand(garray_T *gap, const char *path, size_t wildoff, in
   if (flags & (EW_NOERROR | EW_NOTWILD)) {
     emsg_silent++;
   }
-  regmatch.regprog = vim_regcomp(pat, RE_MAGIC);
+  bool nobreak = (flags & EW_NOBREAK);
+  regmatch.regprog = vim_regcomp(pat, RE_MAGIC | (nobreak ? RE_NOBREAK : 0));
   if (flags & (EW_NOERROR | EW_NOTWILD)) {
     emsg_silent--;
   }
diff --git a/src/nvim/path.h b/src/nvim/path.h
index c8d192dffe..eaadc7f37d 100644
--- a/src/nvim/path.h
+++ b/src/nvim/path.h
@@ -26,6 +26,7 @@
 #define EW_DODOT        0x4000   // also files starting with a dot
 #define EW_EMPTYOK      0x8000   // no matches is not an error
 #define EW_NOTENV       0x10000  // do not expand environment variables
+#define EW_NOBREAK      0x20000  // do not invoke breakcheck
 
 /// Return value for the comparison of two files. Also @see path_full_compare.
 typedef enum file_comparison {
diff --git a/src/nvim/regexp.c b/src/nvim/regexp.c
index 3ed32bf8af..b5cffb17d0 100644
--- a/src/nvim/regexp.c
+++ b/src/nvim/regexp.c
@@ -989,6 +989,8 @@ typedef struct {
   // flag in the regexp.  Defaults to false, always.
   bool reg_icombine;
 
+  bool reg_nobreak;
+
   // Copy of "rmm_maxcol": maximum column to search for a match.  Zero when
   // there is no maximum.
   colnr_T reg_maxcol;
@@ -1011,6 +1013,13 @@ typedef struct {
 static regexec_T rex;
 static bool rex_in_use = false;
 
+static void reg_breakcheck(void)
+{
+  if (!rex.reg_nobreak) {
+    fast_breakcheck();
+  }
+}
+
 // Return true if character 'c' is included in 'iskeyword' option for
 // "reg_buf" buffer.
 static bool reg_iswordc(int c)
@@ -1221,7 +1230,7 @@ static void reg_nextline(void)
 {
   rex.line = (uint8_t *)reg_getline(++rex.lnum);
   rex.input = rex.line;
-  fast_breakcheck();
+  reg_breakcheck();
 }
 
 // Check whether a backreference matches.
@@ -2265,6 +2274,7 @@ static void init_regexec_multi(regmmatch_T *rmp, win_T *win, buf_T *buf, linenr_
   rex.reg_line_lbr = false;
   rex.reg_ic = rmp->rmm_ic;
   rex.reg_icombine = false;
+  rex.reg_nobreak = rmp->regprog->re_flags & RE_NOBREAK;
   rex.reg_maxcol = rmp->rmm_maxcol;
 }
 
diff --git a/src/nvim/regexp.h b/src/nvim/regexp.h
index dcc58fa34c..95296a5f90 100644
--- a/src/nvim/regexp.h
+++ b/src/nvim/regexp.h
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@
 #define RE_STRING       2       ///< match in string instead of buffer text
 #define RE_STRICT       4       ///< don't allow [abc] without ]
 #define RE_AUTO         8       ///< automatic engine selection
+#define RE_NOBREAK      16      ///< don't use breakcheck functions
 
 // values for reg_do_extmatch
 #define REX_SET        1       ///< to allow \z\(...\),
diff --git a/src/nvim/regexp_bt.c b/src/nvim/regexp_bt.c
index af3d93f7c4..a6f554d4ae 100644
--- a/src/nvim/regexp_bt.c
+++ b/src/nvim/regexp_bt.c
@@ -3539,7 +3539,7 @@ static bool regmatch(uint8_t *scan, proftime_T *tm, int *timed_out)
   for (;;) {
     // Some patterns may take a long time to match, e.g., "\([a-z]\+\)\+Q".
     // Allow interrupting them with CTRL-C.
-    fast_breakcheck();
+    reg_breakcheck();
 
 #ifdef REGEXP_DEBUG
     if (scan != NULL && regnarrate) {
@@ -4792,7 +4792,7 @@ static bool regmatch(uint8_t *scan, proftime_T *tm, int *timed_out)
                   break;
                 }
                 rex.input = rex.line + strlen((char *)rex.line);
-                fast_breakcheck();
+                reg_breakcheck();
               } else {
                 MB_PTR_BACK(rex.line, rex.input);
               }
@@ -5155,6 +5155,7 @@ static int bt_regexec_nl(regmatch_T *rmp, uint8_t *line, colnr_T col, bool line_
   rex.reg_win = NULL;
   rex.reg_ic = rmp->rm_ic;
   rex.reg_icombine = false;
+  rex.reg_nobreak = rmp->regprog->re_flags & RE_NOBREAK;
   rex.reg_maxcol = 0;
 
   long r = bt_regexec_both(line, col, NULL, NULL);
diff --git a/src/nvim/regexp_nfa.c b/src/nvim/regexp_nfa.c
index 260d40a202..69d4f00ee5 100644
--- a/src/nvim/regexp_nfa.c
+++ b/src/nvim/regexp_nfa.c
@@ -5890,7 +5890,7 @@ static int nfa_regmatch(nfa_regprog_T *prog, nfa_state_T *start, regsubs_T *subm
   regsubs_T *r;
   // Some patterns may take a long time to match, especially when using
   // recursive_regmatch(). Allow interrupting them with CTRL-C.
-  fast_breakcheck();
+  reg_breakcheck();
   if (got_int) {
     return false;
   }
@@ -6020,7 +6020,7 @@ static int nfa_regmatch(nfa_regprog_T *prog, nfa_state_T *start, regsubs_T *subm
     for (listidx = 0; listidx < thislist->n; listidx++) {
       // If the list gets very long there probably is something wrong.
       // At least allow interrupting with CTRL-C.
-      fast_breakcheck();
+      reg_breakcheck();
       if (got_int) {
         break;
       }
@@ -7168,7 +7168,7 @@ nextchar:
     }
 
     // Allow interrupting with CTRL-C.
-    line_breakcheck();
+    reg_breakcheck();
     if (got_int) {
       break;
     }
@@ -7591,6 +7591,7 @@ static int nfa_regexec_nl(regmatch_T *rmp, uint8_t *line, colnr_T col, bool line
   rex.reg_win = NULL;
   rex.reg_ic = rmp->rm_ic;
   rex.reg_icombine = false;
+  rex.reg_nobreak = rmp->regprog->re_flags & RE_NOBREAK;
   rex.reg_maxcol = 0;
   return (int)nfa_regexec_both(line, col, NULL, NULL);
 }
diff --git a/src/nvim/runtime.c b/src/nvim/runtime.c
index 401139a89a..a6ed5c7410 100644
--- a/src/nvim/runtime.c
+++ b/src/nvim/runtime.c
@@ -470,7 +470,8 @@ int do_in_cached_path(char *name, int flags, DoInRuntimepathCB callback, void *c
         }
 
         int ew_flags = ((flags & DIP_DIR) ? EW_DIR : EW_FILE)
-                       | (flags & DIP_DIRFILE) ? (EW_DIR|EW_FILE) : 0;
+                       | ((flags & DIP_DIRFILE) ? (EW_DIR|EW_FILE) : 0)
+                       | EW_NOBREAK;
 
         // Expand wildcards, invoke the callback for each match.
         char *(pat[]) = { buf };
@@ -670,7 +671,7 @@ static void expand_rtp_entry(RuntimeSearchPath *search_path, Map(String, handle_
   int num_files;
   char **files;
   char *(pat[]) = { entry };
-  if (gen_expand_wildcards(1, pat, &num_files, &files, EW_DIR) == OK) {
+  if (gen_expand_wildcards(1, pat, &num_files, &files, EW_DIR | EW_NOBREAK) == OK) {
     for (int i = 0; i < num_files; i++) {
       push_path(search_path, rtp_used, files[i], after);
     }