diff --git a/.github/workflows/codeguardian.yml b/.github/workflows/codeguardian.yml
index ccc0fe3..c39a1f7 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/codeguardian.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/codeguardian.yml
@@ -6,6 +6,8 @@ on:
   pull_request:
     branches: [ main ]
 
+  workflow_dispatch:
+
 jobs:
   scan:
     name: Run CodeGuardian
diff --git a/src/safeRegex.js b/src/safeRegex.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..a022ba1
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/safeRegex.js
@@ -0,0 +1,46 @@
+import { Worker, isMainThread, parentPort, workerData } from "node:worker_threads";
+
+if (!isMainThread) {
+  // runs inside the isolated worker thread
+  const { line, pattern, flags } = workerData;
+  try {
+    const regex = new RegExp(pattern, flags || "g");
+    const matched = regex.test(line);
+    parentPort.postMessage({ success: true, matched });
+  } catch (error) {
+    parentPort.postMessage({ success: false, error: error.message });
+  }
+}
+
+/* 
+ * runs on main thread
+ */
+export function matchWithTimeout(line, rule, timeoutMs = 50) {
+  return new Promise((resolve) => {
+    const worker = new Worker(new URL(import.meta.url), {
+      workerData: { line, pattern: rule.pattern, flags: rule.flags },
+    });
+
+    // Kill the thread if it takes too long
+    const timeout = setTimeout(() => {
+      worker.terminate();
+      resolve(false);
+    }, timeoutMs);
+
+    worker.on("message", (msg) => {
+      clearTimeout(timeout);
+      worker.terminate();
+      if (msg.success) {
+        resolve(msg.matched);
+      } else {
+        resolve(false);
+      }
+    });
+
+    worker.on("error", () => {
+      clearTimeout(timeout);
+      worker.terminate();
+      resolve(false);
+    });
+  });
+}
diff --git a/src/scanner.js b/src/scanner.js
index 18252cb..5f8f38e 100644
--- a/src/scanner.js
+++ b/src/scanner.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import ignore from 'ignore';
 import { execSync } from 'node:child_process';
 import { styleText } from 'node:util';
 import { findUnusedModules } from './unusedModuleDetector.js';
+import { matchWithTimeout } from './safeRegex.js';
 
 const DEFAULT_CONFIG_FILES = ['.codeguardianrc.json', 'codeguardian.config.json'];
 
@@ -70,22 +71,14 @@ function listFiles({ staged, ignoreFiles } = {}) {
   return entries.filter(e => !ig.ignores(e));
 }
 
-function findMatchesInFile(content, rules) {
+async function findMatchesInFile(content, rules) {
   const lines = content.split(/\r?\n/);
   const findings = [];
   for (let i = 0; i < lines.length; i++) {
     const line = lines[i];
     for (const rule of rules) {
-      let flags = 'g';
-      if (rule.flags) flags = rule.flags;
-      let regex;
-      try {
-        regex = new RegExp(rule.pattern, flags);
-      } catch (err) {
-        // invalid regex, skip
-        continue;
-      }
-      if (regex.test(line)) {
+      const isMatch = await matchWithTimeout(line, rule, 50);
+      if (isMatch) {
         findings.push({ rule: rule.name || 'unnamed', lineNumber: i + 1, line: line.trim(), pattern: rule.pattern });
       }
     }
@@ -121,7 +114,7 @@ async function run({ configPath = null, staged = false, verbose = false } = {})
       continue;
     }
     filesScanned++;
-    const fileFindings = findMatchesInFile(content, rules);
+    const fileFindings = await findMatchesInFile(content, rules);
     if (fileFindings.length > 0) {
       findings.push({ file, matches: fileFindings });
     }