diff --git a/internal/actions/ctl.go b/internal/actions/ctl.go
index 9bb0da00a..aef900428 100644
--- a/internal/actions/ctl.go
+++ b/internal/actions/ctl.go
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ package actions
 import (
 	"errors"
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"strconv"
 	"strings"
 
@@ -105,11 +106,12 @@ type ctlFn struct {
 	value      string
 	collection variables.RuleVariable
 	colKey     string
+	colKeyRx   *regexp.Regexp
 }
 
 func (a *ctlFn) Init(_ plugintypes.RuleMetadata, data string) error {
 	var err error
-	a.action, a.value, a.collection, a.colKey, err = parseCtl(data)
+	a.action, a.value, a.collection, a.colKey, a.colKeyRx, err = parseCtl(data)
 	return err
 }
 
@@ -375,10 +377,10 @@ func (a *ctlFn) Type() plugintypes.ActionType {
 	return plugintypes.ActionTypeNondisruptive
 }
 
-func parseCtl(data string) (ctlFunctionType, string, variables.RuleVariable, string, error) {
+func parseCtl(data string) (ctlFunctionType, string, variables.RuleVariable, string, *regexp.Regexp, error) {
 	action, ctlVal, ok := strings.Cut(data, "=")
 	if !ok {
-		return ctlUnknown, "", 0, "", errors.New("invalid syntax")
+		return ctlUnknown, "", 0, "", nil, errors.New("invalid syntax")
 	}
 	value, col, ok := strings.Cut(ctlVal, ";")
 	var colkey, colname string
@@ -386,7 +388,14 @@ func parseCtl(data string) (ctlFunctionType, string, variables.RuleVariable, str
 		colname, colkey, _ = strings.Cut(col, ":")
 	}
 	collection, _ := variables.Parse(strings.TrimSpace(colname))
-	colkey = strings.ToLower(colkey)
+	var re *regexp.Regexp
+	if len(colkey) > 2 && colkey[0] == '/' && colkey[len(colkey)-1] == '/' {
+		var err error
+		re, err = regexp.Compile(colkey[1 : len(colkey)-1])
+		if err != nil {
+			return ctlUnknown, "", 0x00, "", nil, err
+		}
+	}
 	var act ctlFunctionType
 	switch action {
 	case "auditEngine":
@@ -430,9 +439,12 @@ func parseCtl(data string) (ctlFunctionType, string, variables.RuleVariable, str
 	case "debugLogLevel":
 		act = ctlDebugLogLevel
 	default:
-		return ctlUnknown, "", 0x00, "", fmt.Errorf("unknown ctl action %q", action)
+		return ctlUnknown, "", 0x00, "", nil, fmt.Errorf("unknown ctl action %q", action)
+	}
+	if re != nil {
+		return act, value, collection, strings.TrimSpace(colkey), re, nil
 	}
-	return act, value, collection, strings.TrimSpace(colkey), nil
+	return act, value, collection, strings.TrimSpace(strings.ToLower(colkey)), nil, nil
 }
 
 func rangeToInts(rules []corazawaf.Rule, input string) ([]int, error) {
diff --git a/internal/actions/ctl_test.go b/internal/actions/ctl_test.go
index 252d3879b..25c778c8d 100644
--- a/internal/actions/ctl_test.go
+++ b/internal/actions/ctl_test.go
@@ -368,7 +368,7 @@ func TestCtl(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestParseCtl(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Run("invalid ctl", func(t *testing.T) {
-		ctl, _, _, _, err := parseCtl("invalid")
+		ctl, _, _, _, _, err := parseCtl("invalid")
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Errorf("expected error, got nil")
 		}
@@ -379,7 +379,7 @@ func TestParseCtl(t *testing.T) {
 	})
 
 	t.Run("malformed ctl", func(t *testing.T) {
-		ctl, _, _, _, err := parseCtl("unknown=")
+		ctl, _, _, _, _, err := parseCtl("unknown=")
 		if err == nil {
 			t.Errorf("expected error, got nil")
 		}
@@ -417,10 +417,13 @@ func TestParseCtl(t *testing.T) {
 	for _, tCase := range tCases {
 		testName, _, _ := strings.Cut(tCase.input, "=")
 		t.Run(testName, func(t *testing.T) {
-			action, value, collection, colKey, err := parseCtl(tCase.input)
+			action, value, collection, colKey, rx, err := parseCtl(tCase.input)
 			if err != nil {
 				t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err.Error())
 			}
+			if rx != nil {
+				t.Error("unexpected regex, want nil regex")
+			}
 			if action != tCase.expectAction {
 				t.Errorf("unexpected action, want: %d, have: %d", tCase.expectAction, action)
 			}
@@ -435,8 +438,24 @@ func TestParseCtl(t *testing.T) {
 			}
 		})
 	}
+}
 
+func TestCtlRegexColname(t *testing.T) {
+	_, _, _, _, rx, err := parseCtl("ruleRemoveTargetById=2;ARGS:/user/")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatalf("unexpected error: %s", err.Error())
+	}
+	if rx == nil {
+		t.Error("unexpected nil regex")
+	}
+	if rx.String() != "user" {
+		t.Errorf("unexpected regex, want: user, have: %s", rx.String())
+	}
+	if !rx.MatchString("user") {
+		t.Error("unexpected match")
+	}
 }
+
 func TestCtlParseRange(t *testing.T) {
 	rules := []corazawaf.Rule{
 		{