diff --git a/collects/drracket/private/main.rkt b/collects/drracket/private/main.rkt
index da2e9a695f..1acd6cefa6 100644
--- a/collects/drracket/private/main.rkt
+++ b/collects/drracket/private/main.rkt
@@ -494,7 +494,7 @@
   ;; preferences initialization
   (drr:set-default 'drracket:multi-file-search:recur? #t boolean?)
   (drr:set-default 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter? #t boolean?)
-  (drr:set-default 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter-string "\\.(ss|scm)$" string?)
+  (drr:set-default 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter-regexp "\\.(rkt.?|ss|scm)$" string?)
   (drr:set-default 'drracket:multi-file-search:search-string "" string?)
   (drr:set-default 'drracket:multi-file-search:search-type
                            1
diff --git a/collects/drracket/private/multi-file-search.rkt b/collects/drracket/private/multi-file-search.rkt
index c8e2919e18..9c237101ec 100644
--- a/collects/drracket/private/multi-file-search.rkt
+++ b/collects/drracket/private/multi-file-search.rkt
@@ -462,7 +462,7 @@
       (preferences:set 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter? (send filter-check-box get-value))
       (send filter-text-field enable (send filter-check-box get-value)))
     (define (filter-text-field-callback)
-      (preferences:set 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter-string (send filter-text-field get-value)))
+      (preferences:set 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter-regexp (send filter-text-field get-value)))
     
     (define (recur-check-box-callback)
       (preferences:set 'drracket:multi-file-search:recur? (send recur-check-box get-value)))
@@ -500,7 +500,7 @@
     (send recur-check-box set-value (preferences:get 'drracket:multi-file-search:recur?))
     (send filter-check-box set-value (preferences:get 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter?))
     (send search-text-field set-value (preferences:get 'drracket:multi-file-search:search-string))
-    (send filter-text-field set-value (preferences:get 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter-string))
+    (send filter-text-field set-value (preferences:get 'drracket:multi-file-search:filter-regexp))
     (send dir-field set-value (path->string 
                                (let ([p (preferences:get 'drracket:multi-file-search:directory)])
                                  (if (not p)