diff --git a/CMakeLists.txt b/CMakeLists.txt
index 1739e066bd..6b607b943f 100644
--- a/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -720,6 +720,7 @@ if(UNIX OR MINGW)
   endif()
   include(CheckFunctionExists)
   include(CheckIncludeFile)
+  include(CheckLibraryExists)
   include(CheckSymbolExists)
 
   if(NOT APPLE)
@@ -731,7 +732,11 @@ if(UNIX OR MINGW)
     elseif(EMSCRIPTEN)
       # no need to link to system libs with emscripten
     elseif(QNXNTO)
-      set(OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS ${OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS} m regex)
+      set(OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS ${OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS} m)
+      CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(regex regexec "" HAVE_REGEX_LIBRARY)
+      if(HAVE_REGEX_LIBRARY)
+        set(OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS ${OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS} regex)
+      endif()
     elseif(MINGW)
       set(OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS ${OPENCV_LINKER_LIBS} pthread)
     else()
diff --git a/modules/ts/CMakeLists.txt b/modules/ts/CMakeLists.txt
index 63edae1e67..5f984bd908 100644
--- a/modules/ts/CMakeLists.txt
+++ b/modules/ts/CMakeLists.txt
@@ -49,5 +49,9 @@ if(OPENCV_DISABLE_THREAD_SUPPORT)
 endif()
 
 if(CMAKE_SYSTEM_NAME STREQUAL "QNX")
-  ocv_target_link_libraries(${the_module} PUBLIC regex)
-endif()
\ No newline at end of file
+  include(CheckLibraryExists)
+  CHECK_LIBRARY_EXISTS(regex regexec "" HAVE_REGEX_LIBRARY)
+  if(HAVE_REGEX_LIBRARY)
+    ocv_target_link_libraries(${the_module} PUBLIC regex)
+  endif()
+endif()