diff --git a/src/lib/contains.js b/src/lib/contains.js
index c1d237c46..7be314b04 100644
--- a/src/lib/contains.js
+++ b/src/lib/contains.js
@@ -11,7 +11,9 @@ export default function contains(str, elem, options) {
   assertString(str);
   options = merge(options, defaulContainsOptions);
 
-  const regex = new RegExp(toString(elem), `g${options.ignoreCase ? 'i' : ''}`);
+  if (options.ignoreCase) {
+    return str.toLowerCase().split(toString(elem).toLowerCase()).length > options.minOccurrences;
+  }
 
-  return (str.match(regex) || []).length >= options.minOccurrences;
+  return str.split(toString(elem)).length > options.minOccurrences;
 }
diff --git a/test/validators.js b/test/validators.js
index 0729d92ff..d945eea13 100644
--- a/test/validators.js
+++ b/test/validators.js
@@ -4245,7 +4245,7 @@ describe('Validators', () => {
       args: ['foo', {
         minOccurrences: 2,
       }],
-      valid: ['foofoofoo', '12foo124foo', 'fofooofoooofoooo'],
+      valid: ['foofoofoo', '12foo124foo', 'fofooofoooofoooo', 'foo1foo'],
       invalid: ['foo', 'foobar', 'Fooofoo', 'foofo'],
     });
   });