diff --git a/integration_tests/__tests__/regex-(char-in-path-test.js b/integration_tests/__tests__/regex-(char-in-path-test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..873d4505597f
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/__tests__/regex-(char-in-path-test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,21 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-present, Facebook, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ *
+ * @emails oncall+jsinfra
+ */
+'use strict';
+
+const runJest = require('../runJest');
+
+describe('Regex Char In Path', () => {
+  it('parses paths containing regex chars correctly', () => {
+    const {json} = runJest.json('regex-(char-in-path', []);
+
+    expect(json.numTotalTests).toBe(1);
+    expect(json.numPassedTests).toBe(1);
+  });
+});
diff --git a/integration_tests/regex-(char-in-path/__tests__/regex-(char-in-path.test.js b/integration_tests/regex-(char-in-path/__tests__/regex-(char-in-path.test.js
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..8358b68f531a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/regex-(char-in-path/__tests__/regex-(char-in-path.test.js
@@ -0,0 +1,13 @@
+/**
+ * Copyright (c) 2014-present, Facebook, Inc. All rights reserved.
+ *
+ * This source code is licensed under the BSD-style license found in the
+ * LICENSE file in the root directory of this source tree. An additional grant
+ * of patent rights can be found in the PATENTS file in the same directory.
+ */
+
+'use strict';
+
+it('runs this', () => {
+  expect(true).toBe(true);
+});
diff --git a/integration_tests/regex-(char-in-path/package.json b/integration_tests/regex-(char-in-path/package.json
new file mode 100644
index 000000000000..0967ef424bce
--- /dev/null
+++ b/integration_tests/regex-(char-in-path/package.json
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+{}
diff --git a/packages/jest-cli/src/SearchSource.js b/packages/jest-cli/src/SearchSource.js
index 8cab58178349..32fda17790ef 100644
--- a/packages/jest-cli/src/SearchSource.js
+++ b/packages/jest-cli/src/SearchSource.js
@@ -81,7 +81,9 @@ class SearchSource {
     this._options = options || {};
 
     this._testPathDirPattern =
-      new RegExp(config.testPathDirs.map(dir => pathToRegex(dir)).join('|'));
+      new RegExp(config.testPathDirs.map(dir => {
+        return pathToRegex(utils.escapeStrForRegex(dir));
+      }).join('|'));
     this._testRegex = new RegExp(pathToRegex(config.testRegex));
     const ignorePattern = config.testPathIgnorePatterns;
     this._testIgnorePattern =