diff --git a/benchmarks/src/regex_search.cpp b/benchmarks/src/regex_search.cpp
index 9fd341db64..013a101712 100644
--- a/benchmarks/src/regex_search.cpp
+++ b/benchmarks/src/regex_search.cpp
@@ -47,5 +47,8 @@ BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, R"(\Bibe)", R"(\Bibe)")->Apply(common_args);
 BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, R"((?=....)bibe)", R"((?=....)bibe)")->Apply(common_args);
 BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, R"((?=bibe)....)", R"((?=bibe)....)")->Apply(common_args);
 BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, R"((?!lorem)bibe)", R"((?!lorem)bibe)")->Apply(common_args);
+BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, "(bibe|soda)", "(bibe|soda)")->Apply(common_args);
+BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, "(id )?bibe", "(id )?bibe")->Apply(common_args);
+BENCHMARK_CAPTURE(bm_lorem_search, ".bibe", ".bibe")->Apply(common_args);
 
 BENCHMARK_MAIN();
diff --git a/stl/inc/regex b/stl/inc/regex
index a23aac9f8e..497b80b349 100644
--- a/stl/inc/regex
+++ b/stl/inc/regex
@@ -5015,13 +5015,22 @@ _It _Matcher3<_Elem, _RxTraits, _It, _Alloc>::_Skip(
                 return _First;
             }
 
+        case _N_dot:
+            {
+                if (_Recursion_depth >= _Max_recursion_depth) {
+                    return _First;
+                }
+
+                _First = _Skip(++_First, _Last, _Nx->_Next, _Recursion_depth + 1U);
+                return --_First;
+            }
+
         case _N_begin:
         case _N_endif:
             break;
 
         case _N_end:
         case _N_none:
-        case _N_dot:
         case _N_back:
         case _N_end_rep:
         default:
diff --git a/tests/std/tests/VSO_0000000_regex_use/test.cpp b/tests/std/tests/VSO_0000000_regex_use/test.cpp
index c4ea150e96..a01f4822a9 100644
--- a/tests/std/tests/VSO_0000000_regex_use/test.cpp
+++ b/tests/std/tests/VSO_0000000_regex_use/test.cpp
@@ -2507,6 +2507,21 @@ void test_gh_6181() {
     }
 }
 
+void test_gh_6189() {
+    // GH-6189: Optimize skip heuristic for searches of patterns with initial dot wildcards
+    test_regex re(&g_regexTester, ".abc");
+    re.should_search_match("dabc", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_match("dabcdddd", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_match("ddabc", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_match("ddabcdddd", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_match("ddddddddddddddddabcdddddddddddd", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_match("ddddddddddddddddddddddddabc", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_match("ddabcddd", "dabc");
+    re.should_search_fail("abcddddd");
+    re.should_search_fail("ddddddddddd\nabcdddddddddd");
+    re.should_search_fail("d");
+}
+
 int main() {
     test_dev10_449367_case_insensitivity_should_work();
     test_dev11_462743_regex_collate_should_not_disable_regex_icase();
@@ -2572,6 +2587,7 @@ int main() {
     test_gh_6118();
     test_gh_6147();
     test_gh_6181();
+    test_gh_6189();
 
     return g_regexTester.result();
 }