diff --git a/backend/pkg/config/proto_topic_mapping.go b/backend/pkg/config/proto_topic_mapping.go
index 07120892c..8720bffea 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/config/proto_topic_mapping.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/config/proto_topic_mapping.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ package config
 // if the topics have been serialized without the schema registry being involved in the
 // serialization.
 type ProtoTopicMapping struct {
+	// TopicName is the name of the topic to apply these proto files. This supports regex.
 	TopicName string `yaml:"topicName"`
 
 	// KeyProtoType is the proto's fully qualified name that shall be used for a Kafka record's key
diff --git a/backend/pkg/connect/service.go b/backend/pkg/connect/service.go
index 7529a3898..a062b5be3 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/connect/service.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/connect/service.go
@@ -41,10 +41,20 @@ type ClientWithConfig struct {
 // NewService creates a new connect.Service. It tests the connectivity for each configured
 // Kafka connect cluster proactively.
 func NewService(cfg config.Connect, logger *zap.Logger) (*Service, error) {
-	logger.Info("creating Kafka connect HTTP clients and testing connectivity to all clusters")
+	clientsByCluster := make(map[string]*ClientWithConfig)
+
+	if len(cfg.Clusters) == 0 {
+		return &Service{
+			Cfg:              cfg,
+			Logger:           logger,
+			ClientsByCluster: clientsByCluster,
+			Interceptor:      interceptor.NewInterceptor(),
+		}, nil
+	}
 
 	// 1. Create a client for each configured Connect cluster
-	clientsByCluster := make(map[string]*ClientWithConfig)
+	logger.Info("creating Kafka connect HTTP clients and testing connectivity to all clusters")
+
 	for _, clusterCfg := range cfg.Clusters {
 		// Create dedicated Connect HTTP Client for each cluster
 		childLogger := logger.With(
diff --git a/backend/pkg/proto/service.go b/backend/pkg/proto/service.go
index 7d7ef85c1..90394e589 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/proto/service.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/proto/service.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 	"context"
 	"encoding/binary"
 	"fmt"
+	"regexp"
 	"strings"
 	"sync"
 	"time"
@@ -47,6 +48,11 @@ const (
 	RecordValue
 )
 
+type regexProtoTopicMapping struct {
+	config.ProtoTopicMapping
+	r *regexp.Regexp
+}
+
 // Service is in charge of deserializing protobuf encoded payloads. It supports payloads that were
 // encoded with involvement of the schema registry as well as plain protobuf-encoded messages.
 // This service is also in charge of reading the proto source files from the configured provider.
@@ -54,10 +60,11 @@ type Service struct {
 	cfg    config.Proto
 	logger *zap.Logger
 
-	mappingsByTopic map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping
-	gitSvc          *git.Service
-	fsSvc           *filesystem.Service
-	schemaSvc       *schema.Service
+	strictMappingsByTopic map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping
+	mappingsRegex         []regexProtoTopicMapping
+	gitSvc                *git.Service
+	fsSvc                 *filesystem.Service
+	schemaSvc             *schema.Service
 
 	// fileDescriptorsBySchemaID are used to find the right schema type for messages at deserialization time. The type
 	// index is encoded as part of the serialized message.
@@ -112,25 +119,48 @@ func NewService(cfg config.Proto, logger *zap.Logger, schemaSvc *schema.Service)
 		}
 	}
 
-	mappingsByTopic := make(map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping)
-	for _, mapping := range cfg.Mappings {
-		mappingsByTopic[mapping.TopicName] = mapping
+	strictMappingsByTopic, mappingsRegex, err := setMappingsByTopic(cfg.Mappings, logger)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	return &Service{
 		cfg:    cfg,
 		logger: logger,
 
-		mappingsByTopic: mappingsByTopic,
-		gitSvc:          gitSvc,
-		fsSvc:           fsSvc,
-		schemaSvc:       schemaSvc,
+		strictMappingsByTopic: strictMappingsByTopic,
+		mappingsRegex:         mappingsRegex,
+		gitSvc:                gitSvc,
+		fsSvc:                 fsSvc,
+		schemaSvc:             schemaSvc,
 
 		// registry has to be created afterwards
 		registry: nil,
 	}, nil
 }
 
+func setMappingsByTopic(mappings []config.ProtoTopicMapping, logger *zap.Logger) (strictMappingsByTopic map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping, mappingsRegex []regexProtoTopicMapping, err error) {
+	strictMappingsByTopic = make(map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping)
+	mappingsRegex = make([]regexProtoTopicMapping, 0)
+
+	for _, mapping := range mappings {
+		r, err := regexp.Compile(mapping.TopicName)
+		if err != nil {
+			strictMappingsByTopic[mapping.TopicName] = mapping
+			logger.Warn("topic name handled as a strict match", zap.String("topic_name", mapping.TopicName))
+			continue
+		}
+
+		mappingsRegex = append(mappingsRegex, regexProtoTopicMapping{
+			ProtoTopicMapping: mapping,
+			r:                 r,
+		})
+		continue
+	}
+
+	return strictMappingsByTopic, mappingsRegex, err
+}
+
 // Start polling the prototypes from the configured provider (e.g. filesystem or Git) and sync these
 // into our in-memory prototype registry.
 func (s *Service) Start() error {
@@ -308,12 +338,35 @@ func (s *Service) IsProtobufSchemaRegistryEnabled() bool {
 	return s.cfg.SchemaRegistry.Enabled
 }
 
+func (s *Service) getMatchingMapping(topicName string) (mapping config.ProtoTopicMapping, err error) {
+	mapping, strictExists := s.strictMappingsByTopic[topicName]
+	if strictExists {
+		return mapping, nil
+	}
+
+	var match bool
+	for _, rMapping := range s.mappingsRegex {
+		match = rMapping.r.MatchString(topicName)
+		if match {
+			mapping = rMapping.ProtoTopicMapping
+			s.strictMappingsByTopic[topicName] = mapping
+			break
+		}
+	}
+
+	if !match {
+		return mapping, fmt.Errorf("no prototype found for the given topic. Check your configured protobuf mappings")
+	}
+
+	return mapping, nil
+}
+
 // GetMessageDescriptor tries to find the apr
 func (s *Service) GetMessageDescriptor(topicName string, property RecordPropertyType) (*desc.MessageDescriptor, error) {
 	// 1. Otherwise check if the user has configured a mapping to a local proto type for this topic and record type
-	mapping, exists := s.mappingsByTopic[topicName]
-	if !exists {
-		return nil, fmt.Errorf("no prototype found for the given topic '%s'. Check your configured protobuf mappings", topicName)
+	mapping, err := s.getMatchingMapping(topicName)
+	if err != nil {
+		return nil, err
 	}
 
 	var protoTypeURL string
diff --git a/backend/pkg/proto/service_test.go b/backend/pkg/proto/service_test.go
index 2f21a974f..dcce84c2a 100644
--- a/backend/pkg/proto/service_test.go
+++ b/backend/pkg/proto/service_test.go
@@ -12,9 +12,13 @@ package proto
 import (
 	"bytes"
 	"encoding/binary"
+	"reflect"
+	"regexp"
 	"testing"
 
 	"github.com/stretchr/testify/assert"
+
+	"github.com/redpanda-data/console/backend/pkg/config"
 )
 
 func Test_decodeConfluentBinaryWrapper(t *testing.T) {
@@ -35,3 +39,84 @@ func Test_decodeConfluentBinaryWrapper(t *testing.T) {
 	_, err := svc.decodeConfluentBinaryWrapper(buf.Bytes())
 	assert.Error(t, err)
 }
+
+var (
+	strictTopicMapping01 = config.ProtoTopicMapping{
+		TopicName: "strictTopicMapping01",
+	}
+
+	strictTopicMapping02 = config.ProtoTopicMapping{
+		TopicName: "stritctTopicMapping02",
+	}
+
+	regexTopicMapping01 = config.ProtoTopicMapping{
+		TopicName: "TopicName",
+	}
+)
+
+func TestService_getMatchingMapping(t *testing.T) {
+	type fields struct {
+		strictMappingsByTopic map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping
+		regexMappingsByTopic  []regexProtoTopicMapping
+	}
+	type args struct {
+		topicName string
+	}
+	tests := []struct {
+		name        string
+		fields      fields
+		args        args
+		wantMapping config.ProtoTopicMapping
+		wantErr     bool
+	}{
+		{
+			name: "get a strict mapping",
+			fields: fields{
+				strictMappingsByTopic: map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping{
+					strictTopicMapping01.TopicName: strictTopicMapping01,
+					strictTopicMapping02.TopicName: strictTopicMapping02,
+				},
+			},
+			args: args{
+				topicName: strictTopicMapping01.TopicName,
+			},
+			wantMapping: strictTopicMapping01,
+		},
+		{
+			name: "get a regex mapping",
+			fields: fields{
+				strictMappingsByTopic: map[string]config.ProtoTopicMapping{
+					strictTopicMapping01.TopicName: strictTopicMapping01,
+					strictTopicMapping02.TopicName: strictTopicMapping02,
+					regexTopicMapping01.TopicName:  regexTopicMapping01,
+				},
+				regexMappingsByTopic: []regexProtoTopicMapping{
+					{
+						ProtoTopicMapping: regexTopicMapping01,
+						r:                 regexp.MustCompile(regexTopicMapping01.TopicName),
+					},
+				},
+			},
+			args: args{
+				topicName: "aTopicNameThatMustMatchRegex",
+			},
+			wantMapping: regexTopicMapping01,
+		},
+	}
+	for _, tt := range tests {
+		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			s := &Service{
+				strictMappingsByTopic: tt.fields.strictMappingsByTopic,
+				mappingsRegex:         tt.fields.regexMappingsByTopic,
+			}
+			gotMapping, err := s.getMatchingMapping(tt.args.topicName)
+			if (err != nil) != tt.wantErr {
+				t.Errorf("Service.getMatchingMapping() error = %v, wantErr %v", err, tt.wantErr)
+				return
+			}
+			if !reflect.DeepEqual(gotMapping, tt.wantMapping) {
+				t.Errorf("Service.getMatchingMapping() = %v, want %v", gotMapping, tt.wantMapping)
+			}
+		})
+	}
+}