diff --git a/guix-data-service/branch-updated-emails.scm b/guix-data-service/branch-updated-emails.scm
index 8b5290b..aeb1570 100644
--- a/guix-data-service/branch-updated-emails.scm
+++ b/guix-data-service/branch-updated-emails.scm
@@ -59,9 +59,9 @@
                  conn
                  git-repository-id)))
             (let ((excluded-branch?
-                   (member branch-name excluded-branches string=?))
+                   (branch-in-list? excluded-branches branch-name))
                   (included-branch?
-                   (member branch-name included-branches string=?)))
+                   (branch-in-list? included-branches branch-name)))
               (when (and (not excluded-branch?)
                          (or (null? included-branches)
                              included-branch?))
diff --git a/guix-data-service/model/git-repository.scm b/guix-data-service/model/git-repository.scm
index feae290..5c605f8 100644
--- a/guix-data-service/model/git-repository.scm
+++ b/guix-data-service/model/git-repository.scm
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@
 ;;; <http://www.gnu.org/licenses/>.
 
 (define-module (guix-data-service model git-repository)
+  #:use-module (srfi srfi-1)
   #:use-module (ice-9 match)
   #:use-module (json)
   #:use-module (squee)
@@ -25,6 +26,7 @@
             git-repository-query-substitutes?
             git-repository-id->url
             select-includes-and-excluded-branches-for-git-repository
+            branch-in-list?
             count-git-repositories-with-x-git-repo-header-values
             git-repository-x-git-repo-header->git-repository-id
             git-repository-url->git-repository-id
@@ -84,6 +86,17 @@ WHERE id = $1"
     (((url)) url)))
 
 (define (select-includes-and-excluded-branches-for-git-repository conn id)
+  (define (make-regexes lst)
+    (map
+     (lambda (item)
+       (if (string-prefix? "/" item)
+           (make-regexp
+            (string-drop
+             (string-drop-right item 1)
+             1))
+           item))
+     lst))
+
   (match (exec-query
           conn
           "
@@ -95,11 +108,22 @@ FROM git_repositories WHERE id = $1"
       (if (or (eq? #f included_branches)
               (string-null? included_branches))
           '()
-          (parse-postgresql-array-string included_branches))
+          (make-regexes
+           (parse-postgresql-array-string included_branches)))
       (if (or (eq? excluded_branches #f)
               (string-null? excluded_branches))
           '()
-          (parse-postgresql-array-string excluded_branches))))))
+          (make-regexes
+           (parse-postgresql-array-string excluded_branches)))))))
+
+(define (branch-in-list? lst branch)
+  (any
+   (lambda (item)
+     (->bool
+      (if (string? item)
+          (string=? item branch)
+          (regexp-exec item branch))))
+   lst))
 
 (define (count-git-repositories-with-x-git-repo-header-values conn)
   (match (exec-query
diff --git a/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm b/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm
index 124c559..2ed5644 100644
--- a/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm
+++ b/guix-data-service/poll-git-repository.scm
@@ -170,9 +170,9 @@
                   (filter
                    (lambda (branch-name)
                      (let ((excluded-branch?
-                            (member branch-name excluded-branches string=?))
+                            (branch-in-list? excluded-branches branch-name))
                            (included-branch?
-                            (member branch-name included-branches string=?)))
+                            (branch-in-list? included-branches branch-name)))
                        (and (not excluded-branch?)
                             (or (null? included-branches)
                                 included-branch?))))