diff --git a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs
index a206f9e01e..58cf1b7752 100644
--- a/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs
+++ b/src/Umbraco.Core/Configuration/UmbracoSettings/ContentElement.cs
@@ -197,8 +197,10 @@ namespace Umbraco.Core.Configuration.UmbracoSettings
 
         [ConfigurationProperty("emailRegex")]
         internal InnerTextConfigurationElement<string> EmailRegex
-        {
-            get { return GetOptionalTextElement("emailRegex", "^[^@\\s]+@[^@\\s]+\\.[^@\\s]+$"); }
+        {
+            // If this default needs to be updated then remember to also update
+            // val-email.spec.js - unfortunately the unit test seems to need a hardcoded regex
+            get { return GetOptionalTextElement("emailRegex", "^[a-z0-9!#$%&\'*+\\/=?^_`{|}~.-]+@[a-z0-9]([a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?(\\.[a-z0-9]([a-z0-9-]*[a-z0-9])?)*$"); }
         }
 
         string IContentSection.NotificationEmailAddress