diff --git a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Contains.java b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Contains.java
index dcfe23c57..99737b8de 100644
--- a/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Contains.java
+++ b/main/src/com/google/refine/expr/functions/strings/Contains.java
@@ -34,6 +34,8 @@ OF THIS SOFTWARE, EVEN IF ADVISED OF THE POSSIBILITY OF SUCH DAMAGE.
 package com.google.refine.expr.functions.strings;
 
 import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.regex.Matcher;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
 
 import org.json.JSONException;
 import org.json.JSONWriter;
@@ -49,6 +51,14 @@ public class Contains implements Function {
             Object s2 = args[1];
             if (s1 != null && s2 != null && s1 instanceof String && s2 instanceof String) {
                 return ((String) s1).indexOf((String) s2) > -1;
+            } else if (s1 != null && s2 != null && s1 instanceof String && s2 instanceof Pattern){
+                String s = (String) s1;
+                Pattern pattern = (Pattern) s2;
+                Matcher matcher = pattern.matcher(s);
+                if (matcher.find()) {
+                    return true;
+                }else
+                    return false;
             }
         }
         return null;
diff --git a/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/ContainsFunctionTests.java b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/ContainsFunctionTests.java
new file mode 100644
index 000000000..735c82dfb
--- /dev/null
+++ b/main/tests/server/src/com/google/refine/tests/expr/functions/ContainsFunctionTests.java
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+
+package com.google.refine.tests.expr.functions;
+
+import com.google.refine.RefineServlet;
+import com.google.refine.grel.ControlFunctionRegistry;
+import com.google.refine.grel.Function;
+import com.google.refine.tests.RefineServletStub;
+import com.google.refine.tests.RefineTest;
+import org.slf4j.LoggerFactory;
+import org.testng.Assert;
+import org.testng.annotations.AfterMethod;
+import org.testng.annotations.BeforeMethod;
+import org.testng.annotations.BeforeTest;
+import org.testng.annotations.Test;
+
+import java.util.Properties;
+import java.util.regex.Pattern;
+
+/**
+ * Test cases for find function.
+ */
+public class ContainsFunctionTests extends RefineTest {
+    static Properties bindings;
+
+    @Override
+    @BeforeTest
+    public void init() {
+        logger = LoggerFactory.getLogger(this.getClass());
+    }
+
+    // dependencies
+    RefineServlet servlet;
+
+    @BeforeMethod
+    public void SetUp() {
+        bindings = new Properties();
+
+        servlet = new RefineServletStub();
+    }
+
+    @AfterMethod
+    public void TearDown() {
+    }
+
+
+    @Test
+    public void testContainsFunction() {
+        String value = "rose is a rose";
+        Assert.assertEquals(invoke("contains", value, "rose"),true);
+
+        // Test if it does not interpret regex passed in String as Pattern
+        Assert.assertEquals(invoke("contains", value, "$"),false);
+        Assert.assertEquals(invoke("contains", value, "r.se"),false);
+        Assert.assertEquals(invoke("contains", value, "\\s+"),false);
+        // Input regex pattern in UI with : "/ /" , is intepreted as Pattern
+        Assert.assertEquals(invoke("contains", value, Pattern.compile("$")),true);
+        Assert.assertEquals(invoke("contains", value, Pattern.compile("\\s+")),true);
+    }
+
+    /**
+     * Lookup a control function by name and invoke it with a variable number of args
+     */
+    private static Object invoke(String name,Object... args) {
+        // registry uses static initializer, so no need to set it up
+        Function function = ControlFunctionRegistry.getFunction(name);
+        if (function == null) {
+            throw new IllegalArgumentException("Unknown function "+name);
+        }
+        if (args == null) {
+            return function.call(bindings,new Object[0]);
+        } else {
+            return function.call(bindings,args);
+        }
+    }
+}