diff --git a/docs/index.html b/docs/index.html
index edaa764a..7ef30e1d 100644
--- a/docs/index.html
+++ b/docs/index.html
@@ -481,7 +481,7 @@
 				<li><a href="example-widget-filter-custom.html">custom</a> (v2.3.6; <span class="version updated">v2.10.1</span>)</li>
 				<li><a href="example-widget-filter-custom-search.html">custom searches</a> (<span class="version">v2.17.5</span>; <span class="version updated">v2.17.8</span>)</li>
 				<li>formatter: <a href="example-widget-filter-formatter-1.html">jQuery UI widgets</a> and <a href="example-widget-filter-formatter-2.html">HTML5 Elements</a> (v2.7.7; <span class="version updated">v2.17.5</span>).</li>
-				<li>formatter: <a href="example-widget-filter-formatter-select2.html">select2</a> (<span class="version">v2.16.0</span>; <span class="version updated">v2.17.5</span>)</li>
+				<li>formatter: <a href="example-widget-filter-formatter-select2.html">select2</a> (<span class="version">v2.16.0</span>; <span class="version updated">v2.18.5</span>)</li>
 			</ul>
 		</li>
 		<li>Grouping rows widget:
diff --git a/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter-select2.js b/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter-select2.js
index c065573f..584347b0 100644
--- a/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter-select2.js
+++ b/js/jquery.tablesorter.widgets-filter-formatter-select2.js
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-/*! Filter widget select2 formatter function - updated 7/17/2014 (v2.17.5)
+/*! Filter widget select2 formatter function - updated 1/16/2015 (v2.18.5)
  * requires: jQuery 1.7.2+, tableSorter (FORK) 2.16+, filter widget 2.16+ and select2 v3.4.6+ plugin
  */
 /*jshint browser:true, jquery:true, unused:false */
@@ -45,11 +45,17 @@ ts.filterFormatter.select2 = function($cell, indx, select2Def) {
 	// this function updates the hidden input and adds the current values to the header cell text
 	updateSelect2 = function() {
 		var v = $cell.find('.select2').select2('val') || o.value || '';
+		// convert array to string
+		if ($.isArray(v)) { v = v.join('\u0000'); }
+		// escape special regex characters (http://stackoverflow.com/a/9310752/145346)
+		v = v.replace(/[-[\]{}()*+?.,\\^$|#\s]/g, '\\$&');
+		// convert string back into an array
+		if (v.indexOf('\u0000')) { v = v.split('\u0000'); }
 		$input
-		// add regex, so we filter exact numbers
-		.val( $.isArray(v) && v.length && v.join('') !== '' ? '/(' + matchPrefix + (v || []).join(matchSuffix + '|' + matchPrefix) + matchSuffix + ')/' : '' )
-		.trigger('search').end()
-		.find('.select2').select2('val', v);
+			// add regex, so we filter exact numbers
+			.val( $.isArray(v) && v.length && v.join('') !== '' ? '/(' + matchPrefix + (v || []).join(matchSuffix + '|' + matchPrefix) + matchSuffix + ')/' : '' )
+			.trigger('search').end()
+			.find('.select2').select2('val', v);
 		// update sticky header cell
 		if ($shcell.length) {
 			$shcell
@@ -99,7 +105,7 @@ ts.filterFormatter.select2 = function($cell, indx, select2Def) {
 	c.$table.bind('filterFomatterUpdate', function(){
 		// value = '/(^x$|^y$)/' => 'x,y'
 		var val = c.$table.data('lastSearch')[indx] || '';
-		val = val.replace(/[/()$^]/g, '').split('|');
+		val = val.replace(/^\/\(\^?/,'').replace(/\$\|\^/g, '|').replace(/\$?\)\/$/g,'').split('|');
 		$cell.find('.select2').select2('val', val);
 		updateSelect2();
 		ts.filter.formatterUpdated($cell, indx);