diff --git a/IPython/parallel/apps/launcher.py b/IPython/parallel/apps/launcher.py
index 3a5a12e..f3309c5 100644
--- a/IPython/parallel/apps/launcher.py
+++ b/IPython/parallel/apps/launcher.py
@@ -22,7 +22,6 @@ Authors:
 import copy
 import logging
 import os
-import re
 import stat
 import time
 
@@ -58,7 +57,7 @@ from IPython.config.application import Application
 from IPython.config.configurable import LoggingConfigurable
 from IPython.utils.text import EvalFormatter
 from IPython.utils.traitlets import (
-    Any, Integer, CFloat, List, Unicode, Dict, Instance, HasTraits,
+    Any, Integer, CFloat, List, Unicode, Dict, Instance, HasTraits, CRegExp
 )
 from IPython.utils.path import get_ipython_module_path, get_home_dir
 from IPython.utils.process import find_cmd, pycmd2argv, FindCmdError
@@ -826,7 +825,7 @@ def find_job_cmd():
 
 class WindowsHPCLauncher(BaseLauncher):
 
-    job_id_regexp = Unicode(r'\d+', config=True,
+    job_id_regexp = CRegExp(r'\d+', config=True,
         help="""A regular expression used to get the job id from the output of the
         submit_command. """
         )
@@ -857,7 +856,7 @@ class WindowsHPCLauncher(BaseLauncher):
 
     def parse_job_id(self, output):
         """Take the output of the submit command and return the job id."""
-        m = re.search(self.job_id_regexp, output)
+        m = self.job_id_regexp.search(output)
         if m is not None:
             job_id = m.group()
         else:
@@ -1006,7 +1005,7 @@ class BatchSystemLauncher(BaseLauncher):
         help="The name of the command line program used to submit jobs.")
     delete_command = List([''], config=True,
         help="The name of the command line program used to delete jobs.")
-    job_id_regexp = Unicode('', config=True,
+    job_id_regexp = CRegExp('', config=True,
         help="""A regular expression used to get the job id from the output of the
         submit_command.""")
     batch_template = Unicode('', config=True,
@@ -1026,10 +1025,10 @@ class BatchSystemLauncher(BaseLauncher):
 
     # not configurable, override in subclasses
     # PBS Job Array regex
-    job_array_regexp = Unicode('')
+    job_array_regexp = CRegExp('')
     job_array_template = Unicode('')
     # PBS Queue regex
-    queue_regexp = Unicode('')
+    queue_regexp = CRegExp('')
     queue_template = Unicode('')
     # The default batch template, override in subclasses
     default_template = Unicode('')
@@ -1060,7 +1059,7 @@ class BatchSystemLauncher(BaseLauncher):
 
     def parse_job_id(self, output):
         """Take the output of the submit command and return the job id."""
-        m = re.search(self.job_id_regexp, output)
+        m = self.job_id_regexp.search(output)
         if m is not None:
             job_id = m.group()
         else:
@@ -1083,16 +1082,14 @@ class BatchSystemLauncher(BaseLauncher):
 
             # add jobarray or queue lines to user-specified template
             # note that this is *only* when user did not specify a template.
-            regex = re.compile(self.job_array_regexp)
-            # print regex.search(self.batch_template)
-            if not regex.search(self.batch_template):
+            # print self.job_array_regexp.search(self.batch_template)
+            if not self.job_array_regexp.search(self.batch_template):
                 self.log.debug("adding job array settings to batch script")
                 firstline, rest = self.batch_template.split('\n',1)
                 self.batch_template = u'\n'.join([firstline, self.job_array_template, rest])
 
-            regex = re.compile(self.queue_regexp)
-            # print regex.search(self.batch_template)
-            if self.queue and not regex.search(self.batch_template):
+            # print self.queue_regexp.search(self.batch_template)
+            if self.queue and not self.queue_regexp.search(self.batch_template):
                 self.log.debug("adding PBS queue settings to batch script")
                 firstline, rest = self.batch_template.split('\n',1)
                 self.batch_template = u'\n'.join([firstline, self.queue_template, rest])
@@ -1129,13 +1126,13 @@ class PBSLauncher(BatchSystemLauncher):
         help="The PBS submit command ['qsub']")
     delete_command = List(['qdel'], config=True,
         help="The PBS delete command ['qsub']")
-    job_id_regexp = Unicode(r'\d+', config=True,
+    job_id_regexp = CRegExp(r'\d+', config=True,
         help="Regular expresion for identifying the job ID [r'\d+']")
 
     batch_file = Unicode(u'')
-    job_array_regexp = Unicode('#PBS\W+-t\W+[\w\d\-\$]+')
+    job_array_regexp = CRegExp('#PBS\W+-t\W+[\w\d\-\$]+')
     job_array_template = Unicode('#PBS -t 1-{n}')
-    queue_regexp = Unicode('#PBS\W+-q\W+\$?\w+')
+    queue_regexp = CRegExp('#PBS\W+-q\W+\$?\w+')
     queue_template = Unicode('#PBS -q {queue}')
 
 
@@ -1174,9 +1171,9 @@ class PBSEngineSetLauncher(PBSLauncher, BatchClusterAppMixin):
 
 class SGELauncher(PBSLauncher):
     """Sun GridEngine is a PBS clone with slightly different syntax"""
-    job_array_regexp = Unicode('#\$\W+\-t')
+    job_array_regexp = CRegExp('#\$\W+\-t')
     job_array_template = Unicode('#$ -t 1-{n}')
-    queue_regexp = Unicode('#\$\W+-q\W+\$?\w+')
+    queue_regexp = CRegExp('#\$\W+-q\W+\$?\w+')
     queue_template = Unicode('#$ -q {queue}')
 
 class SGEControllerLauncher(SGELauncher, BatchClusterAppMixin):
@@ -1218,13 +1215,13 @@ class LSFLauncher(BatchSystemLauncher):
                           help="The PBS submit command ['bsub']")
     delete_command = List(['bkill'], config=True,
                           help="The PBS delete command ['bkill']")
-    job_id_regexp = Unicode(r'\d+', config=True,
+    job_id_regexp = CRegExp(r'\d+', config=True,
                             help="Regular expresion for identifying the job ID [r'\d+']")
 
     batch_file = Unicode(u'')
-    job_array_regexp = Unicode('#BSUB[ \t]-J+\w+\[\d+-\d+\]')
+    job_array_regexp = CRegExp('#BSUB[ \t]-J+\w+\[\d+-\d+\]')
     job_array_template = Unicode('#BSUB -J ipengine[1-{n}]')
-    queue_regexp = Unicode('#BSUB[ \t]+-q[ \t]+\w+')
+    queue_regexp = CRegExp('#BSUB[ \t]+-q[ \t]+\w+')
     queue_template = Unicode('#BSUB -q {queue}')
 
     def start(self, n):