diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin.go
index 33123aa..05ee1c1 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin.go
@@ -31,7 +31,7 @@ type Command struct {
 // the appropriate RFC.
 type Expansion struct {
 	Regexp *regexp.Regexp
-	Expand func(roomID, userID, matchingText string) interface{}
+	Expand func(roomID, userID string, matchingGroups []string) interface{}
 }
 
 // matches if the arguments start with the path of the command.
@@ -94,13 +94,14 @@ func runExpansionsForPlugin(plugin Plugin, event *matrix.Event, body string) []i
 
 	for _, expansion := range plugin.Expansions {
 		matches := map[string]bool{}
-		for _, matchingText := range expansion.Regexp.FindAllString(body, -1) {
+		for _, matchingGroups := range expansion.Regexp.FindAllStringSubmatch(body, -1) {
+			matchingText := matchingGroups[0] // first element is always the complete match
 			if matches[matchingText] {
 				// Only expand the first occurance of a matching string
 				continue
 			}
 			matches[matchingText] = true
-			if response := expansion.Expand(event.RoomID, event.Sender, matchingText); response != nil {
+			if response := expansion.Expand(event.RoomID, event.Sender, matchingGroups); response != nil {
 				responses = append(responses, response)
 			}
 		}
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin_test.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin_test.go
index 6afe6ab..6ef4c96 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin_test.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/plugin/plugin_test.go
@@ -34,13 +34,13 @@ func makeTestResponse(roomID, sender string, arguments []string) interface{} {
 }
 
 type testExpansion struct {
-	RoomID       string
-	UserID       string
-	MatchingText string
+	RoomID         string
+	UserID         string
+	MatchingGroups []string
 }
 
-func makeTestExpansion(roomID, userID, matchingText string) interface{} {
-	return testExpansion{roomID, userID, matchingText}
+func makeTestExpansion(roomID, userID string, matchingGroups []string) interface{} {
+	return testExpansion{roomID, userID, matchingGroups}
 }
 
 func makeTestPlugin(paths [][]string, regexps []*regexp.Regexp) Plugin {
@@ -133,9 +133,9 @@ func TestExpansion(t *testing.T) {
 	event := makeTestEvent("m.text", "test banana for scale")
 	got := runCommands(plugins, event)
 	want := []interface{}{
-		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, "anana"),
-		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, "ale"),
-		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, "ban"),
+		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, []string{"anana"}),
+		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, []string{"ale"}),
+		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, []string{"ban"}),
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
 		t.Errorf("runCommands(\nplugins=%+v\nevent=%+v\n)\n%+v\nwanted: %+v", plugins, event, got, want)
@@ -151,7 +151,7 @@ func TestExpansionDuplicateMatches(t *testing.T) {
 	event := makeTestEvent("m.text", "badger badger badger")
 	got := runCommands(plugins, event)
 	want := []interface{}{
-		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, "badger"),
+		makeTestExpansion(myRoomID, mySender, []string{"badger"}),
 	}
 	if !reflect.DeepEqual(got, want) {
 		t.Errorf("runCommands(\nplugins=%+v\nevent=%+v\n)\n%+v\nwanted: %+v", plugins, event, got, want)
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/github/github.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/github/github.go
index 5b566ff..044aafa 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/github/github.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/github/github.go
@@ -102,14 +102,21 @@ func (s *githubService) cmdGithubCreate(roomID, userID string, args []string) (i
 	return matrix.TextMessage{"m.notice", fmt.Sprintf("Created issue: %s", *issue.HTMLURL)}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *githubService) expandIssue(roomID, userID, matchingText string) interface{} {
-	cli := s.githubClientFor(userID, true)
-	owner, repo, num, err := ownerRepoNumberFromText(matchingText)
+func (s *githubService) expandIssue(roomID, userID string, matchingGroups []string) interface{} {
+	// matchingGroups => ["foo/bar#11", "foo", "bar", "11"]
+	if len(matchingGroups) != 4 {
+		log.WithField("groups", matchingGroups).Print("Unexpected number of groups")
+		return nil
+	}
+	num, err := strconv.Atoi(matchingGroups[3])
 	if err != nil {
-		log.WithError(err).WithField("text", matchingText).Print(
-			"Failed to extract owner,repo,number from matched string")
+		log.WithField("issue_number", matchingGroups[3]).Print("Bad issue number")
 		return nil
 	}
+	owner := matchingGroups[1]
+	repo := matchingGroups[2]
+
+	cli := s.githubClientFor(userID, true)
 
 	i, _, err := cli.Issues.Get(owner, repo, num)
 	if err != nil {
@@ -140,8 +147,8 @@ func (s *githubService) Plugin(roomID string) plugin.Plugin {
 		Expansions: []plugin.Expansion{
 			plugin.Expansion{
 				Regexp: ownerRepoIssueRegex,
-				Expand: func(roomID, userID, matchingText string) interface{} {
-					return s.expandIssue(roomID, userID, matchingText)
+				Expand: func(roomID, userID string, matchingGroups []string) interface{} {
+					return s.expandIssue(roomID, userID, matchingGroups)
 				},
 			},
 		},
@@ -322,21 +329,6 @@ func getTokenForUser(realmID, userID string) (string, error) {
 	return ghSession.AccessToken, nil
 }
 
-// ownerRepoNumberFromText parses a GH issue string that looks like 'owner/repo#11'
-// into its constituient parts. Returns: owner, repo, issue#.
-func ownerRepoNumberFromText(ownerRepoNumberText string) (string, string, int, error) {
-	// [full_string, owner, repo, issue_number]
-	groups := ownerRepoIssueRegex.FindStringSubmatch(ownerRepoNumberText)
-	if len(groups) != 4 {
-		return "", "", 0, fmt.Errorf("No match found for '%s'", ownerRepoNumberText)
-	}
-	num, err := strconv.Atoi(groups[3])
-	if err != nil {
-		return "", "", 0, err
-	}
-	return groups[1], groups[2], num, nil
-}
-
 func removeHook(logger *log.Entry, cli *github.Client, owner, repo, webhookEndpointURL string) {
 	// Get a list of webhooks for this owner/repo and find the one which has the
 	// same endpoint URL which is what github uses to determine equivalence.
diff --git a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/jira/jira.go b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/jira/jira.go
index 8793705..bd73494 100644
--- a/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/jira/jira.go
+++ b/src/github.com/matrix-org/go-neb/services/jira/jira.go
@@ -148,17 +148,15 @@ func (s *jiraService) cmdJiraCreate(roomID, userID string, args []string) (inter
 	}, nil
 }
 
-func (s *jiraService) expandIssue(roomID, userID, issueKey string) interface{} {
-	issueKey = strings.ToUpper(issueKey)
-	logger := log.WithField("issue_key", issueKey)
-	// [ISSU-123, ISSU, 123]
-	groups := issueKeyRegex.FindStringSubmatch(issueKey)
-	if len(groups) != 3 {
-		logger.Print("Failed to find issue key")
+func (s *jiraService) expandIssue(roomID, userID string, issueKeyGroups []string) interface{} {
+	// issueKeyGroups => ["SYN-123", "SYN", "123"]
+	if len(issueKeyGroups) != 3 {
+		log.WithField("groups", issueKeyGroups).Error("Bad number of groups")
 		return nil
 	}
-
-	projectKey := groups[1]
+	issueKey := strings.ToUpper(issueKeyGroups[0])
+	logger := log.WithField("issue_key", issueKey)
+	projectKey := strings.ToUpper(issueKeyGroups[1])
 
 	realmID := s.realmIDForProject(roomID, projectKey)
 	if realmID == "" {
@@ -223,8 +221,8 @@ func (s *jiraService) Plugin(roomID string) plugin.Plugin {
 		Expansions: []plugin.Expansion{
 			plugin.Expansion{
 				Regexp: issueKeyRegex,
-				Expand: func(roomID, userID, issueKey string) interface{} {
-					return s.expandIssue(roomID, userID, issueKey)
+				Expand: func(roomID, userID string, issueKeyGroups []string) interface{} {
+					return s.expandIssue(roomID, userID, issueKeyGroups)
 				},
 			},
 		},