diff --git a/lib/plugins/config/settings/config.class.php b/lib/plugins/config/settings/config.class.php
index 252bc79a9f7233bbeeecd327a7cfd7eacc914917..887f373bd42da02be78e7f028594f942aa0a7a3d 100644
--- a/lib/plugins/config/settings/config.class.php
+++ b/lib/plugins/config/settings/config.class.php
@@ -616,8 +616,7 @@ if (!class_exists('setting_numeric')) {
     // This allows for many PHP syntax errors...
     // var $_pattern = '/^[-+\/*0-9 ]*$/';
     // much more restrictive, but should eliminate syntax errors.
-    var $_pattern = '/^[-]?[0-9]+(?:[-+*][0-9]+)*$/';
-    //FIXME - make the numeric error checking better.
+    var $_pattern = '/^[-+]? *[0-9]+ *(?:[-+*] *[0-9]+ *)*$/';
     var $_min = null;
     var $_max = null;