diff --git a/src/app/project/collaboration/add-user/add-user.component.ts b/src/app/project/collaboration/add-user/add-user.component.ts
index 8d2b91eeb3..e6434d72ad 100644
--- a/src/app/project/collaboration/add-user/add-user.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/project/collaboration/add-user/add-user.component.ts
@@ -149,11 +149,11 @@ export class AddUserComponent implements OnInit {
                             // if the user is already member of the project
                             // add the email to the list of existing
                             this.existingEmailInProject.push(
-                                new RegExp('(?:^|\W)' + m.email.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|\W)')
+                                new RegExp('(?:^|W)' + m.email.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|W)')
                             );
                             // add username to the list of existing
                             this.existingUsernameInProject.push(
-                                new RegExp('(?:^|\W)' + m.username.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|\W)')
+                                new RegExp('(?:^|W)' + m.username.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|W)')
                             );
                         }
 
@@ -163,11 +163,11 @@ export class AddUserComponent implements OnInit {
                             // if the user is already member of the project
                             // add the email to the list of existing
                             this.existingEmails.push(
-                                new RegExp('(?:^|\W)' + u.email.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|\W)')
+                                new RegExp('(?:^|W)' + u.email.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|W)')
                             );
                             // add username to the list of existing
                             this.existingUsernames.push(
-                                new RegExp('(?:^|\W)' + u.username.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|\W)')
+                                new RegExp('(?:^|W)' + u.username.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|W)')
                             );
 
                             let existsInProject = '';
diff --git a/src/app/project/project-form/project-form.component.ts b/src/app/project/project-form/project-form.component.ts
index 2f625ac270..b62a2e346b 100644
--- a/src/app/project/project-form/project-form.component.ts
+++ b/src/app/project/project-form/project-form.component.ts
@@ -172,10 +172,10 @@ export class ProjectFormComponent implements OnInit {
 
                     for (const project of response.body.projects) {
 
-                        this.existingShortNames.push(new RegExp('(?:^|\W)' + project.shortname.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|\W)'));
+                        this.existingShortNames.push(new RegExp('(?:^|W)' + project.shortname.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|W)'));
 
                         if (project.shortcode !== null) {
-                            this.existingShortcodes.push(new RegExp('(?:^|\W)' + project.shortcode.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|\W)'));
+                            this.existingShortcodes.push(new RegExp('(?:^|W)' + project.shortcode.toLowerCase() + '(?:$|W)'));
                         }
                     }
                 },