diff --git a/src/ssvc/namespaces.py b/src/ssvc/namespaces.py
index 01f1834e..017f0aa1 100644
--- a/src/ssvc/namespaces.py
+++ b/src/ssvc/namespaces.py
@@ -23,10 +23,11 @@
 #  subject to its own license.
 #  DM24-0278
 
+import re
 from enum import StrEnum
 
 from ssvc.utils.defaults import MAX_NS_LENGTH, MIN_NS_LENGTH, X_PFX
-from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN
+from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN_STR
 
 EXT_SEP = "/"
 FRAG_SEP = "#"
@@ -86,7 +87,7 @@ def validate(cls, value: str) -> str:
             ValueError: if the value is not a valid namespace
 
         """
-        valid = NS_PATTERN.match(value)
+        valid = re.match(NS_PATTERN_STR, value)
 
         if valid:
             # pattern matches, so we can proceed with further checks
diff --git a/src/ssvc/utils/field_specs.py b/src/ssvc/utils/field_specs.py
index 849c23fb..25295c78 100644
--- a/src/ssvc/utils/field_specs.py
+++ b/src/ssvc/utils/field_specs.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
 from pydantic import Field
 
 from ssvc.utils.defaults import MAX_NS_LENGTH, MIN_NS_LENGTH
-from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN, VERSION_PATTERN
+from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN_STR, VERSION_PATTERN
 
 VersionString = Annotated[
     str,
@@ -50,7 +50,7 @@
             "x_example.test#test//.example.test#private-extension",
             "ssvc/de-DE/.example.organization#reference-arch-1",
         ],
-        pattern=NS_PATTERN.pattern,
+        pattern=NS_PATTERN_STR,
         min_length=MIN_NS_LENGTH,
         max_length=MAX_NS_LENGTH,
     ),
diff --git a/src/ssvc/utils/patterns.py b/src/ssvc/utils/patterns.py
index f964e938..0580e608 100644
--- a/src/ssvc/utils/patterns.py
+++ b/src/ssvc/utils/patterns.py
@@ -22,8 +22,6 @@
 #  subject to its own license.
 #  DM24-0278
 
-import re
-
 # from https://semver.org/
 VERSION_PATTERN = r"^(0|[1-9]\d*)\.(0|[1-9]\d*)\.(0|[1-9]\d*)(?:-((?:0|[1-9]\d*|\d*[a-zA-Z-][0-9a-zA-Z-]*)(?:\.(?:0|[1-9]\d*|\d*[a-zA-Z-][0-9a-zA-Z-]*))*))?(?:\+([0-9a-zA-Z-]+(?:\.[0-9a-zA-Z-]+)*))?$"
 """A regular expression pattern for semantic versioning (semver)."""
@@ -81,5 +79,3 @@
 
 # --- Combine all parts into the full namespace pattern ---
 NS_PATTERN_STR = rf"^{namespace}$"
-
-NS_PATTERN = re.compile(NS_PATTERN_STR)
diff --git a/src/test/test_namespaces.py b/src/test/test_namespaces.py
index c7d5dca5..9a66e4b3 100644
--- a/src/test/test_namespaces.py
+++ b/src/test/test_namespaces.py
@@ -16,11 +16,11 @@
 #  This Software includes and/or makes use of Third-Party Software each
 #  subject to its own license.
 #  DM24-0278
-
+import re
 import unittest
 
 from ssvc.namespaces import NameSpace, RESERVED_NS
-from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN
+from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN_STR
 
 
 class MyTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ def test_ns_pattern(self):
 
         for ns in should_match:
             with self.subTest(ns=ns):
-                self.assertTrue(NS_PATTERN.match(ns), ns)
+                self.assertTrue(re.match(NS_PATTERN_STR, ns), ns)
 
         should_not_match = [
             "",
@@ -62,8 +62,8 @@ def test_ns_pattern(self):
         failures = []
         for ns in should_not_match:
             with self.subTest(ns=ns):
-                # re.search() to catch if NS_PATTERN is not anchored at start
-                match = NS_PATTERN.search(ns)
+                # re.search() to catch if NS_PATTERN_STR is not anchored at start
+                match = re.search(NS_PATTERN_STR, ns)
                 if match:
                     failures.append(
                         f"Unexpected match for '{ns}': {match.group(0)}"
diff --git a/src/test/test_namespaces_pattern.py b/src/test/test_namespaces_pattern.py
index 981893aa..d105f3fb 100644
--- a/src/test/test_namespaces_pattern.py
+++ b/src/test/test_namespaces_pattern.py
@@ -27,7 +27,7 @@
     BASE_PATTERN,
     EXT_SEGMENT_PATTERN,
     LENGTH_CHECK_PATTERN,
-    NS_PATTERN,
+    NS_PATTERN_STR,
 )
 
 logger = logging.getLogger(__name__)
@@ -98,7 +98,7 @@ def setUp(self):
 
     def test_ns_pattern(self):
         self._test_successes_failures(
-            NS_PATTERN.pattern, self.expect_fail, self.expect_success
+            NS_PATTERN_STR, self.expect_fail, self.expect_success
         )
 
     def test_base_pattern(self):
diff --git a/src/test/test_selections.py b/src/test/test_selections.py
index f734f242..bc6977d0 100644
--- a/src/test/test_selections.py
+++ b/src/test/test_selections.py
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@
 
 from ssvc import selection
 from ssvc.selection import MinimalDecisionPointValue, SelectionList
-from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN, VERSION_PATTERN
+from ssvc.utils.patterns import NS_PATTERN_STR, VERSION_PATTERN
 
 
 class MyTestCase(unittest.TestCase):
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ def test_minimal_selection_init(self):
         self.assertIsInstance(self.s1.namespace, str)
         self.assertRegex(
             self.s1.namespace,
-            NS_PATTERN,
+            NS_PATTERN_STR,
             "Namespace does not match the required pattern",
         )