diff --git a/go.mod b/go.mod
index 25cf64a..e82b093 100644
--- a/go.mod
+++ b/go.mod
@@ -1,5 +1,5 @@
 module github.com/distribution/reference
 
-go 1.20
+go 1.21
 
 require github.com/opencontainers/go-digest v1.0.0
diff --git a/normalize.go b/normalize.go
index f412831..9e081d7 100644
--- a/normalize.go
+++ b/normalize.go
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ type normalizedNamed interface {
 // qualified reference. If the value may be an identifier
 // use ParseAnyReference.
 func ParseNormalizedNamed(s string) (Named, error) {
-	if ok := anchoredIdentifierRegexp.MatchString(s); ok {
+	if ok := anchoredIdentifierRegexp().MatchString(s); ok {
 		return nil, fmt.Errorf("invalid repository name (%s), cannot specify 64-byte hexadecimal strings", s)
 	}
 	domain, remainder := splitDockerDomain(s)
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ func TagNameOnly(ref Named) Named {
 // ParseAnyReference parses a reference string as a possible identifier,
 // full digest, or familiar name.
 func ParseAnyReference(ref string) (Reference, error) {
-	if ok := anchoredIdentifierRegexp.MatchString(ref); ok {
+	if ok := anchoredIdentifierRegexp().MatchString(ref); ok {
 		return digestReference("sha256:" + ref), nil
 	}
 	if dgst, err := digest.Parse(ref); err == nil {
diff --git a/reference.go b/reference.go
index 900398b..ec3a22a 100644
--- a/reference.go
+++ b/reference.go
@@ -174,7 +174,7 @@ func Path(named Named) (name string) {
 // If no valid hostname is found, the hostname is empty and the full value
 // is returned as name
 func splitDomain(name string) (string, string) {
-	match := anchoredNameRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(name)
+	match := anchoredNameRegexp().FindStringSubmatch(name)
 	if len(match) != 3 {
 		return "", name
 	}
@@ -197,7 +197,7 @@ func Parse(s string) (Reference, error) {
 
 	var repo repository
 
-	nameMatch := anchoredNameRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(matches[1])
+	nameMatch := anchoredNameRegexp().FindStringSubmatch(matches[1])
 	if len(nameMatch) == 3 {
 		repo.domain = nameMatch[1]
 		repo.path = nameMatch[2]
@@ -248,7 +248,7 @@ func ParseNamed(s string) (Named, error) {
 // WithName returns a named object representing the given string. If the input
 // is invalid ErrReferenceInvalidFormat will be returned.
 func WithName(name string) (Named, error) {
-	match := anchoredNameRegexp.FindStringSubmatch(name)
+	match := anchoredNameRegexp().FindStringSubmatch(name)
 	if match == nil || len(match) != 3 {
 		return nil, ErrReferenceInvalidFormat
 	}
@@ -266,7 +266,7 @@ func WithName(name string) (Named, error) {
 // WithTag combines the name from "name" and the tag from "tag" to form a
 // reference incorporating both the name and the tag.
 func WithTag(name Named, tag string) (NamedTagged, error) {
-	if !anchoredTagRegexp.MatchString(tag) {
+	if !anchoredTagRegexp().MatchString(tag) {
 		return nil, ErrTagInvalidFormat
 	}
 	var repo repository
@@ -292,7 +292,7 @@ func WithTag(name Named, tag string) (NamedTagged, error) {
 // WithDigest combines the name from "name" and the digest from "digest" to form
 // a reference incorporating both the name and the digest.
 func WithDigest(name Named, digest digest.Digest) (Canonical, error) {
-	if !anchoredDigestRegexp.MatchString(digest.String()) {
+	if !anchoredDigestRegexp().MatchString(digest.String()) {
 		return nil, ErrDigestInvalidFormat
 	}
 	var repo repository
diff --git a/regexp.go b/regexp.go
index 65bc49d..3d65c39 100644
--- a/regexp.go
+++ b/regexp.go
@@ -3,6 +3,7 @@ package reference
 import (
 	"regexp"
 	"strings"
+	"sync"
 )
 
 // DigestRegexp matches well-formed digests, including algorithm (e.g. "sha256:<encoded>").
@@ -111,11 +112,15 @@ var (
 
 	// anchoredTagRegexp matches valid tag names, anchored at the start and
 	// end of the matched string.
-	anchoredTagRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(anchored(tag))
+	anchoredTagRegexp = sync.OnceValue(func() *regexp.Regexp {
+		return regexp.MustCompile(anchored(tag))
+	})
 
 	// anchoredDigestRegexp matches valid digests, anchored at the start and
 	// end of the matched string.
-	anchoredDigestRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(anchored(digestPat))
+	anchoredDigestRegexp = sync.OnceValue(func() *regexp.Regexp {
+		return regexp.MustCompile(anchored(digestPat))
+	})
 
 	// pathComponent restricts path-components to start with an alphanumeric
 	// character, with following parts able to be separated by a separator
@@ -131,13 +136,17 @@ var (
 
 	// anchoredNameRegexp is used to parse a name value, capturing the
 	// domain and trailing components.
-	anchoredNameRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(anchored(optional(capture(domainAndPort), `/`), capture(remoteName)))
+	anchoredNameRegexp = sync.OnceValue(func() *regexp.Regexp {
+		return regexp.MustCompile(anchored(optional(capture(domainAndPort), `/`), capture(remoteName)))
+	})
 
 	referencePat = anchored(capture(namePat), optional(`:`, capture(tag)), optional(`@`, capture(digestPat)))
 
 	// anchoredIdentifierRegexp is used to check or match an
 	// identifier value, anchored at start and end of string.
-	anchoredIdentifierRegexp = regexp.MustCompile(anchored(identifier))
+	anchoredIdentifierRegexp = sync.OnceValue(func() *regexp.Regexp {
+		return regexp.MustCompile(anchored(identifier))
+	})
 )
 
 // optional wraps the expression in a non-capturing group and makes the
diff --git a/regexp_test.go b/regexp_test.go
index ca4680d..b92ed6a 100644
--- a/regexp_test.go
+++ b/regexp_test.go
@@ -176,9 +176,9 @@ func TestDomainRegexp(t *testing.T) {
 
 func TestFullNameRegexp(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
-	if anchoredNameRegexp.NumSubexp() != 2 {
+	if anchoredNameRegexp().NumSubexp() != 2 {
 		t.Fatalf("anchored name regexp should have two submatches: %v, %v != 2",
-			anchoredNameRegexp, anchoredNameRegexp.NumSubexp())
+			anchoredNameRegexp(), anchoredNameRegexp().NumSubexp())
 	}
 
 	tests := []regexpMatch{
@@ -469,7 +469,7 @@ func TestFullNameRegexp(t *testing.T) {
 		tc := tc
 		t.Run(tc.input, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			checkRegexp(t, anchoredNameRegexp, tc)
+			checkRegexp(t, anchoredNameRegexp(), tc)
 		})
 	}
 }
@@ -580,7 +580,7 @@ func TestIdentifierRegexp(t *testing.T) {
 		tc := tc
 		t.Run(tc.input, func(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Parallel()
-			match := anchoredIdentifierRegexp.MatchString(tc.input)
+			match := anchoredIdentifierRegexp().MatchString(tc.input)
 			if match != tc.match {
 				t.Errorf("Expected match=%t, got %t", tc.match, match)
 			}