diff --git a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/assets/javascripts/lib/discourse-markdown/discourse-local-dates.js.es6 b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/assets/javascripts/lib/discourse-markdown/discourse-local-dates.js.es6
index b6bc29ba2fa..888bb747b77 100644
--- a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/assets/javascripts/lib/discourse-markdown/discourse-local-dates.js.es6
+++ b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/assets/javascripts/lib/discourse-markdown/discourse-local-dates.js.es6
@@ -69,7 +69,7 @@ export function setup(helper) {
 
   helper.registerPlugin(md => {
     const rule = {
-      matcher: /\[date(.*?)\]/,
+      matcher: /\[date(.+?)\]/,
       onMatch: addLocalDate
     };
 
diff --git a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/lib/pretty_text_spec.rb b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/lib/pretty_text_spec.rb
index 15a9bd8dde4..f81f8084f99 100644
--- a/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/lib/pretty_text_spec.rb
+++ b/plugins/discourse-local-dates/spec/lib/pretty_text_spec.rb
@@ -26,4 +26,12 @@ describe PrettyText do
 
     expect(PrettyText.format_for_email(cooked)).to match_html(cooked_mail)
   end
+
+  it 'needs attributes to convert to a local date' do
+    cooked = PrettyText.cook <<~MD
+      [date]
+    MD
+
+    expect(cooked).to include("<p>[date]</p>")
+  end
 end