diff --git a/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/ObsResource1_8.java b/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/ObsResource1_8.java
index 45ca8a132..a4b1e4de0 100644
--- a/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/ObsResource1_8.java
+++ b/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/resource/openmrs1_8/ObsResource1_8.java
@@ -452,7 +452,7 @@ public static void setValue(Obs obs, Object value) throws ParseException, Conver
 			}
 
 			// if there is a potential uuid, see if there is a matching location, and,if so, set the value text as the primary key
-			if (RestUtil.isUuid(potentialLocationUuid)) {
+			if (RestUtil.isValidUuid(potentialLocationUuid)) {
 				Location location = Context.getLocationService().getLocationByUuid(potentialLocationUuid);
 				if (location != null) {
 					obs.setValueText(location.getLocationId().toString());
diff --git a/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/search/openmrs1_8/ConceptSearchHandler1_8.java b/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/search/openmrs1_8/ConceptSearchHandler1_8.java
index 1da7ab0fc..668c9128b 100644
--- a/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/search/openmrs1_8/ConceptSearchHandler1_8.java
+++ b/omod-1.8/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/search/openmrs1_8/ConceptSearchHandler1_8.java
@@ -20,6 +20,7 @@
 import org.openmrs.api.ConceptService;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RequestContext;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RestConstants;
+import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.RestUtil;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.resource.api.PageableResult;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.resource.api.SearchConfig;
 import org.openmrs.module.webservices.rest.web.resource.api.SearchHandler;
@@ -89,7 +90,7 @@ public PageableResult search(RequestContext context) throws ResponseException {
 					continue;
 				}
 				// handle UUIDs
-				if (isValidUuid(conceptReference)) {
+				if (RestUtil.isValidUuid(conceptReference)) {
 					Concept concept = conceptService.getConceptByUuid(conceptReference);
 					if (concept != null) {
 						concepts.add(concept);
@@ -185,8 +186,4 @@ public PageableResult search(RequestContext context) throws ResponseException {
 			return new NeedsPaging<Concept>(conceptsByMapping, context);
 		}
 	}
-	
-	private static boolean isValidUuid(String uuid) {
-		return uuid != null && (uuid.length() == 36 || uuid.length() == 38 || uuid.indexOf(' ') < 0 || uuid.indexOf('.') < 0);
-	}
 }
diff --git a/omod-1.9/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_9/ConceptReferenceController1_9.java b/omod-1.9/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_9/ConceptReferenceController1_9.java
index 7fd10f9c2..c35ea9cd9 100644
--- a/omod-1.9/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_9/ConceptReferenceController1_9.java
+++ b/omod-1.9/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/v1_0/controller/openmrs1_9/ConceptReferenceController1_9.java
@@ -61,7 +61,7 @@ public Object search(HttpServletRequest request, HttpServletResponse response) {
 					continue;
 				}
 				// handle UUIDs
-				if (isValidUuid(conceptReference)) {
+				if (RestUtil.isValidUuid(conceptReference)) {
 					Concept concept = conceptService.getConceptByUuid(conceptReference);
 					if (concept != null) {
 						addResult(results, conceptReference, concept, requestContext.getRepresentation());
@@ -95,8 +95,5 @@ private void addResult(SimpleObject results, String conceptReference, Concept co
 				ConversionUtil.convertToRepresentation(concept, rep == null ? new DefaultRepresentation() : rep));
 	}
 	
-	private static boolean isValidUuid(String uuid) {
-		return uuid != null && (uuid.length() == 36 || uuid.length() == 38 || uuid.indexOf(' ') < 0
-				|| uuid.indexOf('.') < 0);
-	}
+
 }
diff --git a/omod-common/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/RestUtil.java b/omod-common/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/RestUtil.java
index 5b43e48c4..552442c83 100644
--- a/omod-common/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/RestUtil.java
+++ b/omod-common/src/main/java/org/openmrs/module/webservices/rest/web/RestUtil.java
@@ -65,9 +65,6 @@ public class RestUtil implements GlobalPropertyListener {
 	private static Log log = LogFactory.getLog(RestUtil.class);
 	
 	private static boolean contextEnabled = true;
-
-	private static final Pattern UUID_REGEX =
-			Pattern.compile("^[0-9a-fA-F]{8}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{4}-[0-9a-fA-F]{12}$");
 	
 	/**
 	 * Looks up the admin defined global property for the system limit
@@ -941,7 +938,7 @@ public static Class<?> getSupportedClass(Resource resource) {
 		}
 	}
 
-	public static boolean isUuid(String str) {
-		return StringUtils.isNotBlank(str) && UUID_REGEX.matcher(str).matches();
+	public static boolean isValidUuid(String uuid) {
+		return uuid != null && (uuid.length() == 36 || uuid.length() == 38 || uuid.indexOf(' ') < 0 || uuid.indexOf('.') < 0);
 	}
 }