diff --git a/src/core/classDetector.ts b/src/core/classDetector.ts
index a0224d7..331075c 100644
--- a/src/core/classDetector.ts
+++ b/src/core/classDetector.ts
@@ -12,6 +12,21 @@ export interface ClassRange {
   range: vscode.Range
 }
 
+const warnedInvalidSupportedFunctionPatterns = new Set<string>()
+
+function warnInvalidSupportedFunctionPattern(pattern: string, error: unknown) {
+  if (warnedInvalidSupportedFunctionPatterns.has(pattern)) {
+    return
+  }
+
+  warnedInvalidSupportedFunctionPatterns.add(pattern)
+
+  const suffix = error instanceof Error && error.message ? `: ${error.message}` : ""
+  vscode.window.showWarningMessage(
+    `Tailwind Stash: invalid supportedFunctions regex "${pattern}" was ignored${suffix}`,
+  )
+}
+
 /**
  * Detects Tailwind class strings in a document, including those wrapped
  * in utility functions like cn(), clsx(), cva(), twMerge(), etc.
@@ -53,6 +68,14 @@ export function detectClassRanges(
       // Strip ^/$ anchors — they don't work inside a group in a larger regex.
       // Use \b boundaries instead for correct matching.
       const cleaned = regexMatch[1].replace(/^\^/, "").replace(/\$$/, "")
+      try {
+        // Validate the pattern compiles; the constructor throws SyntaxError on invalid syntax.
+        // oxlint-disable-next-line no-new -- constructed only to validate; result intentionally unused
+        new RegExp(cleaned)
+      } catch (error) {
+        warnInvalidSupportedFunctionPattern(fn, error)
+        continue
+      }
       regexPatterns.push(`\\b${cleaned}`)
     } else {
       literalNames.push(escapeRegex(fn))
diff --git a/test/__mocks__/vscode.ts b/test/__mocks__/vscode.ts
index 398198a..5ddb9c9 100644
--- a/test/__mocks__/vscode.ts
+++ b/test/__mocks__/vscode.ts
@@ -410,6 +410,7 @@ export const window = {
   onDidChangeVisibleTextEditors: makeEventEmitter("onDidChangeVisibleTextEditors"),
   showInformationMessage(_msg: string) {},
   showTextDocument() {},
+  showWarningMessage(_msg: string) {},
   visibleTextEditors: [] as unknown[],
 }
 
diff --git a/test/core/classDetector.test.ts b/test/core/classDetector.test.ts
index 133bbda..470dcb5 100644
--- a/test/core/classDetector.test.ts
+++ b/test/core/classDetector.test.ts
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
-import { describe, it, expect } from "vitest"
+import { afterEach, describe, expect, it, vi } from "vitest"
 
-import { createMockDocument } from "../__mocks__/vscode"
+import { createMockDocument, window } from "../__mocks__/vscode"
 import { detectClassRanges } from "../../src/core/classDetector"
 
 const defaultFunctions = [
@@ -14,6 +14,10 @@ const defaultFunctions = [
   "classnames",
 ]
 
+afterEach(() => {
+  vi.restoreAllMocks()
+})
+
 function detect(text: string, opts?: { functions?: string[]; minClasses?: number }) {
   const doc = createMockDocument(text)
   return detectClassRanges(doc, opts?.functions ?? defaultFunctions, opts?.minClasses ?? 4)
@@ -432,6 +436,36 @@ describe("empty and invalid function patterns", () => {
     expect(results[0].element).toBe("div")
   })
 
+  it("warns once and keeps valid detections when a regex pattern is invalid", () => {
+    const warningSpy = vi.spyOn(window, "showWarningMessage")
+    const text = `
+const a = cn("flex items-center p-4 rounded");
+const b = getButtonClasses("grid gap-4 p-6 bg-white");
+<div class="text-sm font-bold mt-2 mx-auto"></div>
+`
+
+    const results = detect(text, {
+      functions: ["cn", "/[invalid(/", "/^get.*Classes$/"],
+    })
+
+    expect(results).toHaveLength(3)
+    expect(warningSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+    expect(warningSpy.mock.calls[0]?.[0]).toContain("/[invalid(/")
+  })
+
+  it("does not repeat the warning for the same invalid regex pattern", () => {
+    const warningSpy = vi.spyOn(window, "showWarningMessage")
+
+    detect('<div class="flex items-center p-4 rounded">', {
+      functions: ["/[still-invalid(/"],
+    })
+    detect('<div class="flex items-center p-4 rounded">', {
+      functions: ["/[still-invalid(/"],
+    })
+
+    expect(warningSpy).toHaveBeenCalledTimes(1)
+  })
+
   it("returns results gracefully when regex pattern is invalid", () => {
     const results = detect('<div class="flex items-center p-4 rounded">', {
       functions: ["/[invalid(/"],