diff --git a/docs/configuration.md b/docs/configuration.md
index 217041adbd..f96b6ea4ee 100644
--- a/docs/configuration.md
+++ b/docs/configuration.md
@@ -189,7 +189,7 @@ If you have branch specific configuration upgrading to v4 will force you to upgr
 ```yaml
 branches:
   master:
-    regex: master
+    regex: ^master
     mode: ContinuousDelivery
     tag: ''
     increment: Patch
@@ -198,7 +198,7 @@ branches:
     tracks-release-branches: false
     is-release-branch: false
   release:
-    regex: releases?[/-]
+    regex: ^releases?[/-]
     mode: ContinuousDelivery
     tag: beta
     increment: Patch
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ branches:
     tracks-release-branches: false
     is-release-branch: true
   feature:
-    regex: features?[/-]
+    regex: ^features?[/-]
     mode: ContinuousDelivery
     tag: useBranchName
     increment: Inherit
@@ -216,7 +216,7 @@ branches:
     tracks-release-branches: false
     is-release-branch: false
   pull-request:
-    regex: (pull|pull\-requests|pr)[/-]
+    regex: ^(pull|pull\-requests|pr)[/-]
     mode: ContinuousDelivery
     tag: PullRequest
     increment: Inherit
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ branches:
     tracks-release-branches: false
     is-release-branch: false
   hotfix:
-    regex: hotfix(es)?[/-]
+    regex: ^hotfix(es)?[/-]
     mode: ContinuousDelivery
     tag: beta
     increment: Patch
@@ -235,7 +235,7 @@ branches:
     tracks-release-branches: false
     is-release-branch: false
   support:
-    regex: support[/-]
+    regex: ^support[/-]
     mode: ContinuousDelivery
     tag: ''
     increment: Patch
@@ -244,7 +244,7 @@ branches:
     tracks-release-branches: false
     is-release-branch: false
   develop:
-    regex: dev(elop)?(ment)?$
+    regex: ^dev(elop)?(ment)?$
     mode: ContinuousDeployment
     tag: unstable
     increment: Minor
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/ConfigProviderTests.CanWriteOutEffectiveConfiguration.approved.txt b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/ConfigProviderTests.CanWriteOutEffectiveConfiguration.approved.txt
index 2650aedd2b..7d0d4f02a6 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/ConfigProviderTests.CanWriteOutEffectiveConfiguration.approved.txt
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/ConfigProviderTests.CanWriteOutEffectiveConfiguration.approved.txt
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ branches:
     increment: Minor
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: false
     track-merge-target: true
-    regex: dev(elop)?(ment)?$
+    regex: ^dev(elop)?(ment)?$
     source-branches: []
     tracks-release-branches: true
     is-release-branch: false
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ branches:
     increment: Patch
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: true
     track-merge-target: false
-    regex: master$
+    regex: ^master$
     source-branches:
     - develop
     - release
@@ -42,7 +42,7 @@ branches:
     increment: Patch
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: true
     track-merge-target: false
-    regex: releases?[/-]
+    regex: ^releases?[/-]
     source-branches:
     - develop
     - master
@@ -57,7 +57,7 @@ branches:
     increment: Inherit
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: false
     track-merge-target: false
-    regex: features?[/-]
+    regex: ^features?[/-]
     source-branches:
     - develop
     - master
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ branches:
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: false
     tag-number-pattern: '[/-](?<number>\d+)'
     track-merge-target: false
-    regex: (pull|pull\-requests|pr)[/-]
+    regex: ^(pull|pull\-requests|pr)[/-]
     source-branches:
     - develop
     - master
@@ -92,7 +92,7 @@ branches:
     increment: Patch
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: false
     track-merge-target: false
-    regex: hotfix(es)?[/-]
+    regex: ^hotfix(es)?[/-]
     source-branches:
     - develop
     - master
@@ -106,7 +106,7 @@ branches:
     increment: Patch
     prevent-increment-of-merged-branch-version: true
     track-merge-target: false
-    regex: support[/-]
+    regex: ^support[/-]
     source-branches:
     - master
     tracks-release-branches: false
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs
index 72d9029b9e..9f505afbf4 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore.Tests/IntegrationTests/DevelopScenarios.cs
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-using GitTools.Testing;
+using GitTools.Testing;
 using GitVersion;
 using GitVersionCore.Tests;
 using LibGit2Sharp;
@@ -183,4 +183,25 @@ public void InheritVersionFromReleaseBranch()
             fixture.AssertFullSemver("2.1.0-MyFeature.1+5");
         }
     }
-}
\ No newline at end of file
+
+    [Test]
+    public void WhenMultipleDevelopBranchesExistAndCurrentBranchHasIncrementInheritPolicyAndCurrentCommitIsAMerge()
+    {
+        using (var fixture = new EmptyRepositoryFixture())
+        {
+            fixture.Repository.MakeATaggedCommit("1.0.0");
+            fixture.Repository.CreateBranch("bob_develop");
+            fixture.Repository.CreateBranch("develop");
+            fixture.Repository.CreateBranch("feature/x");
+
+            Commands.Checkout(fixture.Repository, "develop");
+            fixture.Repository.MakeACommit();
+
+            Commands.Checkout(fixture.Repository, "feature/x");
+            fixture.Repository.MakeACommit();
+            fixture.Repository.MergeNoFF("develop");
+
+            fixture.AssertFullSemver("1.0.1-x.1+3");
+        }
+    }
+}
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/Config.cs b/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/Config.cs
index ba04dff821..ab2ac963b2 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/Config.cs
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/Config.cs
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ public BranchConfig GetConfigForBranch(string branchName)
         {
             if (branchName == null) throw new ArgumentNullException(nameof(branchName));
             var matches = Branches
-                .Where(b => Regex.IsMatch(branchName, "^" + b.Value.Regex, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase));
+                .Where(b => Regex.IsMatch(branchName, b.Value.Regex, RegexOptions.IgnoreCase));
 
             try
             {
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/ConfigurationProvider.cs b/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/ConfigurationProvider.cs
index 796ecc9424..b6c6ae38a4 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/ConfigurationProvider.cs
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/ConfigurationProvider.cs
@@ -14,13 +14,13 @@ public class ConfigurationProvider
         public const string DefaultConfigFileName = "GitVersion.yml";
         public const string ObsoleteConfigFileName = "GitVersionConfig.yaml";
 
-        public const string ReleaseBranchRegex = "releases?[/-]";
-        public const string FeatureBranchRegex = "features?[/-]";
-        public const string PullRequestRegex = @"(pull|pull\-requests|pr)[/-]";
-        public const string HotfixBranchRegex = "hotfix(es)?[/-]";
-        public const string SupportBranchRegex = "support[/-]";
-        public const string DevelopBranchRegex = "dev(elop)?(ment)?$";
-        public const string MasterBranchRegex = "master$";
+        public const string ReleaseBranchRegex = "^releases?[/-]";
+        public const string FeatureBranchRegex = "^features?[/-]";
+        public const string PullRequestRegex = @"^(pull|pull\-requests|pr)[/-]";
+        public const string HotfixBranchRegex = "^hotfix(es)?[/-]";
+        public const string SupportBranchRegex = "^support[/-]";
+        public const string DevelopBranchRegex = "^dev(elop)?(ment)?$";
+        public const string MasterBranchRegex = "^master$";
         public const string MasterBranchKey = "master";
         public const string ReleaseBranchKey = "release";
         public const string FeatureBranchKey = "feature";
diff --git a/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/LegacyConfigNotifier.cs b/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/LegacyConfigNotifier.cs
index 2086255579..00ba347cc3 100644
--- a/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/LegacyConfigNotifier.cs
+++ b/src/GitVersionCore/Configuration/LegacyConfigNotifier.cs
@@ -17,7 +17,8 @@ public class LegacyConfigNotifier
             {ConfigurationProvider.ReleaseBranchRegex, ConfigurationProvider.ReleaseBranchKey},
             {ConfigurationProvider.SupportBranchRegex, ConfigurationProvider.SupportBranchKey},
             {ConfigurationProvider.PullRequestRegex, ConfigurationProvider.PullRequestBranchKey},
-            {"release[/-]", ConfigurationProvider.ReleaseBranchKey},
+            {"dev(elop)?(ment)?$", ConfigurationProvider.DevelopBranchKey },
+            {"release[/-]", ConfigurationProvider.ReleaseBranchKey },
             {"hotfix[/-]", ConfigurationProvider.HotfixBranchKey },
             {"feature(s)?[/-]", ConfigurationProvider.FeatureBranchKey },
             {"feature[/-]", ConfigurationProvider.FeatureBranchKey }