diff --git a/lbu.in b/lbu.in
index ad5dc870aafffcbc3b23bf7a8fec4764e34de292..52172c754b556ed24aee586209bc18f9f70d81bb 100644
--- a/lbu.in
+++ b/lbu.in
@@ -155,7 +155,7 @@ list_add() {
 	shift
 	mkdir -p "${LBU_LIST%/*}"
 	while [ $# -gt 0 ] ; do
-		filename="$(echo "$1" | sed 's:^/\+::')"
+		filename="$(echo "$1" | sed -E 's:^/+::')"
 		if list_has "${prefix}${filename}"; then
 			vecho "$filename is already in $LBU_LIST."
 		else
@@ -173,7 +173,7 @@ list_delete() {
 	shift
 	[ -f "$LBU_LIST" ] || return 1
 	while [ $# -gt 0 ] ; do
-		filename="$(echo "$1" | sed 's:^/\+::')"
+		filename="$(echo "$1" | sed -E 's:^/+::')"
 		if list_has "${prefix}${filename}"; then
 			vecho "Removing $filename from $LBU_LIST."
 			list_filter_out "${prefix}${filename}" > "$tmp" \