diff --git a/src/ast/rewriter/regex_range_collapse.cpp b/src/ast/rewriter/regex_range_collapse.cpp
index 1db3f60d2c..7b63108367 100644
--- a/src/ast/rewriter/regex_range_collapse.cpp
+++ b/src/ast/rewriter/regex_range_collapse.cpp
@@ -22,6 +22,17 @@ Authors:
 namespace seq {
 
     bool regex_to_range_predicate(seq_util& u, expr* r, range_predicate& out) {
+        // The range algebra only models sets of single characters over the
+        // unsigned character domain [0, max_char].  Guard against any regex
+        // whose element type is not a sequence of characters (e.g. a regex
+        // over (Seq Int) or (Seq (Seq Char))): for such regexes the
+        // re.range/re.union/... matchers below would silently fabricate a
+        // character-class predicate and change semantics.  Reject them up
+        // front so callers fall back to the generic regex path.
+        sort* seq_sort = nullptr;
+        if (!u.is_re(r, seq_sort) || !u.is_string(seq_sort))
+            return false;
+
         unsigned const max_char = u.max_char();
         auto& re = u.re;
 
diff --git a/src/test/regex_range_collapse.cpp b/src/test/regex_range_collapse.cpp
index 9317dc6643..a8ba90d5b6 100644
--- a/src/test/regex_range_collapse.cpp
+++ b/src/test/regex_range_collapse.cpp
@@ -10,6 +10,7 @@ Module Name:
 #include "ast/rewriter/regex_range_collapse.h"
 #include "ast/reg_decl_plugins.h"
 #include "ast/ast_pp.h"
+#include "ast/arith_decl_plugin.h"
 #include "util/util.h"
 
 #include <iostream>
@@ -151,6 +152,20 @@ namespace {
                   "re.* of range not translatable");
         }
 
+        // Negative: a regex whose element type is NOT a sequence of
+        // characters (here (Seq Int)) must be rejected outright, even for
+        // shapes that structurally resemble char-class operators.
+        {
+            range_predicate p(M);
+            arith_util a(m);
+            sort* int_seq = u.str.mk_seq(a.mk_int());
+            sort* int_re  = u.re.mk_re(int_seq);
+            check(!regex_to_range_predicate(u, u.re.mk_empty(int_re), p),
+                  "re.empty over (Seq Int) is NOT a char class");
+            check(!regex_to_range_predicate(u, u.re.mk_full_char(int_re), p),
+                  "re.full_char over (Seq Int) is NOT a char class");
+        }
+
         // ---- materialization round-trip ----
 
         // empty -> re.empty