diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 2deaad9..10548d8 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: rspm
 Type: Package
 Title: 'RStudio' Package Manager
-Version: 0.6.0
+Version: 0.6.0.1
 Authors@R: c(
     person("Iñaki", "Ucar", email="iucar@fedoraproject.org",
       role=c("aut", "cph", "cre"), comment=c(ORCID="0000-0001-6403-5550")),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index c1820b2..b0bcd49 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -1,3 +1,7 @@
+# rspm devel
+
+- Fix regexp escaping in `apt-file` calls for Debian-like systems (#32).
+
 # rspm 0.6.0
 
 - Add support for Pop!_OS (#26 addressing #25).
diff --git a/R/zzz_debian_base.R b/R/zzz_debian_base.R
index cd90076..1e5a2db 100644
--- a/R/zzz_debian_base.R
+++ b/R/zzz_debian_base.R
@@ -38,7 +38,8 @@ debian_install_sysreqs <- function(libs) {
   apt_file <- check_requirements("apt-file")
 
   # get package names
-  patt <- gsub(".", "\\.", paste0("'(", paste(libs, collapse="|"), ")'"), fixed=TRUE)
+  patt <- paste0("'(", paste(libs, collapse="|"), ")'")
+  patt <- gsub("(\\.|\\+)", "\\\\\\1", patt)
   system(apt_file, debian_options(), "update")
   pkgs <- system_(apt_file, debian_options(), "-l search --regexp", patt)