diff --git a/lib/channel/filters.js b/lib/channel/filters.js
index 8b47c8a1..fbf1ab2c 100644
--- a/lib/channel/filters.js
+++ b/lib/channel/filters.js
@@ -1,26 +1,34 @@
-var FilterList = require('cytubefilters');
+var FilterList = require("cytubefilters");
 var ChannelModule = require("./module");
 var XSS = require("../xss");
 var Logger = require("../logger");
 
+/*
+ * Converts JavaScript-style replacements ($1, $2, etc.) with
+ * PCRE-style (\1, \2, etc.)
+ */
+function fixReplace(replace) {
+    return replace.replace(/\$(\d)/g, "\\$1");
+}
+
 function validateFilter(f) {
     if (typeof f.source !== "string" || typeof f.flags !== "string" ||
         typeof f.replace !== "string") {
-        return false;
+        return null;
     }
 
     if (typeof f.name !== "string") {
         f.name = f.source;
     }
 
-    f.replace = f.replace.substring(0, 1000);
+    f.replace = fixReplace(f.replace.substring(0, 1000));
     f.replace = XSS.sanitizeHTML(f.replace);
     f.flags = f.flags.substring(0, 4);
 
     try {
-        new RegExp(f.source, f.flags);
+        FilterList.checkValidRegex(f.source);
     } catch (e) {
-        return false;
+        return null;
     }
 
     var filter = {
@@ -35,58 +43,47 @@ function validateFilter(f) {
     return filter;
 }
 
-function fixReplace(replace) {
-    return replace.replace(/\$(\d)/g, '\\$1');
-}
-
 function makeDefaultFilter(name, source, flags, replace) {
     return {
         name: name,
         source: source,
         flags: flags,
-        replace: fixReplace(replace),
+        replace: replace,
         active: true,
         filterlinks: false
     };
 }
 
 const DEFAULT_FILTERS = [
-    makeDefaultFilter("monospace", "`(.+?)`", "g", "<code>$1</code>"),
-    makeDefaultFilter("bold", "\\*(.+?)\\*", "g", "<strong>$1</strong>"),
-    makeDefaultFilter("italic", "_(.+?)_", "g", "<em>$1</em>"),
-    makeDefaultFilter("strike", "~~(.+?)~~", "g", "<s>$1</s>"),
-    makeDefaultFilter("inline spoiler", "\\[sp\\](.*?)\\[\\/sp\\]", "ig", "<span class=\"spoiler\">$1</span>")
+    makeDefaultFilter("monospace", "`(.+?)`", "g", "<code>\\1</code>"),
+    makeDefaultFilter("bold", "\\*(.+?)\\*", "g", "<strong>\\1</strong>"),
+    makeDefaultFilter("italic", "_(.+?)_", "g", "<em>\\1</em>"),
+    makeDefaultFilter("strike", "~~(.+?)~~", "g", "<s>\\1</s>"),
+    makeDefaultFilter("inline spoiler", "\\[sp\\](.*?)\\[\\/sp\\]", "ig",
+        "<span class=\"spoiler\">\\1</span>")
 ];
 
 function ChatFilterModule(channel) {
     ChannelModule.apply(this, arguments);
-    this.filters = new FilterList(DEFAULT_FILTERS);
+    this.filters = new FilterList();
 }
 
 ChatFilterModule.prototype = Object.create(ChannelModule.prototype);
 
 ChatFilterModule.prototype.load = function (data) {
     if ("filters" in data) {
-        for (var i = 0; i < data.filters.length; i++) {
-            var f = validateFilter(data.filters[i]);
-            if (f) {
-                try {
-                    this.filters.updateFilter(f);
-                } catch (e) {
-                    if (e.message.match(/does not exist/i)) {
-                        try {
-                            this.filters.addFilter(f);
-                        } catch (e) {
-                            Logger.errlog.log("Filter load failed: " +
-                                JSON.stringify(f) + " c:" + this.channel.name);
-                        }
-                    } else {
-                        Logger.errlog.log("Filter load failed: " +
-                            JSON.stringify(f) + " c:" + this.channel.name);
-                    }
-                }
-            }
+        var filters = data.filters.map(validateFilter).filter(function (f) {
+            return f !== null;
+        });
+        try {
+            this.filters = new FilterList(filters);
+        } catch (e) {
+            Logger.errlog.log("Filter load failed: " + e + " (channel:" +
+                this.channel.name);
+            this.channel.logger.log("Failed to load filters: " + e);
         }
+    } else {
+        this.filters = new FilterList(DEFAULT_FILTERS);
     }
 };
 
@@ -128,6 +125,16 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleAddFilter = function (user, data) {
         return;
     }
 
+    try {
+        FilterList.checkValidRegex(data.source);
+    } catch (e) {
+        user.socket.emit("errorMsg", {
+            msg: "Invalid regex: " + e.message,
+            alert: true
+        });
+        return;
+    }
+
     data = validateFilter(data);
     if (!data) {
         return;
@@ -142,6 +149,9 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleAddFilter = function (user, data) {
         });
         return;
     }
+
+    user.socket.emit("addFilterSuccess");
+
     var chan = this.channel;
     chan.users.forEach(function (u) {
         if (chan.modules.permissions.canEditFilters(u)) {
@@ -150,8 +160,8 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleAddFilter = function (user, data) {
     });
 
     chan.logger.log("[mod] " + user.getName() + " added filter: " + data.name + " -> " +
-                    "s/" + data.source + "/" + data.replace + "/" + data.flags + " active: " +
-                    data.active + ", filterlinks: " + data.filterlinks);
+                    "s/" + data.source + "/" + data.replace + "/" + data.flags +
+                    " active: " + data.active + ", filterlinks: " + data.filterlinks);
 };
 
 ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleUpdateFilter = function (user, data) {
@@ -163,6 +173,16 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleUpdateFilter = function (user, data) {
         return;
     }
 
+    try {
+        FilterList.checkValidRegex(data.source);
+    } catch (e) {
+        user.socket.emit("errorMsg", {
+            msg: "Invalid regex: " + e.message,
+            alert: true
+        });
+        return;
+    }
+
     data = validateFilter(data);
     if (!data) {
         return;
@@ -171,14 +191,10 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleUpdateFilter = function (user, data) {
     try {
         this.filters.updateFilter(data);
     } catch (e) {
-        if (e.message.match(/filter to be updated does not exist/i)) {
-            this.handleAddFilter(user, data);
-        } else {
-            user.socket.emit("errorMsg", {
-                msg: "Filter update failed: " + e.message,
-                alert: true
-            });
-        }
+        user.socket.emit("errorMsg", {
+            msg: "Filter update failed: " + e.message,
+            alert: true
+        });
         return;
     }
 
@@ -190,8 +206,8 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleUpdateFilter = function (user, data) {
     });
 
     chan.logger.log("[mod] " + user.getName() + " updated filter: " + data.name + " -> " +
-                    "s/" + data.source + "/" + data.replace + "/" + data.flags + " active: " +
-                    data.active + ", filterlinks: " + data.filterlinks);
+                    "s/" + data.source + "/" + data.replace + "/" + data.flags +
+                    " active: " + data.active + ", filterlinks: " + data.filterlinks);
 };
 
 ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleImportFilters = function (user, data) {
@@ -207,7 +223,7 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleImportFilters = function (user, data) {
 
     try {
         this.filters = new FilterList(data.map(validateFilter).filter(function (f) {
-            return f !== false;
+            return f !== null;
         }));
     } catch (e) {
         user.socket.emit("errorMsg", {
@@ -249,6 +265,7 @@ ChatFilterModule.prototype.handleRemoveFilter = function (user, data) {
             u.socket.emit("deleteChatFilter", data);
         }
     });
+
     this.channel.logger.log("[mod] " + user.getName() + " removed filter: " + data.name);
 };
 
diff --git a/www/js/ui.js b/www/js/ui.js
index aa0ff3b9..17016a82 100644
--- a/www/js/ui.js
+++ b/www/js/ui.js
@@ -621,14 +621,7 @@ $("#cs-chatfilters-newsubmit").click(function () {
               "match.");
     }
 
-    try {
-        new RegExp(regex, flags);
-    } catch (e) {
-        alert("Regex error: " + e);
-        return;
-    }
-
-    socket.emit("updateFilter", {
+    socket.emit("addFilter", {
         name: name,
         source: regex,
         flags: flags,
@@ -636,10 +629,13 @@ $("#cs-chatfilters-newsubmit").click(function () {
         active: true
     });
 
-    $("#cs-chatfilters-newname").val("");
-    $("#cs-chatfilters-newregex").val("");
-    $("#cs-chatfilters-newflags").val("");
-    $("#cs-chatfilters-newreplace").val("");
+    socket.once("addFilterSuccess", function () {
+        console.log("addFilterSuccess");
+        $("#cs-chatfilters-newname").val("");
+        $("#cs-chatfilters-newregex").val("");
+        $("#cs-chatfilters-newflags").val("");
+        $("#cs-chatfilters-newreplace").val("");
+    });
 });
 
 $("#cs-emotes-newsubmit").click(function () {
diff --git a/www/js/util.js b/www/js/util.js
index 8e625b05..0ae644fd 100644
--- a/www/js/util.js
+++ b/www/js/util.js
@@ -2304,14 +2304,12 @@ function formatCSChatFilterList() {
                 f.flags = flags.val();
                 f.replace = replace.val();
                 f.filterlinks = filterlinks.prop("checked");
-                try {
-                    new RegExp(f.source, f.flags);
-                } catch (e) {
-                    alert("Invalid regex: " + e);
-                }
 
                 socket.emit("updateFilter", f);
-                reset();
+                socket.once("updateFilterSuccess", function () {
+                    console.log("updateFilterSuccess");
+                    reset();
+                });
             });
 
             control.data("editor", tr2);