diff --git a/phpstan-safe-rule.neon b/phpstan-safe-rule.neon
index 22b037a..5573fe9 100644
--- a/phpstan-safe-rule.neon
+++ b/phpstan-safe-rule.neon
@@ -15,3 +15,7 @@ services:
     class: TheCodingMachine\Safe\PHPStan\Type\Php\PregMatchParameterOutTypeExtension
     tags:
       - phpstan.functionParameterOutTypeExtension
+  -
+    class: TheCodingMachine\Safe\PHPStan\Type\Php\PregMatchTypeSpecifyingExtension
+    tags:
+      - phpstan.typeSpecifier.functionTypeSpecifyingExtension
diff --git a/src/Type/Php/PregMatchTypeSpecifyingExtension.php b/src/Type/Php/PregMatchTypeSpecifyingExtension.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8678918
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/Type/Php/PregMatchTypeSpecifyingExtension.php
@@ -0,0 +1,85 @@
+<?php declare(strict_types = 1);
+
+namespace TheCodingMachine\Safe\PHPStan\Type\Php;
+
+use PHPStan\Type\Php\RegexArrayShapeMatcher;
+use PhpParser\Node\Expr\FuncCall;
+use PHPStan\Analyser\Scope;
+use PHPStan\Analyser\SpecifiedTypes;
+use PHPStan\Analyser\TypeSpecifier;
+use PHPStan\Analyser\TypeSpecifierAwareExtension;
+use PHPStan\Analyser\TypeSpecifierContext;
+use PHPStan\Reflection\FunctionReflection;
+use PHPStan\TrinaryLogic;
+use PHPStan\Type\FunctionTypeSpecifyingExtension;
+use function in_array;
+use function strtolower;
+
+final class PregMatchTypeSpecifyingExtension implements FunctionTypeSpecifyingExtension, TypeSpecifierAwareExtension
+{
+
+	private TypeSpecifier $typeSpecifier;
+
+	public function __construct(
+		private RegexArrayShapeMatcher $regexShapeMatcher,
+	)
+	{
+	}
+
+	public function setTypeSpecifier(TypeSpecifier $typeSpecifier): void
+	{
+		$this->typeSpecifier = $typeSpecifier;
+	}
+
+	public function isFunctionSupported(FunctionReflection $functionReflection, FuncCall $node, TypeSpecifierContext $context): bool
+	{
+		return in_array(strtolower($functionReflection->getName()), ['safe\preg_match', 'safe\preg_match_all'], true) && !$context->null();
+	}
+
+	public function specifyTypes(FunctionReflection $functionReflection, FuncCall $node, Scope $scope, TypeSpecifierContext $context): SpecifiedTypes
+	{
+		$args = $node->getArgs();
+		$patternArg = $args[0] ?? null;
+		$matchesArg = $args[2] ?? null;
+		$flagsArg = $args[3] ?? null;
+
+		if (
+			$patternArg === null || $matchesArg === null
+		) {
+			return new SpecifiedTypes();
+		}
+
+		$flagsType = null;
+		if ($flagsArg !== null) {
+			$flagsType = $scope->getType($flagsArg->value);
+		}
+
+		if ($functionReflection->getName() === 'Safe\preg_match') {
+			$matchedType = $this->regexShapeMatcher->matchExpr($patternArg->value, $flagsType, TrinaryLogic::createFromBoolean($context->true()), $scope);
+		} else {
+			$matchedType = $this->regexShapeMatcher->matchAllExpr($patternArg->value, $flagsType, TrinaryLogic::createFromBoolean($context->true()), $scope);
+		}
+		if ($matchedType === null) {
+			return new SpecifiedTypes();
+		}
+
+		$overwrite = false;
+		if ($context->false()) {
+			$overwrite = true;
+			$context = $context->negate();
+		}
+
+		$types = $this->typeSpecifier->create(
+			$matchesArg->value,
+			$matchedType,
+			$context,
+			$scope,
+		)->setRootExpr($node);
+		if ($overwrite) {
+			$types = $types->setAlwaysOverwriteTypes();
+		}
+
+		return $types;
+	}
+
+}
diff --git a/tests/Type/Php/data/preg.php b/tests/Type/Php/data/preg.php
index 6e2819c..40af91d 100644
--- a/tests/Type/Php/data/preg.php
+++ b/tests/Type/Php/data/preg.php
@@ -5,6 +5,8 @@
 // Checking that preg_match and Safe\preg_match are equivalent
 $pattern = '/H(.)ll(o) (World)?/';
 $string = 'Hello World';
+
+// when return value isn't checked, we may-or-may-not have matches
 $type = "array{0?: string, 1?: non-empty-string, 2?: 'o', 3?: 'World'}";
 
 // @phpstan-ignore-next-line - use of unsafe is intentional
@@ -13,3 +15,17 @@
 
 \Safe\preg_match($pattern, $string, $matches);
 \PHPStan\Testing\assertType($type, $matches);
+
+
+// when the return value is checked, we should have matches,
+// unless the match-group itself is optional
+$type = "array{0: string, 1: non-empty-string, 2: 'o', 3?: 'World'}";
+
+// @phpstan-ignore-next-line - use of unsafe is intentional
+if(\preg_match($pattern, $string, $matches)) {
+    \PHPStan\Testing\assertType($type, $matches);
+}
+
+if(\Safe\preg_match($pattern, $string, $matches)) {
+    \PHPStan\Testing\assertType($type, $matches);
+}