diff --git a/lisp/progmodes/grep.el b/lisp/progmodes/grep.el
index 8f0a5acf70..aba4d59371 100644
--- a/lisp/progmodes/grep.el
+++ b/lisp/progmodes/grep.el
@@ -484,9 +484,13 @@ grep-mode-font-lock-keywords
 This gets tacked on the end of the generated expressions.")
 
 ;;;###autoload
-(defvar grep-program (purecopy "grep")
+(defcustom grep-program (purecopy "grep")
   "The default grep program for `grep-command' and `grep-find-command'.
-This variable's value takes effect when `grep-compute-defaults' is called.")
+This variable's value takes effect when `grep-compute-defaults' is called."
+  :type `(choice
+          (const :tag "Use Grep" "grep")
+          (string :tag "User defined"))
+  :version "28.1")
 
 ;;;###autoload
 (defvar find-program (purecopy "find")
diff --git a/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el b/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el
index 180d779a78..e13c21bc07 100644
--- a/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el
+++ b/lisp/cedet/semantic/symref/grep.el
@@ -150,15 +150,17 @@ semantic-symref-perform-search
                            "-l ")
                           ((eq (oref tool searchtype) 'regexp)
                            "-nE ")
-                          (t "-n ")))
+                          (t (if (equal grep-program "rg") "" "-n "))))
          (greppat (cond ((eq (oref tool searchtype) 'regexp)
                          (oref tool searchfor))
                         (t
                          ;; Can't use the word boundaries: Grep
                          ;; doesn't always agree with the language
                          ;; syntax on those.
-                         (format "\\(^\\|\\W\\)%s\\(\\W\\|$\\)"
-                                 (oref tool searchfor)))))
+                         (if (equal grep-program "rg")
+                             (oref tool searchfor)
+                           (format "\\(^\\|\\W\\)%s\\(\\W\\|$\\)"
+                                   (oref tool searchfor))))))
 	 ;; Misc
 	 (b (get-buffer-create "*Semantic SymRef*"))
 	 (ans nil)