diff --git a/CHANGES b/CHANGES
index 82fd775764..9505c798b7 100644
--- a/CHANGES
+++ b/CHANGES
@@ -1,6 +1,8 @@
 v3.x.y - YYYY-MMM-DD (to be released)
 -------------------------------------
 
+  - Adjust parser activation rules in modsecurity.conf-recommended
+    [Issue #2796 - @terjanq, @martinhsv]
   - Multipart parsing fixes and new MULTIPART_PART_HEADERS collection
     [Issue #2795 - @terjanq, @martinhsv]
   - Prevent LMDB related segfault
diff --git a/modsecurity.conf-recommended b/modsecurity.conf-recommended
index 42fdcfa7dd..395d82cedc 100644
--- a/modsecurity.conf-recommended
+++ b/modsecurity.conf-recommended
@@ -19,21 +19,21 @@ SecRequestBodyAccess On
 # Enable XML request body parser.
 # Initiate XML Processor in case of xml content-type
 #
-SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type "(?:application(?:/soap\+|/)|text/)xml" \
+SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type "^(?:application(?:/soap\+|/)|text/)xml" \
      "id:'200000',phase:1,t:none,t:lowercase,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=XML"
 
 # Enable JSON request body parser.
 # Initiate JSON Processor in case of JSON content-type; change accordingly
 # if your application does not use 'application/json'
 #
-SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type "application/json" \
+SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type "^application/json" \
      "id:'200001',phase:1,t:none,t:lowercase,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=JSON"
 
 # Sample rule to enable JSON request body parser for more subtypes.
 # Uncomment or adapt this rule if you want to engage the JSON
 # Processor for "+json" subtypes
 #
-#SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type "^application/.+[+]json$" \
+#SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type "^application/[a-z0-9.-]+[+]json" \
 #     "id:'200006',phase:1,t:none,t:lowercase,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=JSON"
 
 # Maximum request body size we will accept for buffering. If you support
diff --git a/test/test-cases/regression/secargumentslimit.json b/test/test-cases/regression/secargumentslimit.json
index 85ec3b9f4d..8f556b3596 100644
--- a/test/test-cases/regression/secargumentslimit.json
+++ b/test/test-cases/regression/secargumentslimit.json
@@ -36,7 +36,7 @@
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
       "SecArgumentsLimit 6",
-      "SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type \"application/json\" \"id:'200001',phase:1,t:none,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=JSON\"",
+      "SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type \"^application/json\" \"id:'200001',phase:1,t:none,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=JSON\"",
       "SecRule REQBODY_ERROR \"!@eq 0\" \"id:'200002', phase:2,t:none,log,deny,status:400,msg:'Failed to parse request body.',logdata:'%{reqbody_error_msg}'\"",
       "SecRule ARGS:/k5/ \"@rx v5\" \"id:'1234',phase:2,deny,status:403,t:none,log,auditlog\""
     ]
@@ -78,7 +78,7 @@
     "rules":[
       "SecRuleEngine On",
       "SecArgumentsLimit 5",
-      "SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type \"application/json\" \"id:'200001',phase:1,t:none,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=JSON\"",
+      "SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type \"^application/json\" \"id:'200001',phase:1,t:none,pass,nolog,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=JSON\"",
       "SecRule REQBODY_ERROR \"!@eq 0\" \"id:'200002', phase:2,t:none,log,deny,status:400,msg:'Failed to parse request body.',logdata:'%{reqbody_error_msg}'\"",
       "SecRule ARGS:/k5/ \"@rx v5\" \"id:'1234',phase:2,deny,status:403,t:none,log,auditlog\""
     ]
diff --git a/test/test-cases/regression/variable-REQBODY_PROCESSOR.json b/test/test-cases/regression/variable-REQBODY_PROCESSOR.json
index 965128b29d..87f43facf4 100644
--- a/test/test-cases/regression/variable-REQBODY_PROCESSOR.json
+++ b/test/test-cases/regression/variable-REQBODY_PROCESSOR.json
@@ -73,7 +73,7 @@
     },
     "rules":[  
       "SecRuleEngine On",
-      "SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type \"^text/xml$\" \"id:500005,phase:1,t:none,t:lowercase,nolog,pass,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=XML\"",
+      "SecRule REQUEST_HEADERS:Content-Type \"^(?:application(?:/soap\+|/)|text/)xml\" \"id:500005,phase:1,t:none,t:lowercase,nolog,pass,ctl:requestBodyProcessor=XML\"",
       "SecRule REQBODY_PROCESSOR \"@contains test\" \"id:1,pass,phase:2,t:trim\""
     ]
   },