diff --git a/nominatim/api/v1/helpers.py b/nominatim/api/v1/helpers.py
index 325e5bc6..6a646e4f 100644
--- a/nominatim/api/v1/helpers.py
+++ b/nominatim/api/v1/helpers.py
@@ -136,10 +136,10 @@ def _deg(axis:str) -> str:
     return f"(?P<{axis}_deg>\\d+\\.\\d+)°?"
 
 def _deg_min(axis: str) -> str:
-    return f"(?P<{axis}_deg>\\d+)[°\\s]+(?P<{axis}_min>[\\d.]+)?[′']*"
+    return f"(?P<{axis}_deg>\\d+)[°\\s]+(?P<{axis}_min>[\\d.]+)[′']*"
 
 def _deg_min_sec(axis: str) -> str:
-    return f"(?P<{axis}_deg>\\d+)[°\\s]+(?P<{axis}_min>\\d+)[′'\\s]+(?P<{axis}_sec>[\\d.]+)?[\"″]*"
+    return f"(?P<{axis}_deg>\\d+)[°\\s]+(?P<{axis}_min>\\d+)[′'\\s]+(?P<{axis}_sec>[\\d.]+)[\"″]*"
 
 COORD_REGEX = [re.compile(r'(?:(?P<pre>.*?)\s+)??' + r + r'(?:\s+(?P<post>.*))?') for r in (
     r"(?P<ns>[NS])\s*" + _deg('lat') + r"[\s,]+" + r"(?P<ew>[EW])\s*" + _deg('lon'),
diff --git a/test/python/api/test_helpers_v1.py b/test/python/api/test_helpers_v1.py
index 45f538de..e4862b0d 100644
--- a/test/python/api/test_helpers_v1.py
+++ b/test/python/api/test_helpers_v1.py
@@ -11,7 +11,11 @@ import pytest
 
 import nominatim.api.v1.helpers as helper
 
-@pytest.mark.parametrize('inp', ['', 'abc', '12 23', 'abc -78.90, 12.456 def'])
+@pytest.mark.parametrize('inp', ['',
+                                 'abc',
+                                 '12 23',
+                                 'abc -78.90, 12.456 def',
+                                 '40 N 60 W'])
 def test_extract_coords_no_coords(inp):
     query, x, y = helper.extract_coords_from_query(inp)