diff --git a/autoload/syntastic/c.vim b/autoload/syntastic/c.vim
index 5f31b61e..8d9ef73a 100644
--- a/autoload/syntastic/c.vim
+++ b/autoload/syntastic/c.vim
@@ -21,7 +21,7 @@ function! syntastic#c#ReadConfig(file) abort " {{{2
     call syntastic#log#debug(g:_SYNTASTIC_DEBUG_CHECKERS, 'ReadConfig: looking for', a:file)
 
     " search upwards from the current file's directory
-    let config = findfile(a:file, escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+    let config = syntastic#util#findFileInParent(a:file, expand('%:p:h', 1))
     if config ==# ''
         call syntastic#log#debug(g:_SYNTASTIC_DEBUG_CHECKERS, 'ReadConfig: file not found')
         return ''
diff --git a/autoload/syntastic/util.vim b/autoload/syntastic/util.vim
index bd3e2e13..ab949076 100644
--- a/autoload/syntastic/util.vim
+++ b/autoload/syntastic/util.vim
@@ -227,10 +227,18 @@ function! syntastic#util#bufIsActive(buffer) abort " {{{2
 endfunction " }}}2
 
 " start in directory a:where and walk up the parent folders until it finds a
-" file matching a:what; return path to that file; do NOT use this function if
-" a:what doesn't contain wildcards, use findfile(a:what, escape(a:where, ' ') . ';')
-" instead
-function! syntastic#util#findInParent(what, where) abort " {{{2
+" file named a:what; return path to that file
+function! syntastic#util#findFileInParent(what, where) abort " {{{2
+    let old_suffixesadd = &suffixesadd
+    let &suffixesadd = ''
+    let file = findfile(a:what, escape(a:where, ' ') . ';')
+    let &suffixesadd = old_suffixesadd
+    return file
+endfunction " }}}2
+
+" start in directory a:where and walk up the parent folders until it finds a
+" file matching a:what; return path to that file
+function! syntastic#util#findGlobInParent(what, where) abort " {{{2
     let here = fnamemodify(a:where, ':p')
 
     let root = syntastic#util#Slash()
diff --git a/plugin/syntastic.vim b/plugin/syntastic.vim
index aa11345f..c62ec45c 100644
--- a/plugin/syntastic.vim
+++ b/plugin/syntastic.vim
@@ -19,7 +19,7 @@ if has('reltime')
     lockvar! g:_SYNTASTIC_START
 endif
 
-let g:_SYNTASTIC_VERSION = '3.6.0-109'
+let g:_SYNTASTIC_VERSION = '3.6.0-110'
 lockvar g:_SYNTASTIC_VERSION
 
 " Sanity checks {{{1
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/c/pc_lint.vim b/syntax_checkers/c/pc_lint.vim
index 347baac1..6efd17a1 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/c/pc_lint.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/c/pc_lint.vim
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ if !exists('g:syntastic_pc_lint_config_file')
 endif
 
 function! SyntaxCheckers_c_pc_lint_GetLocList() dict
-    let config = findfile(g:syntastic_pc_lint_config_file, escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+    let config = syntastic#util#findFileInParent(g:syntastic_pc_lint_config_file, expand('%:p:h', 1))
     call self.log('config =', config)
 
     " -hFs1         - show filename, add space after messages, try to make message 1 line
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/elixir/elixir.vim b/syntax_checkers/elixir/elixir.vim
index 1c4f0a83..09408d15 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/elixir/elixir.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/elixir/elixir.vim
@@ -35,7 +35,7 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_elixir_elixir_GetLocList() dict
 
     let make_options = {}
     let compile_command = 'elixir'
-    let mix_file = findfile('mix.exs', escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+    let mix_file = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('mix.exs', expand('%:p:h', 1))
 
     if filereadable(mix_file)
         let compile_command = 'mix compile'
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/haxe/haxe.vim b/syntax_checkers/haxe/haxe.vim
index 0b689b5d..789e9f3a 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/haxe/haxe.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/haxe/haxe.vim
@@ -24,7 +24,7 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_haxe_haxe_GetLocList() dict
     elseif exists('g:vaxe_hxml')
         let hxml = g:vaxe_hxml
     else
-        let hxml = syntastic#util#findInParent('*.hxml', expand('%:p:h', 1))
+        let hxml = syntastic#util#findGlobInParent('*.hxml', expand('%:p:h', 1))
     endif
     let hxml = fnamemodify(hxml, ':p')
 
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/java/javac.vim b/syntax_checkers/java/javac.vim
index 8b1d7a61..d9738c6e 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/java/javac.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/java/javac.vim
@@ -315,7 +315,7 @@ endfunction " }}}2
 
 function! s:GetMavenProperties() " {{{2
     let mvn_properties = {}
-    let pom = findfile('pom.xml', escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+    let pom = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('pom.xml', expand('%:p:h', 1))
     if s:has_maven && filereadable(pom)
         if !has_key(g:syntastic_java_javac_maven_pom_properties, pom)
             let mvn_cmd = syntastic#util#shexpand(g:syntastic_java_maven_executable) .
@@ -350,7 +350,7 @@ function! s:GetMavenProperties() " {{{2
 endfunction " }}}2
 
 function! s:GetMavenClasspath() " {{{2
-    let pom = findfile('pom.xml', escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+    let pom = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('pom.xml', expand('%:p:h', 1))
     if s:has_maven && filereadable(pom)
         if !has_key(g:syntastic_java_javac_maven_pom_ftime, pom) || g:syntastic_java_javac_maven_pom_ftime[pom] != getftime(pom)
             let mvn_cmd = syntastic#util#shexpand(g:syntastic_java_maven_executable) .
@@ -394,7 +394,7 @@ function! s:GetMavenClasspath() " {{{2
 endfunction " }}}2
 
 function! s:MavenOutputDirectory() " {{{2
-    let pom = findfile('pom.xml', escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+    let pom = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('pom.xml', expand('%:p:h', 1))
     if s:has_maven && filereadable(pom)
         let mvn_properties = s:GetMavenProperties()
         let output_dir = getcwd()
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/javascript/flow.vim b/syntax_checkers/javascript/flow.vim
index b928971b..6ef39790 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/javascript/flow.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/javascript/flow.vim
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_javascript_flow_IsAvailable() dict
 endfunction
 
 function! SyntaxCheckers_javascript_flow_GetLocList() dict
-    if findfile('.flowconfig', escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';') ==# ''
+    if syntastic#util#findFileInParent('.flowconfig', expand('%:p:h', 1)) ==# ''
         return []
     endif
 
diff --git a/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim b/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim
index 7d428212..96843876 100644
--- a/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim
+++ b/syntax_checkers/rst/sphinx.vim
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_rst_sphinx_GetLocList() dict
     let srcdir = syntastic#util#var('rst_sphinx_source_dir')
     call self.log('g:syntastic_rst_sphinx_source_dir =', srcdir)
     if srcdir == ''
-        let config = findfile('conf.py',  escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+        let config = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('conf.py',  expand('%:p:h', 1))
         if config == '' || !filereadable(config)
             call self.log('conf.py file not found')
             return []
@@ -41,7 +41,7 @@ function! SyntaxCheckers_rst_sphinx_GetLocList() dict
     let confdir = syntastic#util#var('rst_sphinx_config_dir')
     call self.log('g:syntastic_rst_sphinx_config_dir =', confdir)
     if confdir == ''
-        let config = findfile('conf.py',  escape(expand('%:p:h', 1), ' ') . ';')
+        let config = syntastic#util#findFileInParent('conf.py',  expand('%:p:h', 1))
         let confdir = (config != '' && filereadable(config)) ? fnamemodify(config, ':p:h') : srcdir
     endif