diff --git a/bundlebee-core/src/main/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/Substitutor.java b/bundlebee-core/src/main/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/Substitutor.java
index d59e1a5c..bf920cb9 100644
--- a/bundlebee-core/src/main/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/Substitutor.java
+++ b/bundlebee-core/src/main/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/Substitutor.java
@@ -50,11 +50,27 @@ public String replace(final String source) {
             final var previous = current;
             current = substitute(current, 0);
             if (previous.equals(current)) {
-                return previous;
+                return unescape(previous);
             }
         } while (true);
     }
 
+    protected String unescape(final String previous) {
+        final var copy = new StringBuilder(previous.length());
+        boolean forceAppend = false;
+        for (int i = 0; i < previous.length(); i++) {
+            final var c = previous.charAt(i);
+            if (!forceAppend && c == ESCAPE) {
+                forceAppend = true;
+                continue;
+            } else if (forceAppend) {
+                forceAppend = false;
+            }
+            copy.append(c);
+        }
+        return copy.toString();
+    }
+
     private String substitute(final String input, int iteration) {
         if (iteration > maxIterations) {
             return input;
@@ -62,16 +78,17 @@ private String substitute(final String input, int iteration) {
 
         int from = 0;
         int start = -1;
-        while (start < 0 && from < input.length()) {
+        while (from < input.length()) {
             start = input.indexOf(PREFIX, from);
             if (start < 0) {
                 return input;
             }
-            if (start != 0 && input.charAt(start - 1) != ESCAPE) {
+            if (start == 0 || input.charAt(start - 1) != ESCAPE) {
                 break;
             }
             from = start + 1;
         }
+
         final var keyStart = start + PREFIX.length();
         final var end = input.indexOf(SUFFIX, keyStart);
         if (end < 0) {
diff --git a/bundlebee-core/src/test/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/SubstitutorTest.java b/bundlebee-core/src/test/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/SubstitutorTest.java
index d3c561b6..f329fad8 100644
--- a/bundlebee-core/src/test/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/SubstitutorTest.java
+++ b/bundlebee-core/src/test/java/io/yupiik/bundlebee/core/lang/SubstitutorTest.java
@@ -84,6 +84,21 @@ void fallback() {
         assertEquals("foo or dummy", new Substitutor(k -> null).replace("foo {{key:-or}} dummy"));
     }
 
+    @Test
+    void escaped() {
+        assertEquals("foo {{key:-or}} dummy", new Substitutor(k -> null).replace("foo \\{{key:-or}} dummy"));
+        assertEquals("foo before {{key:-or}} / {{key:-or2}} after dummy", new Substitutor(k -> {
+            switch (k) {
+                case "suffix":
+                    return "after";
+                case "prefix":
+                    return "before";
+                default:
+                    return null;
+            }
+        }).replace("foo {{prefix}} \\{{key:-or}\\} / {{test:-\\{\\{key:-or2\\}\\}}} {{suffix}} dummy"));
+    }
+
     @Test
     void nested() {
         assertEquals("foo replaced dummy", new Substitutor(k -> "key".equals(k) ? "replaced" : null).replace("foo {{k{{missing:-e}}y}} dummy"));