diff --git a/phpBB/includes/template/filter.php b/phpBB/includes/template/filter.php
index f24c3f4d09..d8ea603efd 100644
--- a/phpBB/includes/template/filter.php
+++ b/phpBB/includes/template/filter.php
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ class phpbb_template_filter extends php_user_filter
 	const REGEX_NS = '[a-z_][a-z_0-9]+';
 
 	const REGEX_VAR = '[A-Z_][A-Z_0-9]+';
+	const REGEX_VAR_SUFFIX = '[A-Z_0-9]+';
 
 	const REGEX_TAG = '<!-- ([A-Z][A-Z_0-9]+)(?: (.*?) ?)?-->';
 
@@ -374,7 +375,7 @@ class phpbb_template_filter extends php_user_filter
 		// transform vars prefixed by L_ into their language variable pendant if nothing is set within the tpldata array
 		if (strpos($text_blocks, '{L_') !== false)
 		{
-			$text_blocks = preg_replace('#\{L_(' . self::REGEX_VAR . ')\}#', "<?php echo ((isset(\$_rootref['L_\\1'])) ? \$_rootref['L_\\1'] : ((isset(\$_lang['\\1'])) ? \$_lang['\\1'] : '{ \\1 }')); /**/?>", $text_blocks, -1, $replacements);
+			$text_blocks = preg_replace('#\{L_(' . self::REGEX_VAR_SUFFIX . ')\}#', "<?php echo ((isset(\$_rootref['L_\\1'])) ? \$_rootref['L_\\1'] : ((isset(\$_lang['\\1'])) ? \$_lang['\\1'] : '{ \\1 }')); /**/?>", $text_blocks, -1, $replacements);
 			return (bool) $replacements;
 		}
 
@@ -382,7 +383,7 @@ class phpbb_template_filter extends php_user_filter
 		// If a template variable already exist, it will be used in favor of it...
 		if (strpos($text_blocks, '{LA_') !== false)
 		{
-			$text_blocks = preg_replace('#\{LA_(' . self::REGEX_VAR . '+)\}#', "<?php echo ((isset(\$_rootref['LA_\\1'])) ? \$_rootref['LA_\\1'] : ((isset(\$_rootref['L_\\1'])) ? addslashes(\$_rootref['L_\\1']) : ((isset(\$_lang['\\1'])) ? addslashes(\$_lang['\\1']) : '{ \\1 }'))); /**/?>", $text_blocks, -1, $replacements);
+			$text_blocks = preg_replace('#\{LA_(' . self::REGEX_VAR_SUFFIX . '+)\}#', "<?php echo ((isset(\$_rootref['LA_\\1'])) ? \$_rootref['LA_\\1'] : ((isset(\$_rootref['L_\\1'])) ? addslashes(\$_rootref['L_\\1']) : ((isset(\$_lang['\\1'])) ? addslashes(\$_lang['\\1']) : '{ \\1 }'))); /**/?>", $text_blocks, -1, $replacements);
 			return (bool) $replacements;
 		}
 
diff --git a/tests/template/template_test.php b/tests/template/template_test.php
index 28eba05217..8ea21444f3 100644
--- a/tests/template/template_test.php
+++ b/tests/template/template_test.php
@@ -211,21 +211,21 @@ class phpbb_template_template_test extends phpbb_template_template_test_case
 				array(),
 				array(),
 				array(),
-				"{ VARIABLE }\n{ VARIABLE }",
+				"{ VARIABLE }\n{ 1_VARIABLE }\n{ VARIABLE }\n{ 1_VARIABLE }",
 			),
 			array(
 				'lang.html',
-				array('L_VARIABLE' => "Value'"),
+				array('L_VARIABLE' => "Value'", 'L_1_VARIABLE' => "1 O'Clock"),
 				array(),
 				array(),
-				"Value'\nValue\'",
+				"Value'\n1 O'Clock\nValue\'\n1 O\'Clock",
 			),
 			array(
 				'lang.html',
-				array('LA_VARIABLE' => "Value'"),
+				array('LA_VARIABLE' => "Value'", 'LA_1_VARIABLE' => "1 O'Clock"),
 				array(),
 				array(),
-				"{ VARIABLE }\nValue'",
+				"{ VARIABLE }\n{ 1_VARIABLE }\nValue'\n1 O'Clock",
 			),
 			array(
 				'loop_nested_multilevel_ref.html',
diff --git a/tests/template/templates/lang.html b/tests/template/templates/lang.html
index 2b5ea1cafe..3eecc298cb 100644
--- a/tests/template/templates/lang.html
+++ b/tests/template/templates/lang.html
@@ -1,3 +1,5 @@
 {L_VARIABLE}
+{L_1_VARIABLE}
 
 {LA_VARIABLE}
+{LA_1_VARIABLE}