diff --git a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcher.java b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcher.java
index b0b692b..2a6fd18 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcher.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcher.java
@@ -133,11 +133,17 @@ public String encrypt(String str, Map<String, String> attr) throws SecDispatcher
 
     @Override
     public String decrypt(String str) throws SecDispatcherException, IOException {
-        if (!isAnyEncryptedString(str)) return str;
-        String bare = unDecorate(str);
-        Map<String, String> attr = requireNonNull(stripAttributes(bare));
+        String bare;
+        Map<String, String> attr;
         if (isLegacyEncryptedString(str)) {
+            bare = unDecorateLegacy(str);
+            attr = new HashMap<>();
             attr.put(DISPATCHER_NAME_ATTR, LegacyDispatcher.NAME);
+        } else if (isEncryptedString(str)) {
+            bare = unDecorate(str);
+            attr = requireNonNull(stripAttributes(bare));
+        } else {
+            return str;
         }
         String name = attr.get(DISPATCHER_NAME_ATTR);
         Dispatcher dispatcher = dispatchers.get(name);
@@ -172,14 +178,20 @@ public boolean isEncryptedString(String str) {
      */
     @Override
     public boolean isLegacyEncryptedString(String str) {
-        boolean looksLike = str != null
-                && !str.isBlank()
-                && str.startsWith(SHIELD_BEGIN)
-                && str.endsWith(SHIELD_END)
-                && !unDecorate(str).contains(SHIELD_BEGIN)
-                && !unDecorate(str).contains(SHIELD_END);
-        if (looksLike) {
-            return stripAttributes(unDecorate(str)).isEmpty();
+        if (str != null && str.contains(SHIELD_BEGIN)) {
+            str = str.substring(str.indexOf(SHIELD_BEGIN));
+            if (str.contains(SHIELD_END)) {
+                str = str.substring(0, str.indexOf(SHIELD_END) + 1);
+                String undecorated = unDecorate(str);
+                boolean looksLike = !str.isBlank()
+                        && str.startsWith(SHIELD_BEGIN)
+                        && str.endsWith(SHIELD_END)
+                        && !undecorated.contains(SHIELD_BEGIN)
+                        && !undecorated.contains(SHIELD_END);
+                if (looksLike) {
+                    return stripAttributes(undecorated).isEmpty();
+                }
+            }
         }
         return false;
     }
@@ -309,4 +321,10 @@ protected Map<String, String> stripAttributes(String str) {
     protected String unDecorate(String str) {
         return str.substring(SHIELD_BEGIN.length(), str.length() - SHIELD_END.length());
     }
+
+    protected String unDecorateLegacy(String str) {
+        str = str.substring(str.indexOf(SHIELD_BEGIN));
+        str = str.substring(0, str.indexOf(SHIELD_END) + 1);
+        return unDecorate(str);
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcherTest.java b/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcherTest.java
index 8e27148..352e01e 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcherTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/codehaus/plexus/components/secdispatcher/internal/DefaultSecDispatcherTest.java
@@ -122,16 +122,29 @@ void detection() {
 
         assertFalse(secDispatcher.isEncryptedString("{foo}"));
         assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("{foo}"));
+        assertFalse(secDispatcher.isEncryptedString("Oleg was here {foo}"));
+        assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("Oleg was here {foo}"));
+        assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("Oleg {foo} was here"));
 
         assertFalse(secDispatcher.isEncryptedString("{12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890}"));
         assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("{12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890}"));
+        assertFalse(
+                secDispatcher.isEncryptedString("Oleg was here {12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890}"));
+        assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString(
+                "{12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890} Oleg was here"));
+        assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString(
+                "Oleg {12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890} was here"));
 
         // contains {} in the middle
         assertFalse(secDispatcher.isEncryptedString("{KDvsYOFLlX{}gH4LU8tvpzAGg5otiosZXvfdQq0yO86LU=}"));
         assertFalse(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("{KDvsYOFLlX{}gH4LU8tvpzAGg5otiosZXvfdQq0yO86LU=}"));
+        assertFalse(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString(
+                "Oleg was here {KDvsYOFLlX{}gH4LU8tvpzAGg5otiosZXvfdQq0yO86LU=}"));
 
         assertFalse(secDispatcher.isEncryptedString("{KDvsYOFLlXgH4LU8tvpzAGg5otiosZXvfdQq0yO86LU=}"));
         assertTrue(secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("{KDvsYOFLlXgH4LU8tvpzAGg5otiosZXvfdQq0yO86LU=}"));
+        assertTrue(
+                secDispatcher.isLegacyEncryptedString("Oleg was here {KDvsYOFLlXgH4LU8tvpzAGg5otiosZXvfdQq0yO86LU=}"));
 
         assertTrue(
                 secDispatcher.isEncryptedString(
@@ -192,5 +205,11 @@ void legacy(String xml) throws Exception {
         SecDispatcher secDispatcher = construct();
         String cleartext = secDispatcher.decrypt("{L6L/HbmrY+cH+sNkphnq3fguYepTpM04WlIXb8nB1pk=}");
         assertEquals("password", cleartext);
+
+        cleartext = secDispatcher.decrypt("Oleg was here {L6L/HbmrY+cH+sNkphnq3fguYepTpM04WlIXb8nB1pk=}");
+        assertEquals("password", cleartext);
+
+        cleartext = secDispatcher.decrypt("Oleg {L6L/HbmrY+cH+sNkphnq3fguYepTpM04WlIXb8nB1pk=} was here");
+        assertEquals("password", cleartext);
     }
 }