diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index 89b8286..aef952e 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -13,6 +13,7 @@ This project adheres to [Semantic Versioning](http://semver.org/).
 ### Removed
 
 ### Fixed
+- Do not treat $ as escape char in plain strings/regexes #120
 
 ## [0.6.3]
 
diff --git a/variables.go b/variables.go
index 2bcf875..3a76d21 100644
--- a/variables.go
+++ b/variables.go
@@ -429,9 +429,11 @@ func lexer(in string) (<-chan token, <-chan error) {
 					lex <- openToken
 					off++
 					varcount++
-				default: // escape any symbol
+				case '$', '}': // escape $} and $$
 					content = content[:idx] + content[off:]
 					continue
+				default:
+					continue
 				}
 			}
 
diff --git a/variables_test.go b/variables_test.go
index 4a1fba8..270f7dd 100644
--- a/variables_test.go
+++ b/variables_test.go
@@ -42,6 +42,7 @@ func TestVarExpParserSuccess(t *testing.T) {
 		{"plain string", "string", str("string")},
 		{"string containing :", "just:a:string", str("just:a:string")},
 		{"string containing }", "abc } def", str("abc } def")},
+		{"string containging regex with $", "log$|leg$", str("log$|leg$")},
 		{"string with escaped var", "escaped $${var}", str("escaped ${var}")},
 		{"reference", "${reference}", ref("reference")},
 		{"exp in middle", "test ${splice} this",