diff --git a/src/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexer.php b/src/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexer.php
index 785cdb634..4a94ece65 100644
--- a/src/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexer.php
+++ b/src/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexer.php
@@ -44,8 +44,7 @@ public function __construct(LexerInterface $decoratedLexer)
      */
     public function lex(string $value): array
     {
-        $escapedValue = preg_replace('/(\\p{L})@/', '$1\\@', $value);
-
+        $escapedValue = preg_replace('/((\s|^)[^@]?(\p{L}|\p{N}|[+-_.])+?(\p{L}|\p{N}))@/', '$1\\@', $value);
         return $this->lexer->lex($escapedValue);
     }
 }
diff --git a/tests/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexerTest.php b/tests/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexerTest.php
index 38f055037..13d3f32c6 100644
--- a/tests/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexerTest.php
+++ b/tests/FixtureBuilder/ExpressionLanguage/Lexer/ReferenceEscaperLexerTest.php
@@ -66,5 +66,7 @@ public function provideValues()
         yield 'string with a reference with members' => ['bar @foo baz'];
 
         yield 'reference in a middle of a word' => ['email@example', 'email\\@example'];
+
+        yield 'email ending with a digit' => ['email1@example', 'email1\\@example'];
     }
 }