diff --git a/src/service/route.js b/src/service/route.js
index c12ce99df626..73c73b04f1b2 100644
--- a/src/service/route.js
+++ b/src/service/route.js
@@ -235,14 +235,16 @@ angularServiceInject('$route', function($location, $routeParams) {
   /////////////////////////////////////////////////////
 
   function switchRouteMatcher(on, when) {
-    var regex = '^' + when.replace(/[\.\\\(\)\^\$]/g, "\$1") + '$',
+    // TODO(i): this code is convoluted and inefficient, we should construct the route matching
+    //   regex only once and then reuse it
+    var regex = '^' + when.replace(/([\.\\\(\)\^\$])/g, "\\$1") + '$',
         params = [],
         dst = {};
     forEach(when.split(/\W/), function(param) {
       if (param) {
         var paramRegExp = new RegExp(":" + param + "([\\W])");
         if (regex.match(paramRegExp)) {
-          regex = regex.replace(paramRegExp, "([^\/]*)$1");
+          regex = regex.replace(paramRegExp, "([^\\/]*)$1");
           params.push(param);
         }
       }
diff --git a/test/service/routeSpec.js b/test/service/routeSpec.js
index 404ff6d54144..c8c8cbeb5bb0 100644
--- a/test/service/routeSpec.js
+++ b/test/service/routeSpec.js
@@ -59,6 +59,27 @@ describe('$route', function() {
   });
 
 
+  it('should match a route that contains special chars in the path', function() {
+    $route.when('/$test.23/foo(bar)/:baz', {template: 'test.html'});
+
+    $location.path('/test');
+    scope.$digest();
+    expect($route.current).toBeUndefined();
+
+    $location.path('/$testX23/foo(bar)/222');
+    scope.$digest();
+    expect($route.current).toBeUndefined();
+
+    $location.path('/$test.23/foo(bar)/222');
+    scope.$digest();
+    expect($route.current).toBeDefined();
+
+    $location.path('/$test.23/foo\\(bar)/222');
+    scope.$digest();
+    expect($route.current).toBeUndefined();
+  });
+
+
   it('should change route even when only search param changes', function() {
     var callback = jasmine.createSpy('onRouteChange');