diff --git a/src/dockerSemanticTokens.ts b/src/dockerSemanticTokens.ts
index fd065d7..bd70a59 100644
--- a/src/dockerSemanticTokens.ts
+++ b/src/dockerSemanticTokens.ts
@@ -519,7 +519,11 @@ export class DockerSemanticTokens {
             let lastVariableRange = null;
             for (const variable of instruction.getVariables()) {
                 const variableRange = variable.getRange();
-                if (Util.isInsideRange(variableRange.start, range)) {
+                if (Util.isInsideRange(range.start, variableRange) && Util.isInsideRange(range.end, variableRange)) {
+                    // the token is completely inside the variable's range, render it as a variable
+                    this.createToken(instruction, range, SemanticTokenTypes.variable, [], false);
+                    return;
+                } else if (Util.isInsideRange(variableRange.start, range)) {
                     if (Util.positionBefore(startPosition, variableRange.start)) {
                         // create a parameter token for the characters
                         // before the variable
diff --git a/test/dockerSemanticTokens.test.ts b/test/dockerSemanticTokens.test.ts
index 343bd53..da54e20 100644
--- a/test/dockerSemanticTokens.test.ts
+++ b/test/dockerSemanticTokens.test.ts
@@ -606,6 +606,15 @@ describe("Dockerfile Semantic Token tests", () => {
                 assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.variable, 10, 0, 5, 4);
             });
 
+            it("RUN $var\\\\niable", () => {
+                const tokens = computeSemanticTokens("RUN $var\\\niable");
+                assert.strictEqual(20, tokens.data.length);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.keyword, 0, 0, 0, 3);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.variable, 5, 0, 4, 4);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.macro, 10, 0, 4, 1);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.variable, 15, 1, 0, 5);
+            });
+
             it("FROM golang:$GO_VERSION AS", () => {
                 const tokens = computeSemanticTokens("FROM golang:$GO_VERSION AS");
                 assert.strictEqual(20, tokens.data.length);
@@ -660,6 +669,15 @@ describe("Dockerfile Semantic Token tests", () => {
                 assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.variable, 10, 0, 7, 6);
             });
 
+            it("RUN ${var}\\\\niable", () => {
+                const tokens = computeSemanticTokens("RUN ${var}\\\niable");
+                assert.strictEqual(20, tokens.data.length);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.keyword, 0, 0, 0, 3);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.variable, 5, 0, 4, 6);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.macro, 10, 0, 6, 1);
+                assertEdit(tokens.data, SemanticTokenTypes.parameter, 15, 1, 0, 5);
+            });
+
             it("HEALTHCHECK --timeout=${a} CMD ls", () => {
                 const tokens = computeSemanticTokens("HEALTHCHECK --timeout=${a} CMD ls");
                 assert.strictEqual(30, tokens.data.length);