diff --git a/lib/string.js b/lib/string.js
index d2a7518..7fdc79d 100644
--- a/lib/string.js
+++ b/lib/string.js
@@ -386,16 +386,9 @@ string.js - Copyright (C) 2012-2014, JP Richardson <jprichardson@gmail.com>
       var opening = opening || Export.TMPL_OPEN
       var closing = closing || Export.TMPL_CLOSE
 
-      var open = opening.replace(/[-[\]()*\s]/g, "\\$&").replace(/\$/g, '\\$')
-      var close = closing.replace(/[-[\]()*\s]/g, "\\$&").replace(/\$/g, '\\$')
-      var r = new RegExp(open + '(.+?)' + close, 'g')
-        //, r = /\{\{(.+?)\}\}/g
-      var matches = s.match(r) || [];
-
-      matches.forEach(function(match) {
-        var key = match.substring(opening.length, match.length - closing.length);//chop {{ and }}
-        if (typeof values[key] != 'undefined')
-          s = s.replace(match, values[key]);
+      var re = new RegExp(opening.replace(/([^a-z])/gi,'\\$1')+'(.*?)'+closing.replace(/([^a-z])/gi,'\\$1'), 'g');
+      s = s.replace(re, function(all,key) {
+        return values[key]!==undefined ? values[key] : all
       });
       return new this.constructor(s);
     },