diff --git a/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim b/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim
index 4ffca0a..22036ea 100644
--- a/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim
+++ b/autoload/vimwiki/vars.vim
@@ -708,7 +708,7 @@ function! s:get_default_syntaxlocal() abort
         \   'del': [['\~\~', '\~\~']],
         \   'sup': [['\^', '\^']],
         \   'sub': [[',,', ',,']],
-        \   'eq': [['\%(^\|[^$]\)\@<=\$\%($\|[^$]\)\@=', '\%(^\|[^$]\)\@<=\$\%($\|[^$]\)\@=']],
+        \   'eq': [['\%(^\|[^$\\]\)\@<=\$\%($\|[^$]\)\@=', '\%(^\|[^$\\]\)\@<=\$\%($\|[^$]\)\@=']],
         \   }},
         \ 'wikilink': {'type': type(''), 'default': '\[\[\zs[^\\\]|]\+\ze\%(|[^\\\]]\+\)\?\]\]'},
         \ })