diff --git a/text-motions.c b/text-motions.c
index 1430d49..2e6f1e8 100644
--- a/text-motions.c
+++ b/text-motions.c
@@ -533,17 +533,20 @@ size_t text_bracket_match(Text *txt, size_t pos, const Filerange *limits) {
 static size_t match_symbol(Text *txt, size_t pos, char search, int direction, const Filerange *limits) {
 	char c, current;
 	int count = 1;
-	bool instring = false;
+	bool instring = false, escaped;
 	Iterator it = text_iterator_get(txt, pos);
 	if (!text_iterator_byte_get(&it, &current))
 		return pos;
+	escaped = false;
 	if (direction >= 0) { /* forward search */
 		while (text_iterator_byte_next(&it, &c)) {
 			if (limits && it.pos >= limits->end)
 				break;
-			if (c != current && c == '"')
+			if (c != current && c == '"' && !escaped)
 				instring = !instring;
-			if (!instring) {
+			if (instring) {
+				escaped = c == '\\';
+			} else {
 				if (c == search && --count == 0)
 					return it.pos;
 				else if (c == current)