diff --git a/impl/maven-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolator.java b/impl/maven-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolator.java
index 191b7f11f4..f73d876c90 100644
--- a/impl/maven-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolator.java
+++ b/impl/maven-impl/src/main/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolator.java
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ public class DefaultInterpolator implements Interpolator {
         int escape = val.indexOf(ESCAPE_CHAR);
         while (escape >= 0 && escape < val.length() - 1) {
             char c = val.charAt(escape + 1);
-            if (c == '{' || c == '}' || c == ESCAPE_CHAR) {
+            if (c == '{' || c == '}') {
                 val = val.substring(0, escape) + val.substring(escape + 1);
             }
             escape = val.indexOf(ESCAPE_CHAR, escape + 1);
diff --git a/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolatorTest.java b/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolatorTest.java
index ee77b5dc60..9a0c9c70a6 100644
--- a/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolatorTest.java
+++ b/impl/maven-impl/src/test/java/org/apache/maven/internal/impl/model/DefaultInterpolatorTest.java
@@ -98,6 +98,7 @@ class DefaultInterpolatorTest {
         assertEquals("${a}", substVars("$\\{a${#}\\}", "b"));
         assertEquals("${a}", substVars("$\\{a\\}${#}", "b"));
         assertEquals("${a}", substVars("$\\{a\\}", "b"));
+        assertEquals("\\\\", substVars("\\\\", "b"));
     }
 
     @Test