diff --git a/Classes/Service/VariablesService.php b/Classes/Service/VariablesService.php
index a9aa907..91ce70a 100644
--- a/Classes/Service/VariablesService.php
+++ b/Classes/Service/VariablesService.php
@@ -87,30 +87,31 @@ private function replaceMarkersInText(
         MarkerCollection $markerCollection,
         string &$text
     ): void {
-        $markerRegexp = '/(' . implode('|', array_map(preg_quote(...), $markerCollection->getMarkerKeys())) . ')/';
-
-        $loops = 0;
-
-        while (preg_match($markerRegexp, $text) && $loops++ < self::MAXIMUM_LOOP_COUNT) {
-            foreach ($markerCollection as $marker) {
-                $newContent = str_replace(
-                    $marker->getMarkerWithBrackets(),
-                    $marker->replacement,
-                    $text
-                );
+        if ($markerCollection->isEmpty() === false) {
+            $markerRegexp = $this->buildMarkerRegExp($markerCollection);
+            $loops = 0;
+
+            while (preg_match($markerRegexp, $text) && $loops++ < self::MAXIMUM_LOOP_COUNT) {
+                foreach ($markerCollection as $marker) {
+                    $newContent = str_replace(
+                        $marker->getMarkerWithBrackets(),
+                        $marker->replacement,
+                        $text
+                    );
+
+                    if ($newContent === $text) {
+                        continue;
+                    }
 
-                if ($newContent === $text) {
-                    continue;
+                    // Assign a cache key associated with the marker
+                    $this->cacheTags->add(
+                        CacheKeyUtility::getCacheKey(
+                            $marker->getMarkerWithBrackets()
+                        )
+                    );
+                    $this->usedMarkerKeys[] = $marker->key;
+                    $text = $newContent;
                 }
-
-                // Assign a cache key associated with the marker
-                $this->cacheTags->add(
-                    CacheKeyUtility::getCacheKey(
-                        $marker->getMarkerWithBrackets()
-                    )
-                );
-                $this->usedMarkerKeys[] = $marker->key;
-                $text = $newContent;
             }
         }
 
@@ -169,6 +170,16 @@ private function getMarkers(
         return $markers;
     }
 
+    private function buildMarkerRegExp(MarkerCollection $markerCollection): string
+    {
+        $quotedMarkerKeys = [];
+        foreach ($markerCollection->getMarkerKeys() as $markerKey) {
+            $quotedMarkerKeys[] = preg_quote($markerKey, '/');
+        }
+
+        return '/(' . implode('|', $quotedMarkerKeys) . ')/';
+    }
+
     private function setCacheTags(
         ServerRequestInterface $request,
     ): void {
diff --git a/Tests/Unit/Service/VariablesServiceTest.php b/Tests/Unit/Service/VariablesServiceTest.php
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..85b29e8
--- /dev/null
+++ b/Tests/Unit/Service/VariablesServiceTest.php
@@ -0,0 +1,74 @@
+<?php
+
+declare(strict_types=1);
+
+/*
+ * This file is part of the TYPO3 CMS project.
+ *
+ * It is free software; you can redistribute it and/or modify it under
+ * the terms of the GNU General Public License, either version 2
+ * of the License, or any later version.
+ *
+ * For the full copyright and license information, please read the
+ * LICENSE.txt file that was distributed with TYPO3 source code.
+ *
+ * The TYPO3 project - inspiring people to share!
+ */
+
+namespace Sinso\Variables\Tests\Unit\Service;
+
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\CoversClass;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\DataProvider;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\Attributes\Test;
+use PHPUnit\Framework\TestCase;
+use Sinso\Variables\Domain\Model\Marker;
+use Sinso\Variables\Domain\Model\MarkerCollection;
+use Sinso\Variables\Service\VariablesService;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Configuration\ExtensionConfiguration;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Context\Context;
+use TYPO3\CMS\Core\Database\ConnectionPool;
+
+#[CoversClass(VariablesService::class)]
+final class VariablesServiceTest extends TestCase
+{
+    /**
+     * @return iterable<string, array{0: string, 1: string, 2: string, 3: string}>
+     */
+    public static function markerKeyDataProvider(): iterable
+    {
+        yield 'plain key' => ['key', 'replacement', 'before {{key}} after', 'before replacement after'];
+        yield 'key containing a slash' => ['foo/bar', 'replacement', 'before {{foo/bar}} after', 'before replacement after'];
+        yield 'key containing a regular expression special character' => ['foo.bar', 'replacement', 'before {{foo.bar}} after', 'before replacement after'];
+    }
+
+    #[Test]
+    #[DataProvider('markerKeyDataProvider')]
+    public function replacesMarkerRegardlessOfSpecialCharactersInKey(
+        string $markerKey,
+        string $replacement,
+        string $text,
+        string $expected,
+    ): void {
+        $markerCollection = new MarkerCollection();
+        $markerCollection->add(new Marker(1, $markerKey, $replacement));
+
+        $this->replaceMarkersInStructure($markerCollection, $text);
+
+        self::assertSame($expected, $text);
+    }
+
+    private function replaceMarkersInStructure(MarkerCollection $markerCollection, mixed &$structure): void
+    {
+        $extensionConfiguration = $this->createMock(ExtensionConfiguration::class);
+        $extensionConfiguration->method('get')->willReturn(false);
+
+        $subject = new VariablesService(
+            $extensionConfiguration,
+            $this->createMock(Context::class),
+            $this->createMock(ConnectionPool::class),
+        );
+
+        $reflectionMethod = new \ReflectionMethod($subject, 'replaceMarkersInStructure');
+        $reflectionMethod->invokeArgs($subject, [$markerCollection, &$structure]);
+    }
+}