diff --git a/CHANGELOG.md b/CHANGELOG.md
index eb050fd..ff0261c 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG.md
+++ b/CHANGELOG.md
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@
 
 #### Review fixes
 
+- Skipped false embedded-todo scan candidates when custom expressions match without a non-empty marker.
 - Accepted an explicit leading `+` in time estimates and other duration expressions, alongside existing negative durations.
 - Preserved balanced closing parentheses, brackets, and braces in relative file-link filenames while excluding surrounding punctuation.
 - Preserved unsaved archive buffers, serialized simultaneous transfers, and replaced closed archive files only after a complete write. Failed writes, stale source documents, and rejected editor edits keep source tasks intact.
diff --git a/src/utils/embedded/regex.ts b/src/utils/embedded/regex.ts
index c633e49..9766e18 100644
--- a/src/utils/embedded/regex.ts
+++ b/src/utils/embedded/regex.ts
@@ -33,8 +33,9 @@ export const hasEmbeddedMatch = (content: string, regex: RegExp): boolean => {
   const matcher = new RegExp(regex.source, regex.flags);
 
   return splitLines(content).some((line) => {
+    const trimmed = _.trimStart(line);
     matcher.lastIndex = 0;
 
-    return matcher.test(_.trimStart(line));
+    return matcher.test(trimmed) && parseEmbeddedMatches(trimmed, regex).length > 0;
   });
 };
diff --git a/test/embedded-regex.spec.ts b/test/embedded-regex.spec.ts
index cb29d55..390f673 100644
--- a/test/embedded-regex.spec.ts
+++ b/test/embedded-regex.spec.ts
@@ -80,6 +80,18 @@ describe('Embedded todo scan pre-check', () => {
 
     expect(hasEmbeddedMatch('const ready = true;\r  // TASK ship it', regex)).to.equal(true);
   });
+
+  it('skips matches without a configured marker capture', () => {
+    const regex = /(TODO)?(hello)/g;
+    expect(hasEmbeddedMatch('hello', regex)).to.equal(false);
+    expect(hasEmbeddedMatch('TODOhello', regex)).to.equal(true);
+  });
+
+  it('finds a later valid match after an empty alternative', () => {
+    const regex = /(TODO)|(?:)/g;
+    expect(hasEmbeddedMatch('nothing', regex)).to.equal(false);
+    expect(hasEmbeddedMatch(' TODO', regex)).to.equal(true);
+  });
 });
 
 describe('Embedded todo line parsing', () => {