diff --git a/src/workflow-test-helpers.test.ts b/src/workflow-test-helpers.test.ts
index b871bbca..c4190b8d 100644
--- a/src/workflow-test-helpers.test.ts
+++ b/src/workflow-test-helpers.test.ts
@@ -38,6 +38,14 @@ test('stepRunsCommand ignores separators inside quotes and inline comments', ()
   assert.equal(stepRunsCommand({ run: 'gh release view "$V" 2>&1 | tee log' }, /^tee\b/), true);
 });
 
+test('stepRunsCommand treats backslash-escaped separators as literal text', () => {
+  assert.equal(runs(String.raw`echo foo \; bun run verify --flag "$VALUE"`), false);
+  assert.equal(runs(String.raw`echo foo \| bun run verify --flag "$VALUE"`), false);
+  assert.equal(runs(String.raw`find . -exec bun run verify --flag "$VALUE" \;`), false);
+  // An escape does not swallow a following real separator.
+  assert.equal(runs(String.raw`echo a\b; bun run verify --flag "$VALUE"`), true);
+});
+
 test('commandPositions splits on separators and strips control-flow prefixes', () => {
   assert.deepEqual(
     commandPositions({ run: 'if gh release view "$V"; then\ngh release edit "$V"\nfi' }),
diff --git a/src/workflow-test-helpers.ts b/src/workflow-test-helpers.ts
index babd996b..9e74fae2 100644
--- a/src/workflow-test-helpers.ts
+++ b/src/workflow-test-helpers.ts
@@ -75,6 +75,14 @@ function splitCommandSeparators(line: string): string[] {
       continue;
     }
 
+    // An unquoted backslash escapes the next character, so `\;` is literal text
+    // rather than a separator. Checked before comments and separators.
+    if (char === '\\' && index + 1 < line.length) {
+      current += char + line[index + 1]!;
+      index += 1;
+      continue;
+    }
+
     if (char === "'" || char === '"') {
       quote = char;
       current += char;