diff --git a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts
index f1042d20c..95d2cdbf4 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-fns.ts
@@ -518,7 +518,10 @@ export const expandSecretReferencesFactory = ({
           }
 
           if (referencedSecretValue) {
-            expandedValue = expandedValue.replaceAll(interpolationSyntax, referencedSecretValue);
+            expandedValue = expandedValue.replaceAll(
+              interpolationSyntax,
+              () => referencedSecretValue // prevents special characters from triggering replacement patterns
+            );
           }
         }
       }
diff --git a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts
index 75b7fcca9..d49a183ae 100644
--- a/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts
+++ b/backend/src/services/secret-v2-bridge/secret-v2-bridge-service.ts
@@ -150,9 +150,13 @@ export const secretV2BridgeServiceFactory = ({
       }
     });
 
-    if (referredSecrets.length !== references.length)
+    if (
+      referredSecrets.length !==
+      new Set(references.map(({ secretKey, secretPath, environment }) => `${secretKey}.${secretPath}.${environment}`))
+        .size // only count unique references
+    )
       throw new BadRequestError({
-        message: `Referenced secret not found. Found only ${diff(
+        message: `Referenced secret(s) not found: ${diff(
           references.map((el) => el.secretKey),
           referredSecrets.map((el) => el.key)
         ).join(",")}`