diff --git a/lib/template.js b/lib/template.js
index 04219c5..4154227 100644
--- a/lib/template.js
+++ b/lib/template.js
@@ -8,8 +8,12 @@ const findInsideDoubleBracesIndices = (input) => {
   for (let i = 0; i < input.length; i += 1) {
     const char = input[i];
 
-    if (char === '"' || char === "'") {
-      // If inside quotes, ignore braces
+    if (insideDoubleBracesStart && char === '\\') {
+      // If next character is escaped, skip it
+      i += 1;
+    }
+    if (insideDoubleBracesStart && (char === '"' || char === "'")) {
+      // If inside double braces and inside quotes, ignore braces
       if (!wrappingQuote) {
         wrappingQuote = char;
       } else if (wrappingQuote === char) {
diff --git a/test/template.test.js b/test/template.test.js
index 1817557..bad51d2 100644
--- a/test/template.test.js
+++ b/test/template.test.js
@@ -136,5 +136,18 @@ describe('template', () => {
         expect(render([{'{{.bar}}': [false, '/foo/{{.foo + .bar}}']}])).toEqual([{foo: [false, '/foo/barfoo']}]);
         expect(render({foo: [{bar: '{{1}}'}, '{{empty}}']})).toEqual({foo: [{bar: 1}, undefined]});
     });
+    it('should accept quotes outside of template', () => {
+        const json = { foo: 'bar', bar: 'foo' };
+        const render = (input) => jq.renderRecursively(json, input);
+
+        expect(render('"{{.foo}}"')).toEqual('"bar"');
+        expect(render('\'{{.foo}}\'')).toEqual('\'bar\'');
+    });
+    it('should accept escaped quotes inside jq template', () => {
+        const json = { foo: 'bar', bar: 'foo' };
+        const render = (input) => jq.renderRecursively(json, input);
+
+        expect(render('{{"\\"foo\\""}}')).toEqual('"foo"');
+    });
 })