diff --git a/autoload/neosnippet.vim b/autoload/neosnippet.vim
index bb2248d..9efd6fb 100644
--- a/autoload/neosnippet.vim
+++ b/autoload/neosnippet.vim
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 "=============================================================================
 " FILE: neosnippet.vim
 " AUTHOR:  Shougo Matsushita <Shougo.Matsu@gmail.com>
-" Last Modified: 10 Mar 2013.
+" Last Modified: 02 Apr 2013.
 " License: MIT license  {{{
 "     Permission is hereby granted, free of charge, to any person obtaining
 "     a copy of this software and associated documentation files (the
@@ -557,11 +557,15 @@ function! neosnippet#expand(cur_text, col, trigger_name) "{{{
 
   " Substitute markers.
   let snip_word = substitute(snip_word,
-        \ s:get_placeholder_marker_substitute_pattern(),
+        \ '\\\@<!'.s:get_placeholder_marker_substitute_pattern(),
         \ '<`\1`>', 'g')
   let snip_word = substitute(snip_word,
-        \ s:get_mirror_placeholder_marker_substitute_pattern(),
+        \ '\\\@<!'.s:get_mirror_placeholder_marker_substitute_pattern(),
         \ '<|\1|>', 'g')
+  let snip_word = substitute(snip_word,
+        \ '\\'.s:get_mirror_placeholder_marker_substitute_pattern().'\|'.
+        \ '\\'.s:get_placeholder_marker_substitute_pattern(),
+        \ '\=submatch(0)[1:]', 'g')
 
   " Insert snippets.
   let next_line = getline('.')[a:col-1 :]
diff --git a/autoload/neosnippet/snippets/ruby.snip b/autoload/neosnippet/snippets/ruby.snip
index 7c06441..84f192c 100644
--- a/autoload/neosnippet/snippets/ruby.snip
+++ b/autoload/neosnippet/snippets/ruby.snip
@@ -115,7 +115,6 @@ options word
 
 snippet     main
 options     head
-    if __FILE__ == $ 0
+    if __FILE__ == \$0
         ${1:TARGET}
     end
-# the space is necessary unfortunately..
diff --git a/doc/neosnippet.txt b/doc/neosnippet.txt
index fb7d50a..52021b3 100755
--- a/doc/neosnippet.txt
+++ b/doc/neosnippet.txt
@@ -542,7 +542,7 @@ The structure of a placeholder can be:
 >
 	snippet namespace
 	   namespace ${1:name} {
-		 ${0}
+		${0}
 	   } // namespace $1
 <
 
@@ -555,6 +555,13 @@ special meaning to neosnippet you need to escape them with a backslash.
 
 	snippet test
 	   ${1:escape \} value}
+
+	# Substitute "\$0" to "$0"
+	snippet     main
+	options     head
+	    if __FILE__ == \$0
+	        ${1:TARGET}
+	    end
 <
 
 A placeholder value can not contain new lines. The snippet below isn't valid.
@@ -756,6 +763,9 @@ A:
 ==============================================================================
 CHANGELOG			*neosnippet-changelog*
 
+2013-04-02
+- Improved escape placeholder behavior.
+
 2013-03-30
 - Added rst snippets.
 - Added g:neosnippet#enable_preview option.
diff --git a/syntax/snippet.vim b/syntax/snippet.vim
index 43dcdd1..3df71b0 100644
--- a/syntax/snippet.vim
+++ b/syntax/snippet.vim
@@ -38,9 +38,9 @@ syn region  neosnippetString               start=+"+ end=+"+ contained
 syn region  neosnippetEval                 start=+\\\@<!`+ end=+\\\@<!`+ contained
 syn match   neosnippetWord                 '^\s\+.*$' contains=
       \neosnippetEval,neosnippetPlaceHolder,neosnippetEscape,neosnippetVariable
-syn match   neosnippetPlaceHolder          '\${\d\+\%(:.\{-}\)\?\\\@<!}'
+syn match   neosnippetPlaceHolder          '\\\@<!\${\d\+\%(:.\{-}\)\?\\\@<!}'
       \ contained contains=neosnippetPlaceHolderComment
-syn match   neosnippetVariable             '\$\d\+' contained
+syn match   neosnippetVariable             '\\\@<!\$\d\+' contained
 syn match   neosnippetComment              '^#.*$'
 syn match   neosnippetEscape               '\\[`]' contained