diff --git a/tide/capture_test.go b/tide/capture_test.go
index 7148a83..2fc761e 100644
--- a/tide/capture_test.go
+++ b/tide/capture_test.go
@@ -124,7 +124,7 @@ func TestScrubRejectsUnclassifiedAndPersistsVars(t *testing.T) {
 		t.Fatalf("mode %o", st.Mode().Perm())
 	}
 	unknown := Step{
-		ID: "bad",
+		ID:       "bad",
 		Response: Response{Body: Body(`{"token":"eyJhbGciOiJIUzI1NiIsInR5cCI6IkpXVCJ9.eyJzdWIiOiJib2IifQ.otherSignatureValue99"}`)},
 	}
 	if err := ScrubStep(store, &unknown); err == nil {
@@ -271,3 +271,43 @@ func post(t *testing.T, url, session, ct, body string) {
 		t.Fatalf("%s: %d", url, resp.StatusCode)
 	}
 }
+
+func TestScrubShortNumericIDsDoNotCorruptPaths(t *testing.T) {
+	store, err := OpenStore("")
+	if err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	store.Set("id:alice", "1")
+	store.Set("id:genre", "4")
+	step := Step{
+		ID: "genres",
+		Request: Request{
+			Method:  http.MethodGet,
+			Path:    "/_fonoteka/api/v1/genres",
+			Headers: map[string]string{"Authorization": "Bearer x"},
+		},
+		Response: Response{
+			Status: 200,
+			Body:   Body(`{"data":[{"id":1,"name":"Rock","album_count":0},{"id":15,"name":"Latin"},{"id":4,"name":"Jazz","album_count":1}]}`),
+		},
+	}
+	if err := ScrubStep(store, &step); err != nil {
+		t.Fatal(err)
+	}
+	if step.Request.Path != "/_fonoteka/api/v1/genres" {
+		t.Fatalf("path corrupted: %s", step.Request.Path)
+	}
+	body := string(step.Response.Body)
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `"id":{{id:alice}}`) {
+		t.Fatalf("id 1 not isolated: %s", body)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `"id":15`) {
+		t.Fatalf("id 15 must stay intact: %s", body)
+	}
+	if !strings.Contains(body, `"id":{{id:genre}}`) {
+		t.Fatalf("id 4 not isolated: %s", body)
+	}
+	if strings.Contains(body, "{{id:alice}}5") || strings.Contains(body, "v{{id:alice}}") {
+		t.Fatalf("substring replace leaked: %s", body)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/tide/variables.go b/tide/variables.go
index 951a487..4ad93fa 100644
--- a/tide/variables.go
+++ b/tide/variables.go
@@ -456,11 +456,47 @@ func replaceAll(s string, pairs [][2]string) string {
 		if p[0] == "" {
 			continue
 		}
-		s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, p[0], p[1])
+		if len(p[0]) >= 8 {
+			s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, p[0], p[1])
+			continue
+		}
+		s = replaceIsolated(s, p[0], p[1])
 	}
 	return s
 }
 
+func replaceIsolated(s, old, neu string) string {
+	if old == "" || s == "" {
+		return s
+	}
+	var b strings.Builder
+	i := 0
+	for i < len(s) {
+		j := strings.Index(s[i:], old)
+		if j < 0 {
+			b.WriteString(s[i:])
+			break
+		}
+		j += i
+		leftOK := j == 0 || !isIdentByte(s[j-1])
+		right := j + len(old)
+		rightOK := right == len(s) || !isIdentByte(s[right])
+		if leftOK && rightOK {
+			b.WriteString(s[i:j])
+			b.WriteString(neu)
+			i = right
+			continue
+		}
+		b.WriteString(s[i : j+len(old)])
+		i = j + len(old)
+	}
+	return b.String()
+}
+
+func isIdentByte(c byte) bool {
+	return (c >= '0' && c <= '9') || (c >= 'A' && c <= 'Z') || (c >= 'a' && c <= 'z') || c == '_'
+}
+
 func rejectUnclassifiedCredentials(step Step) error {
 	check := func(label, s string) error {
 		if hit := remainingCredential(s); hit != "" {