diff --git a/rc/filetype/sh.kak b/rc/filetype/sh.kak
index 95e62c53..5f0744a6 100644
--- a/rc/filetype/sh.kak
+++ b/rc/filetype/sh.kak
@@ -23,7 +23,7 @@ add-highlighter shared/sh regions
 add-highlighter shared/sh/code default-region group
 add-highlighter shared/sh/double_string region  %{(?<!\\)(?:\\\\)*\K"} %{(?<!\\)(?:\\\\)*"} group
 add-highlighter shared/sh/single_string region %{(?<!\\)(?:\\\\)*\K'} %{'} fill string
-add-highlighter shared/sh/expansion region '\$\{' '\}|\n' fill value
+add-highlighter shared/sh/expansion region -recurse \$\{ \$\{ \}|\n fill value
 add-highlighter shared/sh/comment region (?<!\\)(?:\\\\)*(?:^|\h)\K# '$' fill comment
 add-highlighter shared/sh/heredoc region -match-capture '<<-?\h*''?(\w+)''?' '^\t*(\w+)$' fill string