diff --git a/specfile/sanitizer.py b/specfile/sanitizer.py
index 8f49c34..fad809c 100644
--- a/specfile/sanitizer.py
+++ b/specfile/sanitizer.py
@@ -345,6 +345,29 @@ def sanitize_shell_expansion(body: str) -> str:
             Sanitized shell expansion body, or %{nil} if sanitization is not possible.
         """
 
+        def unescape_quoted_backslashes(s):
+            # process backslashes inside quoted shell string literals
+            try:
+                lex = shlex.shlex(s, posix=False)
+                lex.whitespace_split = True
+                lex.commenters = ""
+                parts = []
+                for token in lex:
+                    if (
+                        len(token) >= 2
+                        and token[0] in ("'", '"')
+                        and token[-1] == token[0]
+                    ):
+                        inner = token[1:-1].replace("\\\\", "\\")
+                        parts.append(token[0] + inner + token[0])
+                    else:
+                        parts.append(token)
+                return " ".join(parts)
+            except ValueError:
+                return s
+
+        body = unescape_quoted_backslashes(body)
+
         def strip_quotes(s):
             s = s.strip()
             if len(s) >= 2 and s[0] in "'\"" and s[-1] == s[0]:
@@ -1069,5 +1092,10 @@ def sanitize_nodes(nodes):
                 i += 1
             return "".join(result)
 
-        sanitized = sanitize_nodes(ValueParser.parse(value))
+        try:
+            nodes = ValueParser.parse(value)
+        except Exception:
+            return "%{nil}", 0, 1
+        else:
+            sanitized = sanitize_nodes(nodes)
         return sanitized, converted, removed
diff --git a/tests/unit/test_sanitizer.py b/tests/unit/test_sanitizer.py
index 20b41fe..4baa826 100644
--- a/tests/unit/test_sanitizer.py
+++ b/tests/unit/test_sanitizer.py
@@ -323,6 +323,10 @@ def test_pipe_to_tr(body, expected):
             "echo 1.2.3-rc4 | sed 's/-/~/g'",
             '%{lua:print((rpm.expand("%{quote:1.2.3-rc4}"):gsub("-", "~")))}',
         ),
+        (
+            "echo %{version} | sed 's/\\\\./_/g'",
+            '%{lua:print((rpm.expand("%{version}"):gsub("%.", "_")))}',
+        ),
     ],
 )
 def test_pipe_to_sed(body, expected):
@@ -338,6 +342,15 @@ def test_chained_sed():
     )
 
 
+def test_chained_sed_rpm_escaped():
+    assert Sanitizer.sanitize_shell_expansion(
+        "echo '%canonical_project_name' | sed --regexp-extended 's:-:_:g;s:\\\\.:_:g'"
+    ) == (
+        '%{lua:local v=(rpm.expand("%{canonical_project_name}"):gsub("-", "_"))'
+        ' print((v:gsub("%.", "_")))}'
+    )
+
+
 @pytest.mark.parametrize(
     "body, expected",
     [