diff --git a/common/str.cpp b/common/str.cpp
index 8ed652f8471..24341ddc44b 100644
--- a/common/str.cpp
+++ b/common/str.cpp
@@ -884,6 +884,7 @@ bool matchString(const char *str, const char *pat, bool ignoreCase, bool pathMod
 
 	const char *p = nullptr;
 	const char *q = nullptr;
+	bool escaped = false;
 
 	for (;;) {
 		if (pathMode && *str == '/') {
@@ -893,6 +894,7 @@ bool matchString(const char *str, const char *pat, bool ignoreCase, bool pathMod
 				return false;
 		}
 
+		const char curPat = *pat;
 		switch (*pat) {
 		case '*':
 			if (*str) {
@@ -912,12 +914,23 @@ bool matchString(const char *str, const char *pat, bool ignoreCase, bool pathMod
 				return true;
 			break;
 
+		case '\\':
+			if (!escaped) {
+				pat++;
+				break;
+			}
+			// fallthrough
+
 		case '#':
-			if (!isDigit(*str))
-				return false;
-			pat++;
-			str++;
-			break;
+			// treat # as a wildcard for digits unless escaped
+			if (!escaped) {
+				if (!isDigit(*str))
+					return false;
+				pat++;
+				str++;
+				break;
+			}
+			// fallthrough
 
 		default:
 			if ((!ignoreCase && *pat != *str) ||
@@ -940,6 +953,8 @@ bool matchString(const char *str, const char *pat, bool ignoreCase, bool pathMod
 			pat++;
 			str++;
 		}
+
+		escaped = !escaped && (curPat == '\\');
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/common/str.h b/common/str.h
index 704114b68e5..54044cfac06 100644
--- a/common/str.h
+++ b/common/str.h
@@ -179,6 +179,7 @@ public:
 	 *      "*": any character, any amount of times.
 	 *      "?": any character, only once.
 	 *      "#": any decimal digit, only once.
+	 *      "\#": #, only once.
 	 *
 	 * Example strings/patterns:
 	 *      String: monkey.s01   Pattern: monkey.s??    => true
diff --git a/test/common/str.h b/test/common/str.h
index 783ed53c482..3c69d1792c0 100644
--- a/test/common/str.h
+++ b/test/common/str.h
@@ -335,6 +335,10 @@ class StringTestSuite : public CxxTest::TestSuite
 		TS_ASSERT(Common::matchString("monkey.s01",  "monkey.s##"));
 		TS_ASSERT(!Common::matchString("monkey.s01", "monkey.###"));
 
+		TS_ASSERT(Common::matchString("monkey.s0#", "monkey.s0\\#"));
+		TS_ASSERT(!Common::matchString("monkey.s0#", "monkey.s0#"));
+		TS_ASSERT(!Common::matchString("monkey.s01", "monkey.s0\\#"));
+
 		TS_ASSERT(!Common::String("").matchString("*_"));
 		TS_ASSERT(Common::String("a").matchString("a***"));
 	}