diff --git a/src/ex_docmd.c b/src/ex_docmd.c
index 8b9db68..d31b56c 100644
--- a/src/ex_docmd.c
+++ b/src/ex_docmd.c
@@ -3424,6 +3424,16 @@
 		return eap->cmd;
 	    }
 	}
+
+	// If it is an ID it might be a variable with an operator on the next
+	// line, if the variable exists it can't be an Ex command.
+	if (p > eap->cmd && ends_excmd(*skipwhite(p))
+		&& (lookup(eap->cmd, p - eap->cmd, NULL, cctx) == OK
+		    || (ASCII_ISALPHA(eap->cmd[0]) && eap->cmd[1] == ':')))
+	{
+	    eap->cmdidx = CMD_eval;
+	    return eap->cmd;
+	}
     }
 #endif