diff --git a/backend/open_webui/utils/middleware.py b/backend/open_webui/utils/middleware.py
index cc5f57e0c3..d80066e1dd 100644
--- a/backend/open_webui/utils/middleware.py
+++ b/backend/open_webui/utils/middleware.py
@@ -2265,7 +2265,8 @@ def sanitize_tool_pairs(messages: list[dict]) -> list[dict]:
     return sanitized
 
 
-SKILL_MENTION_RE = re.compile(r'<(?:\$([^|>]+)(?:\|[^>]*)?|/([^|>]+)\|[^>]*)>')
+# Ids are validated as [a-z0-9_-]+ on create; matching that keeps ordinary "<$..." text intact.
+SKILL_MENTION_RE = re.compile(r'<(?:\$([a-z0-9_-]+)(?:\|[^>]*)?|/([a-z0-9_-]+)\|[^>]*)>')
 
 
 def _get_text_parts(message: dict) -> list[str]:
@@ -2287,7 +2288,7 @@ def extract_skill_ids_from_messages(messages: list[dict]) -> set[str]:
     return ids
 
 
-SKILL_MENTION_STRIP_RE = re.compile(r'<(?:\$[^|>]+(?:\|([^>]*))?|/[^|>]+\|([^>]*))>')
+SKILL_MENTION_STRIP_RE = re.compile(r'<(?:\$[a-z0-9_-]+(?:\|([^>]*))?|/[a-z0-9_-]+\|([^>]*))>')
 
 
 def strip_skill_mentions(messages: list[dict]) -> None: