diff --git a/internal/ui/definition_syntax_test.go b/internal/ui/definition_syntax_test.go
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..b220156
--- /dev/null
+++ b/internal/ui/definition_syntax_test.go
@@ -0,0 +1,73 @@
+package ui
+
+import (
+	"testing"
+
+	tea "github.com/charmbracelet/bubbletea"
+	"github.com/cheatmd-dev/cheatmd/pkg/config"
+	"github.com/cheatmd-dev/cheatmd/pkg/executor"
+	"github.com/cheatmd-dev/cheatmd/pkg/parser"
+)
+
+func TestLiteralDefinitionUsesDollarSyntaxWithAngleCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	old := config.Get().VarSyntax
+	t.Cleanup(func() { config.Get().VarSyntax = old })
+	config.Get().VarSyntax = "angle"
+	m, index := setupTestModel()
+	cheat := index.Cheats[0]
+	cheat.Command = "echo <b>"
+	cheat.Vars = []parser.VarDef{
+		{Name: "a", Literal: "alpha"},
+		{Name: "b", Literal: "$a-beta"},
+	}
+	m.selected = cheat
+
+	m.startVarResolution()
+
+	if got := cheat.Scope["b"]; got != "alpha-beta" {
+		t.Fatalf("literal value = %q, want alpha-beta", got)
+	}
+	if got := executor.NewExecutor(index).BuildFinalCommand(cheat); got != "echo alpha-beta" {
+		t.Fatalf("command = %q, want echo alpha-beta", got)
+	}
+}
+
+type definitionShellExecutor struct {
+	mockExecutor
+	command string
+}
+
+func (e *definitionShellExecutor) RunShell(command string) (string, error) {
+	e.command = command
+	return "alpha-beta", nil
+}
+
+func TestShellDefinitionUsesDollarSyntaxWithAngleCommand(t *testing.T) {
+	old := config.Get().VarSyntax
+	t.Cleanup(func() { config.Get().VarSyntax = old })
+	config.Get().VarSyntax = "angle"
+	m, index := setupTestModel()
+	cheat := index.Cheats[0]
+	cheat.Command = "echo <b>"
+	cheat.Vars = []parser.VarDef{
+		{Name: "a", Literal: "alpha"},
+		{Name: "b", Shell: "printf '%s' '$a-beta'"},
+	}
+	shell := &definitionShellExecutor{}
+	m.executor = shell
+	m.selected = cheat
+
+	cmd := m.startVarResolution()
+	if cmd == nil {
+		t.Fatal("shell definition returned no command")
+	}
+	m.Update(cmd())
+	m.Update(tea.KeyMsg{Type: tea.KeyEnter})
+
+	if shell.command != "printf '%s' 'alpha-beta'" {
+		t.Fatalf("shell command = %q, want substituted dollar reference", shell.command)
+	}
+	if got := executor.NewExecutor(index).BuildFinalCommand(cheat); got != "echo alpha-beta" {
+		t.Fatalf("command = %q, want echo alpha-beta", got)
+	}
+}
diff --git a/internal/ui/var_resolve.go b/internal/ui/var_resolve.go
index 19a970d..08a197b 100644
--- a/internal/ui/var_resolve.go
+++ b/internal/ui/var_resolve.go
@@ -153,7 +153,7 @@ func allVariantsConditional(variants []parser.VarDef) bool {
 }
 
 func (m *mainModel) prepareLiteralVar(vs *varState, scope map[string]string) tea.Cmd {
-	result := executor.SubstituteVars(vs.def.Literal, scope, config.Get().VarSyntax)
+	result := executor.SubstituteVars(vs.def.Literal, scope, "dollar")
 	if vs.skipAutoCont {
 		m.varState.isPromptOnly = true
 		m.varState.options = nil
@@ -184,7 +184,7 @@ func (m *mainModel) preparePromptVar(vs *varState) tea.Cmd {
 }
 
 func (m *mainModel) prepareShellVar(vs *varState, scope map[string]string) tea.Cmd {
-	shellCmd := executor.SubstituteVars(vs.def.Shell, scope, config.Get().VarSyntax)
+	shellCmd := executor.SubstituteVars(vs.def.Shell, scope, "dollar")
 	return func() tea.Msg {
 		output, err := m.executor.RunShell(shellCmd)
 		if err != nil {