diff --git a/lib/XML/Simple.pm b/lib/XML/Simple.pm
index 304ca4f..532e043 100644
--- a/lib/XML/Simple.pm
+++ b/lib/XML/Simple.pm
@@ -1007,7 +1007,7 @@ sub collapse {
 
   if(my $var = $self->{_var_values}) {
     while(my($key, $val) = each(%$attr)) {
-      $val =~ s{\$\{([\w.]+)\}}{ $self->get_var($1) }ge;
+      $val =~ s^\$\{([\w.]+)\}^ $self->get_var($1) ^ge;
       $attr->{$key} = $val;
     }
   }
@@ -1044,7 +1044,7 @@ sub collapse {
       # do variable substitutions
 
       if(my $var = $self->{_var_values}) {
-        $val =~ s{\$\{(\w+)\}}{ $self->get_var($1) }ge;
+        $val =~ s^\$\{(\w+)\}^ $self->get_var($1) ^ge;
       }
 
 
diff --git a/t/8_Namespaces.t b/t/8_Namespaces.t
index 9c83f3d..7775c5d 100644
--- a/t/8_Namespaces.t
+++ b/t/8_Namespaces.t
@@ -122,16 +122,16 @@ $opt = {
 };
 
 $xml = XMLout($opt);
-like($xml, qr{
+like($xml, qr[
   ^\s*<opt
   (\s+{http://www.w3.org/2000/xmlns/}perl="http://www.perl.com/"
   |\s+{http://www.perl.com/}attr="value"
   |\s+bare="Beer!"){3}
   \s*>
-  \s*<{http://www.perl.com/}element\s*>data</{http://www.perl.com/}element\s*>
+  \s*<\{http://www.perl.com/\}element\s*>data</\{http://www.perl.com/\}element\s*>
   \s*</opt>
   \s*$
-}sx, 'clarkian names not converted to qnames on output by default');
+]sx, 'clarkian names not converted to qnames on output by default');
 
 
 # Confirm nsexpand option works on output