diff --git a/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/main/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsApi.scala b/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/main/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsApi.scala
index df3cc757a11..7d44e2e1dc8 100644
--- a/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/main/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsApi.scala
+++ b/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/main/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsApi.scala
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ class DatabaseEvolutions(database: Database, schema: String = "") {
         script.statements.foreach { statement =>
           logger.debug(s"Execute: $statement")
           val start = System.currentTimeMillis()
-          execute(statement)
+          execute(statement, false)
           logger.debug(s"Finished in ${System.currentTimeMillis() - start}ms")
         }
         logAfter(script)
@@ -340,10 +340,10 @@ class DatabaseEvolutions(database: Database, schema: String = "") {
     }
   }
 
-  private def execute(sql: String)(implicit c: Connection): Boolean = {
+  private def execute(sql: String, replaceSchema: Boolean = true)(implicit c: Connection): Boolean = {
     val s = c.createStatement
     try {
-      s.execute(applySchema(sql))
+      s.execute(if (replaceSchema) applySchema(sql) else sql)
     } finally {
       s.close()
     }
diff --git a/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/test/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsSpec.scala b/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/test/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsSpec.scala
index db172ab4349..389aa884c91 100644
--- a/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/test/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsSpec.scala
+++ b/persistence/play-jdbc-evolutions/src/test/scala/play/api/db/evolutions/EvolutionsSpec.scala
@@ -107,6 +107,15 @@ class EvolutionsSpec extends Specification {
       resultSet.close()
     }
 
+    trait CheckSchemaString { this: WithEvolutions =>
+      val scripts = evolutions.scripts(Seq(a1, a2, a3, a4))
+      evolutions.evolve(scripts, autocommit = true)
+      val resultSet = executeQuery("select name from test where id = 2")
+      resultSet.next must beTrue
+      resultSet.getString(1) must_== "some string with ${schema}"
+      resultSet.close()
+    }
+
     "apply up scripts" in new UpScripts with WithEvolutions
     "apply up scripts derby" in new UpScripts with WithDerbyEvolutions
 
@@ -127,6 +136,7 @@ class EvolutionsSpec extends Specification {
     "reset the database to trigger creation of the play_evolutions table in the testschema derby" in new ResetDatabase
       with WithDerbyEvolutionsSchema
     "provide a helper for testing derby schema" in new ProvideHelperForTestingSchema with WithDerbyEvolutionsSchema
+    "not replace the string ${schema} in an evolutions script" in new CheckSchemaString with WithDerbyEvolutionsSchema
   }
 
   trait WithEvolutions extends After {
@@ -179,6 +189,12 @@ class EvolutionsSpec extends Specification {
       "delete from test;"
     )
 
+    val a4 = Evolution(
+      4,
+      "insert into test (id, name, age) values (2, 'some string with ${schema}', 87);",
+      "delete from test where id=2;"
+    )
+
     val b1 = Evolution(
       1,
       "create table test (id bigint not null, content varchar(255));",