diff --git a/backend/data/src/main/kotlin/io/tolgee/formats/paramConversionUtil.kt b/backend/data/src/main/kotlin/io/tolgee/formats/paramConversionUtil.kt
index 407454d1d0..b6ddf213e1 100644
--- a/backend/data/src/main/kotlin/io/tolgee/formats/paramConversionUtil.kt
+++ b/backend/data/src/main/kotlin/io/tolgee/formats/paramConversionUtil.kt
@@ -39,7 +39,7 @@ fun convertMessage(
     return message.toConvertorResult()
   }
   if (!convertPlaceholders || convertorFactory == null) {
-    return message.escapeIcu(true).toConvertorResult()
+    return message.escapeIcu(isInPlural).toConvertorResult()
   }
 
   val convertor = convertorFactory()
diff --git a/backend/data/src/test/kotlin/io/tolgee/unit/formats/po/in/PoToICUConverterTest.kt b/backend/data/src/test/kotlin/io/tolgee/unit/formats/po/in/PoToICUConverterTest.kt
index 68358995f7..8316fd3f0f 100644
--- a/backend/data/src/test/kotlin/io/tolgee/unit/formats/po/in/PoToICUConverterTest.kt
+++ b/backend/data/src/test/kotlin/io/tolgee/unit/formats/po/in/PoToICUConverterTest.kt
@@ -39,6 +39,50 @@ class PoToICUConverterTest {
     )
   }
 
+  @Test
+  fun `php plurals with hashtags works`() {
+    val result =
+      getPhpConvertor().convert(
+        rawData =
+          mapOf(
+            0 to "Petr má jeden znak #.",
+            1 to "Petr má %d znaky #.",
+            2 to "Petr má %d znaků #.",
+          ),
+        languageTag = "cs",
+        convertPlaceholders = true,
+      ).message
+    assertThat(result).isEqualTo(
+      "{0, plural,\n" +
+        "one {Petr má jeden znak '#'.}\n" +
+        "few {Petr má # znaky '#'.}\n" +
+        "other {Petr má # znaků '#'.}\n" +
+        "}",
+    )
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `php plurals with hashtags and disabled placeholders works`() {
+    val result =
+      getPhpConvertor().convert(
+        rawData =
+          mapOf(
+            0 to "Petr má jeden znak #.",
+            1 to "Petr má %d znaky #.",
+            2 to "Petr má %d znaků #.",
+          ),
+        languageTag = "cs",
+        convertPlaceholders = false,
+      ).message
+    assertThat(result).isEqualTo(
+      "{value, plural,\n" +
+        "one {Petr má jeden znak '#'.}\n" +
+        "few {Petr má %d znaky '#'.}\n" +
+        "other {Petr má %d znaků '#'.}\n" +
+        "}",
+    )
+  }
+
   private fun getPhpConvertor() = PoToIcuMessageConvertor { PhpToIcuPlaceholderConvertor() }
 
   @Test
@@ -48,6 +92,24 @@ class PoToICUConverterTest {
     assertThat(result).isEqualTo("hello this is string {0}, this is digit {1, number}")
   }
 
+  @Test
+  fun `php message with hashtag works`() {
+    val result =
+      getPhpConvertor().convert("hello this is hashtag # and it should not be escaped", "en").message
+    assertThat(result).isEqualTo("hello this is hashtag # and it should not be escaped")
+  }
+
+  @Test
+  fun `php message with hashtag and disabled placeholders works`() {
+    val result =
+      getPhpConvertor().convert(
+        "hello this is hashtag # and it should not be escaped",
+        "en",
+        convertPlaceholders = false,
+      ).message
+    assertThat(result).isEqualTo("hello this is hashtag # and it should not be escaped")
+  }
+
   @Test
   fun testPhpMessageEscapes() {
     val result =