diff --git a/packages/workflow/src/Expression.ts b/packages/workflow/src/Expression.ts
index 8817bb7da9..f1e6c18a0f 100644
--- a/packages/workflow/src/Expression.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow/src/Expression.ts
@@ -314,11 +314,15 @@ export class Expression {
 	}
 
 	extendSyntax(bracketedExpression: string): string {
-		if (!hasExpressionExtension(bracketedExpression) || hasNativeMethod(bracketedExpression))
-			return bracketedExpression;
-
 		const chunks = splitExpression(bracketedExpression);
 
+		const codeChunks = chunks
+			.filter((c) => c.type === 'code')
+			.map((c) => c.text.replace(/("|').*?("|')/, '').trim());
+
+		if (!codeChunks.some(hasExpressionExtension) || hasNativeMethod(bracketedExpression))
+			return bracketedExpression;
+
 		const extendedChunks = chunks.map((chunk): ExpressionChunk => {
 			if (chunk.type === 'code') {
 				const output = extendTransform(chunk.text);
diff --git a/packages/workflow/src/Extensions/ExpressionExtension.ts b/packages/workflow/src/Extensions/ExpressionExtension.ts
index 59ab1cc9d2..378012d830 100644
--- a/packages/workflow/src/Extensions/ExpressionExtension.ts
+++ b/packages/workflow/src/Extensions/ExpressionExtension.ts
@@ -41,14 +41,17 @@ const EXPRESSION_EXTENSION_METHODS = Array.from(
 		...Object.keys(arrayExtensions.functions),
 		...Object.keys(objectExtensions.functions),
 		...Object.keys(genericExtensions),
-		'$if',
 	]),
 );
 
+const EXPRESSION_EXTENSION_REGEX = new RegExp(
+	`(\\$if|\\.(${EXPRESSION_EXTENSION_METHODS.join('|')}))\\s*\\(`,
+);
+
 const isExpressionExtension = (str: string) => EXPRESSION_EXTENSION_METHODS.some((m) => m === str);
 
 export const hasExpressionExtension = (str: string): boolean =>
-	EXPRESSION_EXTENSION_METHODS.some((m) => str.includes(m));
+	EXPRESSION_EXTENSION_REGEX.test(str);
 
 export const hasNativeMethod = (method: string): boolean => {
 	if (hasExpressionExtension(method)) {