diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 02412c4..52e6463 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -48,6 +48,7 @@ The flags and their restrictions are:
 | ------------| -------------- | ------------ | ------------ |
 |`-i`  | input file  | ```string | stdin``` | `stdin`
 |`-o`  | output file | ```string | stdout``` |  `stdout` 
+|`-no-digit`  | do not replace variables starting with a digit, e.g. $1 and ${1} | `flag` |  `false` 
 |`-no-unset`  | fail if a variable is not set | `flag` |  `false` 
 |`-no-empty`  | fail if a variable is set but empty | `flag` | `false`
 |`-fail-fast`  | fails at first occurence of an error, if `-no-empty` or `-no-unset` flags were **not** specified this is ignored | `flag` | `false`
diff --git a/cmd/envsubst/main.go b/cmd/envsubst/main.go
index add36f6..8c0a003 100644
--- a/cmd/envsubst/main.go
+++ b/cmd/envsubst/main.go
@@ -14,6 +14,7 @@ import (
 var (
 	input    = flag.String("i", "", "")
 	output   = flag.String("o", "", "")
+	noDigit  = flag.Bool("no-digit", false, "")
 	noUnset  = flag.Bool("no-unset", false, "")
 	noEmpty  = flag.Bool("no-empty", false, "")
 	failFast = flag.Bool("fail-fast", false, "")
@@ -24,6 +25,7 @@ Options:
   -i         Specify file input, otherwise use last argument as input file.
              If no input file is specified, read from stdin.
   -o         Specify file output. If none is specified, write to stdout.
+  -no-digit  Do not replace variables starting with a digit. e.g. $1 and ${1}
   -no-unset  Fail if a variable is not set.
   -no-empty  Fail if a variable is set but empty.
   -fail-fast Fail on first error otherwise display all failures if restrictions are set.
@@ -79,7 +81,7 @@ func main() {
 	if *failFast {
 		parserMode = parse.Quick
 	}
-	restrictions := &parse.Restrictions{*noUnset, *noEmpty}
+	restrictions := &parse.Restrictions{*noUnset, *noEmpty, *noDigit}
 	result, err := (&parse.Parser{Name: "string", Env: os.Environ(), Restrict: restrictions, Mode: parserMode}).Parse(data)
 	if err != nil {
 		errorAndExit(err)
diff --git a/envsubst.go b/envsubst.go
index bbab7a6..22b5bb8 100644
--- a/envsubst.go
+++ b/envsubst.go
@@ -18,8 +18,13 @@ func String(s string) (string, error) {
 // an error describing the failure.
 // Errors on first failure or returns a collection of failures if failOnFirst is false
 func StringRestricted(s string, noUnset, noEmpty bool) (string, error) {
+	return StringRestrictedNoDigit(s, noUnset, noEmpty , false)
+}
+
+// Like StringRestricted but additionally allows to ignore env variables which start with a digit.
+func StringRestrictedNoDigit(s string, noUnset, noEmpty bool, noDigit bool) (string, error) {
 	return parse.New("string", os.Environ(),
-		&parse.Restrictions{noUnset, noEmpty}).Parse(s)
+		&parse.Restrictions{noUnset, noEmpty, noDigit}).Parse(s)
 }
 
 // Bytes returns the bytes represented by the parsed template after processing it.
@@ -32,8 +37,13 @@ func Bytes(b []byte) ([]byte, error) {
 // If the parser encounters invalid input, or a restriction is violated, it returns
 // an error describing the failure.
 func BytesRestricted(b []byte, noUnset, noEmpty bool) ([]byte, error) {
+	return BytesRestrictedNoDigit(b, noUnset, noEmpty, false)
+}
+
+// Like BytesRestricted but additionally allows to ignore env variables which start with a digit.
+func BytesRestrictedNoDigit(b []byte, noUnset, noEmpty bool, noDigit bool) ([]byte, error) {
 	s, err := parse.New("bytes", os.Environ(),
-		&parse.Restrictions{noUnset, noEmpty}).Parse(string(b))
+		&parse.Restrictions{noUnset, noEmpty, noDigit}).Parse(string(b))
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
@@ -51,9 +61,14 @@ func ReadFile(filename string) ([]byte, error) {
 // If the call to io.ReadFile failed it returns the error; otherwise it will
 // call envsubst.Bytes with the returned content.
 func ReadFileRestricted(filename string, noUnset, noEmpty bool) ([]byte, error) {
+	return ReadFileRestrictedNoDigit(filename, noUnset, noEmpty, false)
+}
+
+// Like ReadFileRestricted but additionally allows to ignore env variables which start with a digit.
+func ReadFileRestrictedNoDigit(filename string, noUnset, noEmpty bool, noDigit bool) ([]byte, error) {
 	b, err := ioutil.ReadFile(filename)
 	if err != nil {
 		return nil, err
 	}
-	return BytesRestricted(b, noUnset, noEmpty)
+	return BytesRestrictedNoDigit(b, noUnset, noEmpty, noDigit)
 }
diff --git a/parse/lex.go b/parse/lex.go
index f7fd4df..263b528 100644
--- a/parse/lex.go
+++ b/parse/lex.go
@@ -67,6 +67,7 @@ type lexer struct {
 	lastPos   Pos       // position of most recent item returned by nextItem
 	items     chan item // channel of lexed items
 	subsDepth int       // depth of substitution
+	noDigit   bool      // if the lexer skips variables that start with a digit
 }
 
 // next returns the next rune in the input.
@@ -120,10 +121,11 @@ func (l *lexer) nextItem() item {
 }
 
 // lex creates a new scanner for the input string.
-func lex(input string) *lexer {
+func lex(input string, noDigit bool) *lexer {
 	l := &lexer{
 		input: input,
 		items: make(chan item),
+		noDigit: noDigit,
 	}
 	go l.run()
 	return l
@@ -150,6 +152,10 @@ Loop:
 			}
 			l.pos++
 			switch r := l.peek(); {
+			case l.noDigit && unicode.IsDigit(r):
+				// ignore variable starting with digit like $1.
+				l.next()
+				l.emit(itemText)
 			case r == '$':
 				// ignore the previous '$'.
 				l.ignore()
@@ -157,6 +163,13 @@ Loop:
 				l.emit(itemText)
 			case r == '{':
 				l.next()
+				r2 := l.peek()
+				if l.noDigit && unicode.IsDigit(r2) {
+					// ignore variable starting with digit like ${1}.
+					l.next()
+					l.emit(itemText)
+					break
+				}
 				l.subsDepth++
 				l.emit(itemLeftDelim)
 				return lexSubstitution
diff --git a/parse/lex_test.go b/parse/lex_test.go
index b8f8ed5..86c4f21 100644
--- a/parse/lex_test.go
+++ b/parse/lex_test.go
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ package parse
 
 import (
 	"testing"
+	"strings"
 )
 
 type lexTest struct {
@@ -93,6 +94,29 @@ var lexTests = []lexTest{
 		{itemText, 8, "{HOME}"},
 		tEOF,
 	}},
+	{"no digit $1", "hello $1", []item{
+		{itemText, 0, "hello "},
+		{itemText, 7, "$1"},
+		tEOF,
+	}},
+	{"no digit $1ABC", "hello $1ABC", []item{
+		{itemText, 0, "hello "},
+		{itemText, 7, "$1"},
+		{itemText, 9, "ABC"},
+		tEOF,
+	}},
+	{"no digit ${2}", "hello ${2}", []item{
+		{itemText, 0, "hello "},
+		{itemText, 7, "${2"},
+		{itemText, 10, "}"},
+		tEOF,
+	}},
+	{"no digit ${2ABC}", "hello ${2ABC}", []item{
+		{itemText, 0, "hello "},
+		{itemText, 7, "${2"},
+		{itemText, 10, "ABC}"},
+		tEOF,
+	}},
 }
 
 func TestLex(t *testing.T) {
@@ -106,7 +130,8 @@ func TestLex(t *testing.T) {
 
 // collect gathers the emitted items into a slice.
 func collect(t *lexTest) (items []item) {
-	l := lex(t.input)
+	noDigit := strings.HasPrefix(t.name, "no digit")
+	l := lex(t.input, noDigit)
 	for {
 		item := l.nextItem()
 		items = append(items, item)
diff --git a/parse/parse.go b/parse/parse.go
index 0ce4b0c..8b9b427 100644
--- a/parse/parse.go
+++ b/parse/parse.go
@@ -19,14 +19,15 @@ const (
 type Restrictions struct {
 	NoUnset bool
 	NoEmpty bool
+	NoDigit bool
 }
 
 // Restrictions specifier
 var (
-	Relaxed = &Restrictions{false, false}
-	NoEmpty = &Restrictions{false, true}
-	NoUnset = &Restrictions{true, false}
-	Strict  = &Restrictions{true, true}
+	Relaxed = &Restrictions{false, false, false}
+	NoEmpty = &Restrictions{false, true, false}
+	NoUnset = &Restrictions{true, false, false}
+	Strict  = &Restrictions{true, true, false}
 )
 
 // Parser type initializer
@@ -53,7 +54,7 @@ func New(name string, env []string, r *Restrictions) *Parser {
 
 // Parse parses the given string.
 func (p *Parser) Parse(text string) (string, error) {
-	p.lex = lex(text)
+	p.lex = lex(text, p.Restrict.NoDigit)
 	// Build internal array of all unset or empty vars here
 	var errs []error
 	// clean parse state