diff --git a/weblate/checks/markup.py b/weblate/checks/markup.py
index 8975bb835397..5b1ada071794 100644
--- a/weblate/checks/markup.py
+++ b/weblate/checks/markup.py
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@
 )
 
 RST_REF_MATCH = re.compile(
-    r"(?:(?<=\s)|^)((:[a-z:]+:)(?:`([^<`]+)`|`[^<`]+<([^<` ]+)>`))"
+    r"(?:(?<=\W)|^)((:[a-z:]+:)(?:`([^<`]+)`|`[^<`]+<([^<` ]+)>`))(?=\W|$)"
 )
 
 # These should be present in translation if present in source, but might be translated
diff --git a/weblate/checks/tests/test_markup_checks.py b/weblate/checks/tests/test_markup_checks.py
index e1d78c594257..fbb985d4066d 100644
--- a/weblate/checks/tests/test_markup_checks.py
+++ b/weblate/checks/tests/test_markup_checks.py
@@ -458,6 +458,14 @@ def test_ref_space(self) -> None:
                 "rst-text",
             ),
         )
+        self.do_test(
+            True,
+            (
+                ":ref:`Searching` now supports",
+                ":ref:`Searching`agora suporta",
+                "rst-text",
+            ),
+        )
 
     def test_translatable(self) -> None:
         self.do_test(