diff --git a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
index a28ef0ed..eb62ae2d 100644
--- a/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
+++ b/.github/workflows/golangci-lint.yml
@@ -9,12 +9,12 @@ jobs:
     name: lint-pr-changes
     runs-on: ubuntu-latest
     steps:
-      - uses: actions/setup-go@v3
+      - uses: actions/setup-go@v5
         with:
-          go-version: 1.18
-      - uses: actions/checkout@v3
+          go-version: stable
+      - uses: actions/checkout@v4
       - name: golangci-lint
-        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v3
+        uses: golangci/golangci-lint-action@v6
         with:
           version: latest
           only-new-issues: true
diff --git a/pkg/sqlcmd/batch.go b/pkg/sqlcmd/batch.go
index 4602cd9d..c949a3cf 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlcmd/batch.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlcmd/batch.go
@@ -35,15 +35,20 @@ type Batch struct {
 	linevarmap map[int]string
 	// cmd is the set of Commands available
 	cmd Commands
+	// ParseVariables is a function that returns true if Next should parse variables
+	ParseVariables batchParseVariables
 }
 
 type batchScan func() (string, error)
 
+type batchParseVariables func() bool
+
 // NewBatch creates a Batch which converts runes provided by reader into SQL batches
 func NewBatch(reader batchScan, cmd Commands) *Batch {
 	b := &Batch{
-		read: reader,
-		cmd:  cmd,
+		read:           reader,
+		cmd:            cmd,
+		ParseVariables: func() bool { return true },
 	}
 	b.Reset(nil)
 	return b
@@ -125,7 +130,7 @@ parse:
 		case b.quote != 0 || b.comment:
 
 		// Handle variable references
-		case c == '$' && next == '(':
+		case (b.ParseVariables == nil || b.ParseVariables()) && c == '$' && next == '(':
 			vi, ok := readVariableReference(b.raw, i+2, b.rawlen)
 			if ok {
 				b.addVariableLocation(i, string(b.raw[i+2:vi]))
@@ -231,7 +236,7 @@ func (b *Batch) readString(r []rune, i, end int, quote rune, line uint) (int, bo
 	for ; i < end; i++ {
 		c, next = r[i], grab(r, i+1, end)
 		switch {
-		case c == '$' && next == '(':
+		case (b.ParseVariables == nil || b.ParseVariables()) && c == '$' && next == '(':
 			vl, ok := readVariableReference(r, i+2, end)
 			if ok {
 				b.addVariableLocation(i, string(r[i+2:vl]))
diff --git a/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go b/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go
index 4ee661dc..bf4f30b0 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd.go
@@ -103,6 +103,7 @@ func New(l Console, workingDirectory string, vars *Variables) *Sqlcmd {
 		colorizer:        color.New(false),
 	}
 	s.batch = NewBatch(s.scanNext, s.Cmd)
+	s.batch.ParseVariables = func() bool { return !s.Connect.DisableVariableSubstitution }
 	mssql.SetContextLogger(s)
 	s.PrintError = func(msg string, severity uint8) bool {
 		return false
diff --git a/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go b/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go
index 3e4729b5..36f0d5dc 100644
--- a/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go
+++ b/pkg/sqlcmd/sqlcmd_test.go
@@ -242,22 +242,31 @@ func TestGetRunnableQuery(t *testing.T) {
 		q   string
 	}
 	tests := []test{
-		{"$(var1)", "v1"},
-		{"$ (var2)", "$ (var2)"},
-		{"select '$(VAR1) $(VAR2)' as  c", "select 'v1 variable2' as  c"},
-		{" $(VAR1) ' $(VAR2) ' as  $(VAR1)", " v1 ' variable2 ' as  v1"},
-		{"í $(VAR1)", "í v1"},
+		// {"$(var1)", "v1"},
+		// {"$ (var2)", "$ (var2)"},
+		// {"select '$(VAR1) $(VAR2)' as  c", "select 'v1 variable2' as  c"},
+		// {" $(VAR1) ' $(VAR2) ' as  $(VAR1)", " v1 ' variable2 ' as  v1"},
+		// {"í $(VAR1)", "í v1"},
+		{"select '$('", ""},
 	}
 	s := New(nil, "", v)
 	for _, test := range tests {
 		s.batch.Reset([]rune(test.raw))
-		_, _, _ = s.batch.Next()
 		s.Connect.DisableVariableSubstitution = false
-		t.Log(test.raw)
-		r := s.getRunnableQuery(test.raw)
-		assert.Equalf(t, test.q, r, `runnableQuery for "%s"`, test.raw)
+		_, _, err := s.batch.Next()
+		if test.q == "" {
+			assert.Error(t, err, "expected variable parsing error")
+		} else {
+			assert.NoError(t, err, "Next should have succeeded")
+			t.Log(test.raw)
+			r := s.getRunnableQuery(test.raw)
+			assert.Equalf(t, test.q, r, `runnableQuery for "%s"`, test.raw)
+		}
+		s.batch.Reset([]rune(test.raw))
 		s.Connect.DisableVariableSubstitution = true
-		r = s.getRunnableQuery(test.raw)
+		_, _, err = s.batch.Next()
+		assert.NoError(t, err, "expected no variable parsing error")
+		r := s.getRunnableQuery(test.raw)
 		assert.Equalf(t, test.raw, r, `runnableQuery without variable subs for "%s"`, test.raw)
 	}
 }