diff --git a/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions-test.rkt b/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions-test.rkt
index 81eb2d1..ef44b33 100644
--- a/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions-test.rkt
+++ b/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions-test.rkt
@@ -153,3 +153,18 @@ test: "error with ~a at end of string"
 (define (end-tilde x)
   (raise-arguments-error 'end-tilde "value is" "x" x))
 --------------------
+
+
+no-change-test: "error with ~a in quotes should not be refactored"
+--------------------
+(define (find-output-radio-box label)
+  (error 'find-output-radio-box "could not find `~a' radio box"
+         label))
+--------------------
+
+
+no-change-test: "error with ~a in parentheses should not be refactored"
+--------------------
+(define (f x y)
+  (error 'f "bad point (~a, ~a)" x y))
+--------------------
diff --git a/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions.rkt b/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions.rkt
index 98aa585..c125acd 100644
--- a/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions.rkt
+++ b/default-recommendations/exception-suggestions.rkt
@@ -43,8 +43,18 @@ conventions."
   (error sym:expr message:str arg:id ...+)
 
   #:do [(define message-str (syntax-e (attribute message)))
-        (define args-list (attribute arg))]
-  #:when (= (length (regexp-match* #rx"~a" message-str)) (length args-list))
+        (define args-list (attribute arg))
+        (define tilde-a-matches (regexp-match-positions* #rx"~a" message-str))]
+  #:when (= (length tilde-a-matches) (length args-list))
+  ;; Check that all ~a occurrences are surrounded by spaces or at string boundaries
+  #:when (for/and ([match (in-list tilde-a-matches)])
+           (define start (car match))
+           (define end (cdr match))
+           (define before-ok? (or (= start 0)
+                                 (char-whitespace? (string-ref message-str (- start 1)))))
+           (define after-ok? (or (= end (string-length message-str))
+                                (char-whitespace? (string-ref message-str end))))
+           (and before-ok? after-ok?))
   #:do [(define cleaned-message (string-replace message-str "~a" ""))
         ;; Clean up extra spaces and trailing punctuation from placeholder removal
         (define cleaned-message-normalized