diff --git a/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh b/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh
index f6166a2..1d00b4c 100644
--- a/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh
+++ b/actions/issueflow-reconcile/issueflow-reconcile.sh
@@ -213,7 +213,9 @@ refs_references() { # PR body on stdin -> local issue numbers named by Refs
         token = substr(rest, RSTART, RLENGTH)
         sub(/^.*refs[[:space:]:]+/, "", token)
         print token
-        rest = substr(rest, RSTART + RLENGTH)
+        # Retain the token final byte so ^ cannot turn a concatenated
+        # alphanumeric suffix into a fresh keyword boundary (#234).
+        rest = substr(rest, RSTART + RLENGTH - 1)
       }
     }
   ' | issue_references \
diff --git a/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh b/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh
index a2ae806..b09a8ff 100644
--- a/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh
+++ b/test/issueflow-reconcile.test.sh
@@ -117,6 +117,8 @@ check "parenthesized prose after a local Refs token is ignored" 0 "" \
   test "$(refs_references <<<'Refs #175 (split from #150)')" = 175
 check "every Refs occurrence on one line contributes its bound token" 0 "" \
   test "$(refs_references <<<'Refs #8. Refs #9.')" = $'8\n9'
+check "a concatenated Refs spelling is not a second keyword occurrence" 0 "" \
+  test "$(refs_references <<<'Refs #8Refs #9')" = 8
 check "lowercase refs in unrelated prose declares nothing" 0 "" \
   test -z "$(refs_references <<<'fix refs parsing from #200')"
 check "Refs without a following token declares nothing" 0 "" \