diff --git a/pmd/etc/changelog.txt b/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
index 1b217185c6..59bd496044 100644
--- a/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
+++ b/pmd/etc/changelog.txt
@@ -12,6 +12,7 @@ Fixed bug 1998185 - BeanMembersShouldSerialize vs @SuppressWarnings("serial")
 Fixed bug 2002722 - false + in UseStringBufferForStringAppends
 Fixed bug 2056318 - False positive for AvoidInstantiatingObjectsInLoops
 Fixed bug 1977438 - False positive for UselessStringValueOf
+Fixed bug 2050064 - False + SuspiciousOctalEscape with backslash literal
 Optimizations and false positive fixes in PreserveStackTrace
 @SuppressWarnings("all") disables all warnings
 All comment types are now stored in ASTCompilationUnit, not just formal ones
diff --git a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/controversial/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/controversial/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml
index 90d9aa5ad0..cb05da5fde 100644
--- a/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/controversial/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml
+++ b/pmd/regress/test/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/controversial/xml/SuspiciousOctalEscape.xml
@@ -49,6 +49,32 @@ public class Foo {
  void bar() {
   System.out.println("foo = \4008");
  }
+}
+     ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description><![CDATA[
+[ 2050064 ] False + SuspiciousOctalEscape with backslash literal
+     ]]></description>
+        <expected-problems>0</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+ void bar() {
+  System.out.println("suspicious: \\128");
+ }
+}
+     ]]></code>
+    </test-code>
+    <test-code>
+        <description><![CDATA[
+[ 2050064 ] False + SuspiciousOctalEscape with backslash literal, second test case
+     ]]></description>
+        <expected-problems>1</expected-problems>
+        <code><![CDATA[
+public class Foo {
+ void bar() {
+  System.out.println("suspicious: \\128 \128");
+ }
 }
      ]]></code>
     </test-code>
diff --git a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/SuspiciousOctalEscape.java b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/SuspiciousOctalEscape.java
index b044154d9b..7ce52dde5e 100644
--- a/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/SuspiciousOctalEscape.java
+++ b/pmd/src/net/sourceforge/pmd/rules/SuspiciousOctalEscape.java
@@ -57,6 +57,8 @@ public class SuspiciousOctalEscape extends AbstractRule {
                             addViolation(data, node);
                         }
                     }
+                } else if (first == '\\') {
+                    slash++;
                 }
 
                 offset = slash + 1;