diff --git a/pkg/engine/context/context_test.go b/pkg/engine/context/context_test.go
index 3c78961bd1..ad0cceda51 100644
--- a/pkg/engine/context/context_test.go
+++ b/pkg/engine/context/context_test.go
@@ -126,90 +126,97 @@ func Test_addResourceAndUserContext(t *testing.T) {
 }
 
 func TestAddVariable(t *testing.T) {
-	conf := config.NewDefaultConfiguration(false)
-	jp := jmespath.New(conf)
-	ctx := NewContext(jp)
-
 	tests := []struct {
 		name         string
 		key          string
 		value        interface{}
 		wantErr      bool
-		wantQueryErr bool
+		query        string
 		expected     interface{}
-	}{
-		{
-			name:         "Simple variable",
-			key:          "simpleKey",
-			value:        "simpleValue",
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     "simpleValue",
+		wantQueryErr bool
+	}{{
+		name:         "Simple variable",
+		key:          "simpleKey",
+		value:        "simpleValue",
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     "simpleValue",
+	}, {
+		name:         "Nested variable",
+		key:          "nested.key",
+		value:        123,
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     123,
+	}, {
+		name:         "Invalid key format",
+		key:          "invalid,key",
+		value:        "someValue",
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: true,
+		expected:     nil,
+	}, {
+		name:         "Complex nested variable",
+		key:          "complex.nested.key",
+		value:        map[string]interface{}{"innerKey": "innerValue"},
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     map[string]interface{}{"innerKey": "innerValue"},
+	}, {
+		name:         "Array value",
+		key:          "arrayKey",
+		value:        []int{1, 2, 3},
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     []int{1, 2, 3},
+	}, {
+		name:         "Boolean value",
+		key:          "boolKey",
+		value:        true,
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     true,
+	}, {
+		name:         "Empty key",
+		key:          "",
+		value:        "someValue",
+		wantErr:      true,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     nil,
+	}, {
+		name:         "Nil value",
+		key:          "nilKey",
+		value:        nil,
+		wantErr:      false,
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+		expected:     nil,
+	}, {
+		name:    "Escaped complex key",
+		key:     `metadata.labels."com.example/my-label"`,
+		value:   "foo",
+		wantErr: false,
+		query:   "metadata",
+		expected: map[string]any{
+			"labels": map[string]any{
+				"com.example/my-label": "foo",
+			},
 		},
-		{
-			name:         "Nested variable",
-			key:          "nested.key",
-			value:        123,
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     123,
-		},
-		{
-			name:         "Invalid key format",
-			key:          "invalid,key",
-			value:        "someValue",
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: true,
-			expected:     nil,
-		},
-		{
-			name:         "Complex nested variable",
-			key:          "complex.nested.key",
-			value:        map[string]interface{}{"innerKey": "innerValue"},
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     map[string]interface{}{"innerKey": "innerValue"},
-		},
-		{
-			name:         "Array value",
-			key:          "arrayKey",
-			value:        []int{1, 2, 3},
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     []int{1, 2, 3},
-		},
-		{
-			name:         "Boolean value",
-			key:          "boolKey",
-			value:        true,
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     true,
-		},
-		{
-			name:         "Empty key",
-			key:          "",
-			value:        "someValue",
-			wantErr:      true,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     nil,
-		},
-		{
-			name:         "Nil value",
-			key:          "nilKey",
-			value:        nil,
-			wantErr:      false,
-			wantQueryErr: false,
-			expected:     nil,
-		},
-	}
+		wantQueryErr: false,
+	}}
 	for _, tt := range tests {
 		t.Run(tt.name, func(t *testing.T) {
+			conf := config.NewDefaultConfiguration(false)
+			jp := jmespath.New(conf)
+			ctx := NewContext(jp)
 			err := ctx.AddVariable(tt.key, tt.value)
 			if tt.wantErr {
 				assert.Error(t, err)
 			} else {
-				result, queryErr := ctx.Query(tt.key)
+				query := tt.query
+				if query == "" {
+					query = tt.key
+				}
+				result, queryErr := ctx.Query(query)
 				if tt.wantQueryErr {
 					assert.Error(t, queryErr)
 				} else {