diff --git a/tests/page/selectors-text.spec.ts b/tests/page/selectors-text.spec.ts
index 5975e5cdc2..cebb004e02 100644
--- a/tests/page/selectors-text.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/page/selectors-text.spec.ts
@@ -439,3 +439,15 @@ it('should work with unpaired quotes when not at the start', async ({ page }) =>
   expect(await page.$(`text=" >> span`)).toBe(null);
   expect(await page.$(`text=\` >> span`)).toBe(null);
 });
+
+it('should work with paired quotes in the middle of selector', async ({ page }) => {
+  it.info().annotations.push({ type: 'issue', description: 'https://github.com/microsoft/playwright/issues/16858' });
+  it.fail();
+  await page.setContent(`<div>pattern "^-?\\d+$"</div>`);
+  expect(await page.locator(`div >> text=pattern "^-?\\d+$`).isVisible());
+  expect(await page.locator(`div >> text=pattern "^-?\\d+$"`).isVisible());
+  expect(await page.locator(`div >> text='pattern "^-?\\d+$"'`).isVisible());
+  await expect(page.locator(`div >> text=pattern "^-?\\d+$`)).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator(`div >> text=pattern "^-?\\d+$"`)).toBeVisible();
+  await expect(page.locator(`div >> text='pattern "^-?\\d+$"'`)).toBeVisible();
+});