diff --git a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/yaml.ts b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/yaml.ts
index a9365c15bd..e79cf58474 100644
--- a/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/yaml.ts
+++ b/packages/playwright-core/src/server/injected/yaml.ts
@@ -58,8 +58,8 @@ function yamlStringNeedsQuotes(str: string): boolean {
   if (/[\x00-\x08\x0b\x0c\x0e-\x1f\x7f-\x9f]/.test(str))
     return true;
 
-  // Strings starting with '-' followed by a space need quotes
-  if (/^-\s/.test(str))
+  // Strings starting with '-' need quotes
+  if (/^-/.test(str))
     return true;
 
   // Strings containing ':' or '\n' followed by a space or at the end need quotes
diff --git a/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot.spec.ts b/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot.spec.ts
index 1dafe14fa7..b7bb77091a 100644
--- a/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot.spec.ts
+++ b/tests/page/page-aria-snapshot.spec.ts
@@ -555,6 +555,7 @@ it('should escape special yaml values', async ({ page }) => {
     <a href="#">null</a>NULL
     <a href="#">123</a>123
     <a href="#">-1.2</a>-1.2
+    <a href="#">-</a>-
     <input type=text value="555">
   `);
 
@@ -573,6 +574,8 @@ it('should escape special yaml values', async ({ page }) => {
     - text: "123"
     - link "-1.2"
     - text: "-1.2"
+    - link "-"
+    - text: "-"
     - textbox: "555"
   `);
 });