diff --git a/src/ex_docmd.c b/src/ex_docmd.c
index 85747d5f4c..5459cfd7b8 100644
--- a/src/ex_docmd.c
+++ b/src/ex_docmd.c
@@ -1773,7 +1773,7 @@ do_one_cmd(
  */
     cmd = ea.cmd;
 #ifdef FEAT_EVAL
-    starts_with_quote = vim9script && *ea.cmd == '\'';
+    starts_with_quote = vim9script && !starts_with_colon && *ea.cmd == '\'';
     if (!starts_with_quote)
 #endif
 	ea.cmd = skip_range(ea.cmd, NULL);
diff --git a/src/testdir/test_vim9_func.vim b/src/testdir/test_vim9_func.vim
index b0bbab3fdf..ef98583fe3 100644
--- a/src/testdir/test_vim9_func.vim
+++ b/src/testdir/test_vim9_func.vim
@@ -405,6 +405,7 @@ def Test_vim9script_call()
     ("some")->MyFunc()
     assert_equal('some', var)
 
+    # line starting with single quote is not a mark
     'asdfasdf'->MyFunc()
     assert_equal('asdfasdf', var)
 
@@ -414,6 +415,14 @@ def Test_vim9script_call()
     UseString()
     assert_equal('xyork', var)
 
+    # prepending a colon makes it a mark
+    new
+    setline(1, ['aaa', 'bbb', 'ccc'])
+    normal! 3Gmt1G
+    :'t
+    assert_equal(3, getcurpos()[1])
+    bwipe!
+
     MyFunc(
         'continued'
         )
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 8f8ebc6ff8..14044481aa 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -754,6 +754,8 @@ static char *(features[]) =
 
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
+/**/
+    1288,
 /**/
     1287,
 /**/