diff --git a/docs/usage.md b/docs/usage.md
index 5ea6847..98d85a7 100644
--- a/docs/usage.md
+++ b/docs/usage.md
@@ -197,6 +197,11 @@ It establishes escaping only when all of the following hold:
   or an attribute name.
 - No Python file of the project sets `autoescape` to `False`.
 
+Start tags and their attributes are read as a browser's HTML tokenizer reads them, in time
+linear in the size of the template. A tag, or a quoted attribute value, a template leaves
+open at its end is checked too: once the template is included, it runs into the markup
+that follows, the value staying quoted until its quote closes.
+
 The analyzer never assumes escaping where it cannot read the template. That covers a
 template file it cannot read, a template named by an expression, a template found
 through a `DIRS` entry not named `templates`, one shipped by an installed package, one
diff --git a/src/coretrace_python/taint/templates.py b/src/coretrace_python/taint/templates.py
index 1072144..ea54bf9 100644
--- a/src/coretrace_python/taint/templates.py
+++ b/src/coretrace_python/taint/templates.py
@@ -140,8 +140,20 @@
 # fixed: no scheme such as ``javascript:`` can follow.
 _SAFE_URL_PREFIX = re.compile(r"(?:/(?!/)|\.{1,2}/|[#?]|https?://[^/?#\x00\x01]+[/?#])")
 _QUOTED = r"\"[^\"]*\"|'[^']*'"
-_ATTRIBUTE = re.compile(rf"([^\s\"'>/=]+)(?:\s*=\s*({_QUOTED}|[^\s\"'=<>`]+))?")
-_START_TAG = re.compile(rf"<([A-Za-z][^\s/>]*)((?:\s*[^\s\"'>/=]+(?:\s*=\s*(?:{_QUOTED}|[^\s\"'=<>`]+))?)*)\s*/?>")
+# A start tag read as the HTML tokenizer reads one: the tag name runs to whitespace, ``/``
+# or ``>``; between attributes, whitespace and a stray ``/`` are skipped; an attribute
+# name, which may begin with ``=``, runs to whitespace, ``/``, ``>`` or ``=``; a value
+# follows ``=``, quoted, or running to whitespace or ``>``. Each token is told apart by
+# its first character, so matching is linear, where splitting runs between attributes
+# took exponential time (#263). A tag the text ends in before its ``>`` still matches,
+# to the end: a template may be included before more markup, which the tag then runs
+# into, so its attributes are checked like any other's. A value that opens a quote
+# stays quoted to the matching quote or, for the same reason, to the end of the text: it
+# is never read again as an unquoted value.
+_ATTRIBUTE_NAME = r"(?:=[^\s/>=]*+|[^\s/>=]++)"
+_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE = r"(?:\"[^\"]*+(?:\"|\Z)|'[^']*+(?:'|\Z)|[^\s>]*+)"
+_ATTRIBUTE = re.compile(rf"({_ATTRIBUTE_NAME})(?:\s*+=\s*+({_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE}))?")
+_START_TAG = re.compile(rf"<([A-Za-z][^\s/>]*+)((?:[\s/]++|{_ATTRIBUTE_NAME}(?:\s*+=\s*+{_ATTRIBUTE_VALUE})?)*+)>?")
 _RAW_TEXT = re.compile(r"<(script|style)\b[^>]*>(.*?)</\1\s*>", re.DOTALL | re.IGNORECASE)
 _COMMENT = re.compile(r"<!--.*?-->", re.DOTALL)
 _END_TAG = re.compile(r"</[A-Za-z][^>]*>")
diff --git a/tests/test_template_tag_backtracking.py b/tests/test_template_tag_backtracking.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c40599a
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_template_tag_backtracking.py
@@ -0,0 +1,193 @@
+"""Acceptance tests for issue #263: the escaping inspection of a template ends, whatever
+the file under a ``templates`` directory holds.
+
+``_START_TAG`` could split a run of attribute-name characters, or of an unquoted value,
+between consecutive attributes in exponentially many ways, and tried them all when no
+``>`` followed: a few dozen characters, in a text template or a binary file decoded with
+replacement characters, stopped the analysis. Each inspection runs here in a subprocess
+with a timeout, so that one that does not end fails instead of hanging the suite. The
+inspection still refuses to establish escaping where a variable stands in a dangerous
+attribute, however long what comes before it.
+
+Start tags are read as the HTML tokenizer reads them. A tag a template leaves open at its
+end runs, once the template is included, into the markup that follows: its attributes
+are checked like any other's.
+"""
+
+from __future__ import annotations
+
+import json
+import subprocess
+import sys
+from pathlib import Path
+
+import pytest
+
+# A run long enough that no exponential inspection would ever end; a linear one takes
+# milliseconds.
+RUN = 5000
+TIMEOUT = 60
+
+ESCAPED_TEMPLATES = (
+    "import json, sys\n"
+    "from pathlib import Path\n"
+    "from coretrace_python.taint.templates import escaped_templates\n"
+    "print(json.dumps(sorted(escaped_templates(Path(sys.argv[1])))))\n"
+)
+
+
+def escaped(tmp_path: Path, files: dict[str, str | bytes]) -> list[str]:
+    """The names of the templates ``escaped_templates`` establishes for a project of
+    ``files``, computed in a subprocess with a timeout."""
+
+    root = tmp_path / "project"
+    for relative, content in files.items():
+        path = root / relative
+        path.parent.mkdir(parents=True, exist_ok=True)
+        if isinstance(content, bytes):
+            path.write_bytes(content)
+        else:
+            path.write_text(content, encoding="utf-8")
+    try:
+        completed = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-c", ESCAPED_TEMPLATES, str(root)],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            check=True,
+            timeout=TIMEOUT,
+        )
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        pytest.fail(f"the inspection did not end within {TIMEOUT} s")
+    names: list[str] = json.loads(completed.stdout)
+    return names
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "template",
+    [
+        "<p><a " + "b" * RUN + "</p>",
+        "<a " + "b" * RUN + '"',
+        "<a " + "b" * RUN,
+        "<a b=" + "c" * RUN + '"',
+    ],
+    ids=["name-run-in-text", "name-run-then-quote", "name-run-at-the-end", "unquoted-value-run-then-quote"],
+)
+def test_a_tag_that_never_closes_is_inspected_to_the_end(tmp_path: Path, template: str) -> None:
+    # No variable is printed, so the template escapes.
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, {"app/templates/page.html": template}) == ["page.html"]
+
+
+def test_a_binary_file_under_templates_does_not_stop_the_inspection(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    # Invalid UTF-8 decodes to replacement characters, which may form attribute names.
+    image = b"\x89PNG\r\n\x1a\n" + b"<a " + b"\xb5" * RUN + b'"'
+    files: dict[str, str | bytes] = {
+        "app/templates/images/thumbnail.png": image,
+        "app/templates/page.html": "<p>{{ name }}</p>",
+    }
+
+    assert "page.html" in escaped(tmp_path, files)
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    "template",
+    [
+        "<a " + "b" * RUN + " onclick=\"go('{{ name }}')\">x</a>",
+        "<div " + "b" * RUN + " title={{ name }}>x</div>",
+        "<a b=" + "c" * RUN + ' href="{{ url }}">x</a>',
+        "<a title=\"x\"onclick=\"go('{{ name }}')\">x</a>",
+        "<div " + "b" * RUN + " {{ attributes }}>x</div>",
+    ],
+    ids=["event-handler", "unquoted-value", "url-attribute", "handler-right-after-a-quoted-value", "attribute-name"],
+)
+def test_a_variable_in_a_dangerous_attribute_after_a_long_run_is_still_refused(tmp_path: Path, template: str) -> None:
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, {"app/templates/page.html": template}) == []
+
+
+def test_a_variable_in_a_quoted_attribute_after_a_long_run_is_still_escaped(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    template = "<a " + "b" * RUN + ' title="{{ name }}">x</a>'
+
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, {"app/templates/page.html": template}) == ["page.html"]
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("template", "names"),
+    [
+        ("<p>Hello</p><a onclick=\"go('{{ name }}')\"", []),
+        ("<p>Hello</p><a title={{ name }}", []),
+        ("<p>Hello</p><a {{ name }}", []),
+        ('<p>Hello</p><a title="{{ name }}"', ["page.html"]),
+    ],
+    ids=["event-handler", "unquoted-value", "attribute-name", "quoted-title"],
+)
+def test_a_tag_left_open_at_the_end_has_its_attributes_checked(tmp_path: Path, template: str, names: list[str]) -> None:
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, {"app/templates/page.html": template}) == names
+
+
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("template", "names"),
+    [
+        # After a stray ``/``, the variable starts an attribute name.
+        ("<a/{{ name }}>x</a>", []),
+        # An attribute name may begin with ``=``: here ``="`` and the variable.
+        ('<div ="{{ name }}">x</div>', []),
+        # ``=`` is an attribute of its own, and ``title`` a quoted one after it.
+        ('<div = title="{{ name }}">x</div>', ["page.html"]),
+    ],
+    ids=["after-a-slash", "name-beginning-with-equals", "equals-then-quoted-title"],
+)
+def test_attributes_are_read_as_a_browser_reads_them(tmp_path: Path, template: str, names: list[str]) -> None:
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, {"app/templates/page.html": template}) == names
+
+
+# A value that opens a quote stays quoted to the matching quote or, left open, to the end
+# of the template: once included, the markup that follows continues it. Read again as an
+# unquoted value, ``"/*`` ended at the first space and ``title='…'`` read as a separate,
+# safe attribute, while the variable sits in the handler.
+@pytest.mark.parametrize(
+    ("template", "names"),
+    [
+        ("<a onclick=\"/* title='<{{ name }}'>", []),
+        ("<a onclick='/* title=\"<{{ name }}\">", []),
+        ('<a title="x {{ name }} y>', ["page.html"]),
+    ],
+    ids=["double-quoted-handler", "single-quoted-handler", "double-quoted-title"],
+)
+def test_a_quoted_value_left_open_runs_to_the_end_of_the_template(
+    tmp_path: Path, template: str, names: list[str]
+) -> None:
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, {"app/templates/page.html": template}) == names
+
+
+INCLUDING_VIEW = (
+    "from django.http import HttpRequest, HttpResponse\n"
+    "from django.template.loader import render_to_string\n\n"
+    "def page(request: HttpRequest):\n"
+    "    return HttpResponse(render_to_string('page.html', {'name': request.GET['name']}))\n"
+)
+
+
+def test_a_handler_whose_quote_closes_in_the_including_template_is_cross_site_scripting(tmp_path: Path) -> None:
+    # Rendered, the handler is ``/* title='<…'>{…}">``: a name such as ``*/alert(1);//``
+    # runs in it.
+    files: dict[str, str | bytes] = {
+        "app/views.py": INCLUDING_VIEW,
+        "app/templates/fragment.html": "<a onclick=\"/* title='<{{ name }}'>\n",
+        "app/templates/page.html": "{% include 'fragment.html' %}\">click</a>\n",
+    }
+
+    assert escaped(tmp_path, files) == []
+    root = tmp_path / "project"
+    try:
+        completed = subprocess.run(
+            [sys.executable, "-m", "coretrace_python", "--check", str(root), "--format", "json"],
+            capture_output=True,
+            text=True,
+            check=False,
+            timeout=TIMEOUT,
+        )
+    except subprocess.TimeoutExpired:
+        pytest.fail(f"the analysis did not end within {TIMEOUT} s")
+    findings = json.loads(completed.stdout)["findings"]
+    assert [(f["location"]["path"], f["location"]["line"]) for f in findings if f["rule_id"] == "xss"] == [
+        ("app/views.py", 5)
+    ]