diff --git a/data/fixtures/scopes/plaintext/surroundingPair/surroundingPair7.scope b/data/fixtures/scopes/plaintext/surroundingPair/surroundingPair7.scope
new file mode 100644
index 0000000000..8eec1cf6d3
--- /dev/null
+++ b/data/fixtures/scopes/plaintext/surroundingPair/surroundingPair7.scope
@@ -0,0 +1,75 @@
+aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+`ddd`
+---
+
+[#1 Content] =
+[#1 Removal] =
+[#1 Domain] = 0:3-0:12
+     >---------<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#1 Interior: Content] = 0:4-0:10
+      >------<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+[#1 Interior: Removal] = 0:4-0:11
+      >-------<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#1 Boundary L] = 0:3-0:4
+     >-<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#1 Boundary R] = 0:11-0:12
+             >-<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#1 Insertion delimiter] = " "
+
+
+[#2 Content] =
+[#2 Domain] = 0:6-0:17
+        >-----------<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#2 Removal] = 0:5-0:17
+       >------------<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#2 Leading delimiter] = 0:5-0:6
+       >-<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#2 Interior] = 0:7-0:16
+         >---------<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#2 Boundary L] = 0:6-0:7
+        >-<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#2 Boundary R] = 0:16-0:17
+                  >-<
+0| aaa's `bbb 'ccc'`
+
+[#2 Insertion delimiter] = " "
+
+
+[#3 Content] =
+[#3 Removal] =
+[#3 Domain] = 1:0-1:5
+  >-----<
+1| `ddd`
+
+[#3 Interior] = 1:1-1:4
+   >---<
+1| `ddd`
+
+[#3 Boundary L] = 1:0-1:1
+  >-<
+1| `ddd`
+
+[#3 Boundary R] = 1:4-1:5
+      >-<
+1| `ddd`
+
+[#3 Insertion delimiter] = " "
diff --git a/packages/cursorless-engine/src/processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers/SurroundingPairScopeHandler/getSurroundingPairOccurrences.ts b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers/SurroundingPairScopeHandler/getSurroundingPairOccurrences.ts
index 7f33695a9c..2f2f894c73 100644
--- a/packages/cursorless-engine/src/processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers/SurroundingPairScopeHandler/getSurroundingPairOccurrences.ts
+++ b/packages/cursorless-engine/src/processTargets/modifiers/scopeHandlers/SurroundingPairScopeHandler/getSurroundingPairOccurrences.ts
@@ -43,8 +43,16 @@ export function getSurroundingPairOccurrences(
 
       const openingDelimiter = openingDelimitersStack[openingDelimiterIndex];
 
-      // Pop stack up to and including the opening delimiter
-      openingDelimitersStack.length = openingDelimiterIndex;
+      if (side === "unknown") {
+        // For ambiguous delimiters (eg quotes), remove only the matched
+        // entry so that unrelated delimiter types pushed between the
+        // matched pair are preserved.  See #3109.
+        openingDelimitersStack.splice(openingDelimiterIndex, 1);
+      } else {
+        // For non-ambiguous delimiters (eg parentheses), truncate the
+        // stack to enforce proper nesting.
+        openingDelimitersStack.length = openingDelimiterIndex;
+      }
 
       result.push({
         delimiterName: delimiterName,