diff --git a/src/parsing/syntax_definition.rs b/src/parsing/syntax_definition.rs
index cba6808f..7690dc76 100644
--- a/src/parsing/syntax_definition.rs
+++ b/src/parsing/syntax_definition.rs
@@ -111,11 +111,18 @@ pub enum ContextReference {
     ByScope {
         scope: Scope,
         sub_context: Option<String>,
+        /// `true` if this reference by scope is part of an `embed` for which
+        /// there is an `escape`. In other words a reference for a context for
+        /// which there "always is a way out". Enables falling back to `Plain
+        /// Text` syntax in case the referenced scope is missing.
+        with_escape: bool,
     },
     #[non_exhaustive]
     File {
         name: String,
         sub_context: Option<String>,
+        /// Same semantics as for [`Self::ByScope::with_escape`].
+        with_escape: bool,
     },
     #[non_exhaustive]
     Inline(String),
diff --git a/src/parsing/syntax_set.rs b/src/parsing/syntax_set.rs
index 9dabb04f..8cab17df 100644
--- a/src/parsing/syntax_set.rs
+++ b/src/parsing/syntax_set.rs
@@ -749,15 +749,15 @@ impl SyntaxSetBuilder {
                     all_context_ids[syntax_index].get(s)
                 }
             }
-            ByScope { scope, ref sub_context } => {
-                Self::find_id(sub_context, all_context_ids, syntaxes, |index_and_syntax| {
+            ByScope { scope, ref sub_context, with_escape } => {
+                Self::with_plain_text_fallback(all_context_ids, syntaxes, with_escape, Self::find_id(sub_context, all_context_ids, syntaxes, |index_and_syntax| {
                     index_and_syntax.1.scope == scope
-                })
+                }))
             }
-            File { ref name, ref sub_context } => {
-                Self::find_id(sub_context, all_context_ids, syntaxes, |index_and_syntax| {
+            File { ref name, ref sub_context, with_escape } => {
+                Self::with_plain_text_fallback(all_context_ids, syntaxes, with_escape, Self::find_id(sub_context, all_context_ids, syntaxes, |index_and_syntax| {
                     &index_and_syntax.1.name == name
-                })
+                }))
             }
             Direct(_) => None,
         };
@@ -767,6 +767,32 @@ impl SyntaxSetBuilder {
         }
     }
 
+    fn with_plain_text_fallback<'a>(
+        all_context_ids: &'a [HashMap<String, ContextId>],
+        syntaxes: &'a [SyntaxReference],
+        with_escape: bool,
+        context_id: Option<&'a ContextId>,
+    ) -> Option<&'a ContextId> {
+        context_id.or_else(|| {
+            if with_escape {
+                // If we keep this reference unresolved, syntect will crash
+                // when it encounters the reference. Rather than crashing,
+                // we instead fall back to "Plain Text". This seems to be
+                // how Sublime Text behaves. It should be a safe thing to do
+                // since `embed`s always includes an `escape` to get out of
+                // the `embed`.
+                Self::find_id(
+                    &None,
+                    all_context_ids,
+                    syntaxes,
+                    |index_and_syntax| index_and_syntax.1.name == "Plain Text",
+                )
+            } else {
+                None
+            }
+        })
+    }
+
     fn find_id<'a>(
         sub_context: &Option<String>,
         all_context_ids: &'a [HashMap<String, ContextId>],
@@ -954,6 +980,62 @@ mod tests {
         assert_ops_contain(&ops, &expected);
     }
 
+    #[test]
+    fn falls_back_to_plain_text_when_embedded_scope_is_missing() {
+        test_plain_text_fallback(r#"
+        name: Z
+        scope: source.z
+        file_extensions: [z]
+        contexts:
+          main:
+            - match: 'z'
+              scope: z
+            - match: 'go_x'
+              embed: scope:does.not.exist
+              escape: 'leave_x'
+        "#);
+    }
+
+    #[test]
+    fn falls_back_to_plain_text_when_embedded_file_is_missing() {
+        test_plain_text_fallback(r#"
+        name: Z
+        scope: source.z
+        file_extensions: [z]
+        contexts:
+          main:
+            - match: 'z'
+              scope: z
+            - match: 'go_x'
+              embed: DoesNotExist.sublime-syntax
+              escape: 'leave_x'
+        "#);
+    }
+
+    fn test_plain_text_fallback(syntax_definition: &str) {
+        let syntax =
+            SyntaxDefinition::load_from_str(syntax_definition, true, None).unwrap();
+
+        let mut builder = SyntaxSetBuilder::new();
+        builder.add_plain_text_syntax();
+        builder.add(syntax);
+        let syntax_set = builder.build();
+
+        let syntax = syntax_set.find_syntax_by_extension("z").unwrap();
+        let mut parse_state = ParseState::new(syntax);
+        let ops = parse_state.parse_line("z go_x x leave_x z", &syntax_set);
+        let expected_ops = vec![
+            (0, ScopeStackOp::Push(Scope::new("source.z").unwrap())),
+            (0, ScopeStackOp::Push(Scope::new("z").unwrap())),
+            (1, ScopeStackOp::Pop(1)),
+            (6, ScopeStackOp::Push(Scope::new("text.plain").unwrap())),
+            (9, ScopeStackOp::Pop(1)),
+            (17, ScopeStackOp::Push(Scope::new("z").unwrap())),
+            (18, ScopeStackOp::Pop(1)),
+        ];
+        assert_eq!(ops, expected_ops);
+    }
+
     #[test]
     fn can_find_unlinked_contexts() {
         let syntax_set = {
@@ -974,7 +1056,7 @@ mod tests {
 
         let unlinked_contexts : Vec<String> = syntax_set.find_unlinked_contexts().into_iter().collect();
         assert_eq!(unlinked_contexts.len(), 1);
-        assert_eq!(unlinked_contexts[0], "Syntax 'A' with scope 'source.a' has unresolved context reference ByScope { scope: <source.b>, sub_context: Some(\"main\") }");
+        assert_eq!(unlinked_contexts[0], "Syntax 'A' with scope 'source.a' has unresolved context reference ByScope { scope: <source.b>, sub_context: Some(\"main\"), with_escape: false }");
     }
 
     #[test]
diff --git a/src/parsing/yaml_load.rs b/src/parsing/yaml_load.rs
index 32146183..868a63f3 100644
--- a/src/parsing/yaml_load.rs
+++ b/src/parsing/yaml_load.rs
@@ -207,7 +207,7 @@ impl SyntaxDefinition {
             if !is_special {
                 if let Ok(x) = get_key(map, "include", Some) {
                     let reference = SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(
-                        x, state, contexts, namer)?;
+                        x, state, contexts, namer, false)?;
                     context.patterns.push(Pattern::Include(reference));
                 } else {
                     let pattern = SyntaxDefinition::parse_match_pattern(
@@ -228,7 +228,8 @@ impl SyntaxDefinition {
     fn parse_reference(y: &Yaml,
                        state: &mut ParserState<'_>,
                        contexts: &mut HashMap<String, Context>,
-                       namer: &mut ContextNamer)
+                       namer: &mut ContextNamer,
+                       with_escape: bool)
                        -> Result<ContextReference, ParseSyntaxError> {
         if let Some(s) = y.as_str() {
             let parts: Vec<&str> = s.split('#').collect();
@@ -243,6 +244,7 @@ impl SyntaxDefinition {
                         .build(&parts[0][6..])
                         .map_err(ParseSyntaxError::InvalidScope)?,
                     sub_context,
+                    with_escape,
                 })
             } else if parts[0].ends_with(".sublime-syntax") {
                 let stem = Path::new(parts[0])
@@ -252,6 +254,7 @@ impl SyntaxDefinition {
                 Ok(ContextReference::File {
                     name: stem.to_owned(),
                     sub_context,
+                    with_escape,
                 })
             } else {
                 Ok(ContextReference::Named(parts[0].to_owned()))
@@ -320,7 +323,7 @@ impl SyntaxDefinition {
                     namer,
                 )?;
                 MatchOperation::Push(vec![ContextReference::Inline(escape_context),
-                                          SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(y, state, contexts, namer)?])
+                                          SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(y, state, contexts, namer, true)?])
             } else {
                 return Err(ParseSyntaxError::MissingMandatoryKey("escape"));
             }
@@ -375,10 +378,10 @@ impl SyntaxDefinition {
             y.as_vec()
                 .unwrap()
                 .iter()
-                .map(|x| SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(x, state, contexts, namer))
+                .map(|x| SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(x, state, contexts, namer, false))
                 .collect()
         } else {
-            let reference = SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(y, state, contexts, namer)?;
+            let reference = SyntaxDefinition::parse_reference(y, state, contexts, namer, false)?;
             Ok(vec![reference])
         }
     }
@@ -912,10 +915,15 @@ mod tests {
                 // this is sadly necessary because Context is not Eq because of the Regex
                 let expected = MatchOperation::Push(vec![
                     Named("string".to_owned()),
-                    ByScope { scope: Scope::new("source.c").unwrap(), sub_context: Some("main".to_owned()) },
+                    ByScope {
+                        scope: Scope::new("source.c").unwrap(),
+                        sub_context: Some("main".to_owned()),
+                        with_escape: false,
+                    },
                     File {
                         name: "CSS".to_owned(),
-                        sub_context: Some("rule-list-body".to_owned())
+                        sub_context: Some("rule-list-body".to_owned()),
+                        with_escape: false,
                     },
                 ]);
                 assert_eq!(format!("{:?}", match_pat.operation),
@@ -952,7 +960,7 @@ mod tests {
                   pop: true
         "#,false, None).unwrap();
 
-        let def_with_embed = SyntaxDefinition::load_from_str(r#"
+        let mut def_with_embed = SyntaxDefinition::load_from_str(r#"
         name: C
         scope: source.c
         file_extensions: [c, h]
@@ -968,6 +976,23 @@ mod tests {
               escape: (?i)(?=</style)
         "#,false, None).unwrap();
 
+        // We will soon do an `assert_eq!()`. But there is one difference we must expect, namely
+        // that for `def_with_embed`, the value of `ContextReference::ByScope::with_escape` will be
+        // `true`, whereas for `old_def` it will be `false`. So manually adjust `with_escape` to
+        // `false` so that `assert_eq!()` will work.
+        let def_with_embed_context = def_with_embed.contexts.get_mut("main").unwrap();
+        if let Pattern::Match(ref mut match_pattern) = def_with_embed_context.patterns[0] {
+            if let MatchOperation::Push(ref mut context_references) = match_pattern.operation {
+                if let ContextReference::ByScope {
+                    ref mut with_escape,
+                    ..
+                } = context_references[1]
+                {
+                    *with_escape = false;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+
         assert_eq!(old_def.contexts["main"], def_with_embed.contexts["main"]);
     }