diff --git a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/template_test.go b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/template_test.go
index fa5beacc9..4248e5532 100644
--- a/plugins/nginx-vhosts/template_test.go
+++ b/plugins/nginx-vhosts/template_test.go
@@ -60,6 +60,8 @@ func defaultVars() map[string]interface{} {
 		"PROXY_X_FORWARDED_PROTO":     "$scheme",
 		"PROXY_X_FORWARDED_SSL":       "",
 		"HTTP2_DIRECTIVE_SUPPORTED":   "true",
+		"PROXY_ROUTES":                "",
+		"PROXY_ROUTE_LISTENERS":       "",
 	}
 }
 
@@ -265,6 +267,50 @@ func TestTemplate_XForwardedSSL(t *testing.T) {
 	mustNotContain(t, out2, "X-Forwarded-Ssl")
 }
 
+func TestTemplate_RouteLocationAndUpstream(t *testing.T) {
+	v := defaultVars()
+	v["PROXY_ROUTES"] = "api|5001|/api/v0|0"
+	v["PROXY_ROUTE_LISTENERS"] = "api|5001|10.0.0.3:5001,10.0.0.4:5001"
+	out := renderTemplate(t, v)
+	mustContain(t, out, "location /api/v0 {")
+	mustContain(t, out, "proxy_pass http://app-api-5001;")
+	mustNotContain(t, out, "proxy_pass http://app-api-5001/;")
+	mustContain(t, out, "upstream app-api-5001 {")
+	mustContain(t, out, "server 10.0.0.3:5001;")
+	mustContain(t, out, "server 10.0.0.4:5001;")
+}
+
+func TestTemplate_RouteStripPrefix(t *testing.T) {
+	v := defaultVars()
+	v["PROXY_ROUTES"] = "api|5001|/api/v0|1"
+	v["PROXY_ROUTE_LISTENERS"] = "api|5001|10.0.0.3:5001"
+	out := renderTemplate(t, v)
+	mustContain(t, out, "proxy_pass http://app-api-5001/;")
+}
+
+func TestTemplate_RouteOmittedOnRedirect(t *testing.T) {
+	v := defaultVars()
+	v["PROXY_PORT_MAP"] = "http:80:5000 https:443:5000"
+	v["SSL_INUSE"] = "true"
+	v["SSL_SERVER_NAME"] = "app.example.com"
+	v["PROXY_ROUTES"] = "api|5001|/api/v0|0"
+	v["PROXY_ROUTE_LISTENERS"] = "api|5001|10.0.0.3:5001"
+	out := renderTemplate(t, v)
+
+	port80, port443, ok := strings.Cut(out, "listen      [::]:443")
+	if !ok {
+		t.Fatalf("expected an https server block in output:\n%s", out)
+	}
+	mustNotContain(t, port80, "location /api/v0")
+	mustContain(t, port443, "location /api/v0 {")
+}
+
+func TestTemplate_NoRoutesRendersNoRouteBlocks(t *testing.T) {
+	out := renderTemplate(t, defaultVars())
+	mustNotContain(t, out, "upstream app-api-")
+	mustNotContain(t, out, "location /api/v0")
+}
+
 func TestTemplate_NginxConfDIncludeAlways(t *testing.T) {
 	cases := []struct {
 		name   string
diff --git a/plugins/traefik-vhosts/internal-functions b/plugins/traefik-vhosts/internal-functions
index 10dbd601e..29df8bd6f 100755
--- a/plugins/traefik-vhosts/internal-functions
+++ b/plugins/traefik-vhosts/internal-functions
@@ -23,8 +23,7 @@ fn-traefik-route-labels() {
     service_name="${APP}-${route_proc}-${route_slug}"
     path_len="${#route_path}"
 
-    # Triple-backslash for the same eval-survival reason as fn-traefik-host-rule.
-    local rule="PathPrefix(\\\`${route_path}\\\`)"
+    local rule="PathPrefix(\`${route_path}\`)"
     if [[ -n "$host_rule" ]]; then
       rule="(${host_rule}) && ${rule}"
     fi
@@ -78,17 +77,12 @@ fn-traefik-host-rule() {
     return
   fi
 
-  # Backticks must be double-escaped so they survive the docker-args eval
-  # path. A single backslash leaves a bare backtick in the final string,
-  # which then runs as a command substitution at eval time and breaks the
-  # docker run invocation. Triple-backslash matches the existing emission
-  # convention used by docker-args-process-deploy.
   for domain in $(echo "$app_domains" | xargs); do
     if [[ -z "$result" ]]; then
-      result="Host(\\\`${domain}\\\`)"
+      result="Host(\`${domain}\`)"
       continue
     fi
-    result="${result} || Host(\\\`${domain}\\\`)"
+    result="${result} || Host(\`${domain}\`)"
   done
   echo "$result"
 }
diff --git a/tests/unit/proxy-route-traefik.bats b/tests/unit/proxy-route-traefik.bats
index 19609105e..7af93a89c 100644
--- a/tests/unit/proxy-route-traefik.bats
+++ b/tests/unit/proxy-route-traefik.bats
@@ -39,6 +39,12 @@ teardown() {
   echo "status: $status"
   assert_success
 
+  run /bin/bash -c "docker inspect $TEST_APP.api.1 --format '{{ index .Config.Labels \"traefik.http.routers.$TEST_APP-api-api-v0.rule\" }}'"
+  echo "output: $output"
+  echo "status: $status"
+  assert_success
+  assert_output "(Host(\`$TEST_APP.$DOKKU_DOMAIN\`)) && PathPrefix(\`/api/v0\`)"
+
   # Give the daemon a moment to read the new labels.
   sleep 5