diff --git a/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/state-extract.js b/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/state-extract.js
index 2b0edc8471..bccdcb95ee 100644
--- a/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/state-extract.js
+++ b/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/state-extract.js
@@ -19,8 +19,6 @@ import {
   toString as _toString,
   isNil
 } from 'lodash/fp';
-// eslint-disable-next-line lodash-fp/use-fp
-import {template} from 'lodash';
 import type {
   Answer,
   Choice,
@@ -393,14 +391,15 @@ export const getCurrentExitNode = (state: State): ExitNode | void => {
   const ref = progression.state.nextContent.ref;
   const counters = getOr({}, 'state.variables', progression);
 
-  const translateWithCounters = templateValue =>
-    templateValue
-      ? // eslint-disable-next-line lodash-fp/no-extraneous-args
-        template(templateValue, {
-          interpolate: /{{([\s\S]+?)}}/g,
-          imports: {}
-        })(counters)
-      : null;
+  // Use simple string replacement instead of lodash template
+  // to avoid SyntaxError when content contains HTML (e.g., <br/>)
+  const translateWithCounters = (templateValue: ?string): ?string => {
+    if (!templateValue) return null;
+    return templateValue.replace(/{{([\s\S]+?)}}/g, (match: string, key: string): string => {
+      const trimmedKey = key.trim();
+      return counters[trimmedKey] !== undefined ? counters[trimmedKey] : match;
+    });
+  };
 
   return pipe(
     getExitNode(ref),
diff --git a/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/test/state-extract.js b/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/test/state-extract.js
index 6f773f761c..f66aa7c026 100644
--- a/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/test/state-extract.js
+++ b/packages/@coorpacademy-player-store/src/utils/test/state-extract.js
@@ -849,6 +849,48 @@ test('getCurrentExitNode should get current exit node from state with counters',
   });
 });
 
+test('getCurrentExitNode should keep unmatched template variables', t => {
+  const exitNode = {
+    ref: 'successExitNode',
+    title: 'Score: {{ score }}, Unknown: {{ unknownVar }}'
+  };
+  const progression = {
+    state: {nextContent: {ref: 'successExitNode'}, variables: {score: 5}}
+  };
+  const state = pipe(
+    set('ui.current.progressionId', '0'),
+    set('data.progressions.entities', {0: progression}),
+    set('data.exitNodes.entities', {successExitNode: exitNode})
+  )({});
+
+  t.deepEqual(getCurrentExitNode(state), {
+    ref: 'successExitNode',
+    title: 'Score: 5, Unknown: {{ unknownVar }}'
+  });
+});
+
+test('getCurrentExitNode should handle HTML content without crashing', t => {
+  const exitNode = {
+    ref: 'successExitNode',
+    title: 'Congratulations!',
+    description: 'Your transcript will be updated.<br/>Thanks for your patience.'
+  };
+  const progression = {
+    state: {nextContent: {ref: 'successExitNode'}, variables: {}}
+  };
+  const state = pipe(
+    set('ui.current.progressionId', '0'),
+    set('data.progressions.entities', {0: progression}),
+    set('data.exitNodes.entities', {successExitNode: exitNode})
+  )({});
+
+  t.deepEqual(getCurrentExitNode(state), {
+    ref: 'successExitNode',
+    title: 'Congratulations!',
+    description: 'Your transcript will be updated.<br/>Thanks for your patience.'
+  });
+});
+
 test('getCurrentExitNode should return undefined if no progression is found', t => {
   const state = set('ui.current.progressionId', '0')({});
   t.is(getCurrentExitNode(state), undefined);