diff --git a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs
index e99758cba..1f55be797 100644
--- a/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs
+++ b/src/Text/Pandoc/Writers/Shared.hs
@@ -109,7 +109,7 @@ metaValueToJSON blockWriter inlineWriter (MetaMap metamap) = toJSON <$>
 metaValueToJSON blockWriter inlineWriter (MetaList xs) = toJSON <$>
   Traversable.mapM (metaValueToJSON blockWriter inlineWriter) xs
 metaValueToJSON _ _ (MetaBool b) = return $ toJSON b
-metaValueToJSON _ inlineWriter (MetaString s@('0':_)) =
+metaValueToJSON _ inlineWriter (MetaString s@('0':_:_)) =
    -- don't treat string with leading 0 as string (#5479)
    toJSON <$> inlineWriter (Builder.toList (Builder.text s))
 metaValueToJSON _ inlineWriter (MetaString s) =