diff --git a/lib/schemaUtils.js b/lib/schemaUtils.js
index 3ad72128..2590c8cf 100644
--- a/lib/schemaUtils.js
+++ b/lib/schemaUtils.js
@@ -2392,8 +2392,11 @@ module.exports = {
   findPathVariablesFromPath: function (path) {
 
     // /{{path}}/{{file}}.{{format}}/{{hello}} return [ '{{path}}', '{{hello}}' ]
+    // /tasks/{{id}}:cancel returns [ '/{{id}}' ] — `:` is the boundary used by
+    // AIP-136 custom methods and is not expected inside a path-segment literal
+    // in OpenAPI path templates, so it's a safe lookahead.
     // https://regex101.com/r/XGL4Gh/1
-    return path.match(/(\/\{\{[^\/\{\}]+\}\})(?=\/|$)/g);
+    return path.match(/(\/\{\{[^\/\{\}]+\}\})(?=\/|$|:)/g);
   },
 
   /** Finds all the possible collection variables in a given path string
diff --git a/test/unit/util.test.js b/test/unit/util.test.js
index 388f10a5..4f05c745 100644
--- a/test/unit/util.test.js
+++ b/test/unit/util.test.js
@@ -2821,6 +2821,13 @@ describe('SCHEMA UTILITY FUNCTION TESTS ', function () {
 
       pathVars = SchemaUtils.findPathVariablesFromPath('/send-sms.{{format}}');
       expect(pathVars).to.equal(null);
+
+      pathVars = SchemaUtils.findPathVariablesFromPath('/tasks/{{id}}:cancel');
+      expect(pathVars[0]).to.equal('/{{id}}');
+
+      pathVars = SchemaUtils.findPathVariablesFromPath('/users/{{userId}}:archive/items/{{itemId}}');
+      expect(pathVars[0]).to.equal('/{{userId}}');
+      expect(pathVars[1]).to.equal('/{{itemId}}');
       done();
     });
   });