diff --git a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaper.java b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaper.java
index 57f1b5e80c..071de602e7 100644
--- a/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaper.java
+++ b/src/main/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaper.java
@@ -115,8 +115,8 @@ public int translate(final CharSequence input, final int index, final Writer wri
             int end = start;
             // Note that this supports character codes without a ; on the end
             while (end < seqEnd && (input.charAt(end) >= '0' && input.charAt(end) <= '9'
-                                    || input.charAt(end) >= 'a' && input.charAt(end) <= 'f'
-                                    || input.charAt(end) >= 'A' && input.charAt(end) <= 'F')) {
+                                    || isHex && (input.charAt(end) >= 'a' && input.charAt(end) <= 'f'
+                                    || input.charAt(end) >= 'A' && input.charAt(end) <= 'F'))) {
                 end++;
             }
 
diff --git a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaperTest.java b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaperTest.java
index 4770b050ed..5eaa9c2e19 100644
--- a/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaperTest.java
+++ b/src/test/java/org/apache/commons/text/translate/NumericEntityUnescaperTest.java
@@ -95,4 +95,13 @@ public void testCreatesNumericEntityUnescaperTwo() {
         assertThat(numericEntityUnescaper.translate("Ws2v8|O=7NR&#cB")).isEqualTo("Ws2v8|O=7NR&#cB");
     }
 
+    @Test
+    public void testSemiColonOptional() {
+        NumericEntityUnescaper neu = new NumericEntityUnescaper(NumericEntityUnescaper.OPTION.semiColonOptional);
+        assertThat(neu.translate("This is a &#x74;est")).as("Test hexadecimal entity with semi-colon").isEqualTo("This is a test");
+        assertThat(neu.translate("This is a &#x74est")).as("Test hexadecimal entity without semi-colon").isEqualTo("This is a \u074Est");
+        assertThat(neu.translate("This is a &#116;est")).as("Test decimal entity with semi-colon").isEqualTo("This is a test");
+        assertThat(neu.translate("This is a &#116est")).as("Test decimal entity without semi-colon").isEqualTo("This is a test");
+    }
+
 }