diff --git a/pom.xml b/pom.xml
index ae21e3f..1b12f04 100644
--- a/pom.xml
+++ b/pom.xml
@@ -11,7 +11,7 @@
 
   <groupId>io.github.cdimascio</groupId>
   <artifactId>dotenv-java</artifactId>
-  <version>3.0.1</version>
+  <version>3.0.2</version>
 
   <licenses>
     <license>
diff --git a/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java b/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java
index 38ad017..d1dc881 100644
--- a/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java
+++ b/src/main/java/io/github/cdimascio/dotenv/internal/DotenvParser.java
@@ -34,15 +34,16 @@ public class DotenvParser {
     private final boolean throwIfMissing;
     private final boolean throwIfMalformed;
 
-    private final Predicate<String> isWhiteSpace = s -> matches(WHITE_SPACE_REGEX, s);
-    private final Predicate<String> isComment = s -> s.startsWith("#") || s.startsWith("////");
-    private final Predicate<String> isQuoted = s -> s.startsWith("\"") && s.endsWith("\"");
+    private static final Predicate<String> isWhiteSpace = s -> matches(WHITE_SPACE_REGEX, s);
+    private static final Predicate<String> isComment = s -> s.startsWith("#") || s.startsWith("////");
+    private static final Predicate<String> isQuoted = s -> s.length() > 1 && s.startsWith("\"") && s.endsWith("\"");
     private final Function<String, DotenvEntry> parseLine = s -> matchEntry(DOTENV_ENTRY_REGEX, s);
 
     /**
      * Creates a dotenv parser
-     * @param reader the dotenv reader
-     * @param throwIfMissing if true, throws when the .env file is missing
+     *
+     * @param reader           the dotenv reader
+     * @param throwIfMissing   if true, throws when the .env file is missing
      * @param throwIfMalformed if true, throws when the .env file is malformed
      */
     public DotenvParser(final DotenvReader reader, final boolean throwIfMissing, final boolean throwIfMalformed) {
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ public DotenvParser(final DotenvReader reader, final boolean throwIfMissing, fin
 
     /**
      * (Internal) parse the .env file
+     *
      * @return a list of DotenvEntries
      * @throws DotenvException if an error is encountered during the parse
      */
@@ -77,8 +79,13 @@ private void addNewEntry(final List<DotenvEntry> entries, final String line) {
             return;
         }
 
+        if (!QuotedStringValidator.isValid(entry.getValue())) {
+            if (throwIfMalformed)
+                throw new DotenvException("Malformed entry, unmatched quotes " + line);
+            return;
+        }
         final var key = entry.getKey();
-        final var value = normalizeValue(entry.getValue());
+        final var value = QuotedStringValidator.stripQuotes(entry.getValue());
         entries.add(new DotenvEntry(key, value));
     }
 
@@ -94,11 +101,6 @@ private List<String> lines() throws DotenvException {
         }
     }
 
-    private String normalizeValue(final String value) {
-        final var tr = value.trim();
-        return isQuoted.test(tr) ? tr.substring(1, value.length() - 1) : tr;
-    }
-
     private static boolean matches(final Pattern regex, final String text) {
         return regex.matcher(text).matches();
     }
@@ -114,4 +116,40 @@ private static DotenvEntry matchEntry(final Pattern regex, final String text) {
     private static boolean isBlank(String s) {
         return s == null || s.trim().isEmpty();
     }
+
+    /**
+     * Internal: Validates quoted strings
+     */
+    private static class QuotedStringValidator {
+        private static boolean isValid(String input) {
+            final var s = input.trim();
+            if (!s.startsWith("\"") && !s.endsWith("\"")) {
+                // not quoted, its valid
+                return true;
+            }
+            if (input.length() == 1 || !(s.startsWith("\"") && s.endsWith("\""))) {
+                // doesn't start and end with quote
+                return false;
+            }
+            // remove start end quote
+            var content = s.substring(1, s.length() - 1);
+            var quotePattern = Pattern.compile("\"");
+            var matcher = quotePattern.matcher(content);
+
+            // Check for unescaped quotes
+            while (matcher.find()) {
+                int quoteIndex = matcher.start();
+                // Check if the quote is escaped
+                if (quoteIndex == 0 || content.charAt(quoteIndex - 1) != '\\') {
+                    return false; // unescaped quote found
+                }
+            }
+            return true; // No unescaped quotes found
+        }
+        private static String stripQuotes(String input) {
+            var tr = input.trim();
+            return isQuoted.test(tr) ? tr.substring(1, input.length() - 1) : tr;
+        }
+    }
 }
+
diff --git a/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java b/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java
index b6f6314..6f89936 100644
--- a/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java
+++ b/src/test/java/tests/DotenvTests.java
@@ -101,4 +101,16 @@ void configureWithIgnoreMissingAndMalformed() {
 
         assertNotNull(dotenv.get("PATH"));
     }
+
+        @Test
+    void malformedWithUncloseQuote() {
+        final var dotenv = Dotenv.configure()
+            .directory("/unclosed.quote")
+            .ignoreIfMalformed()
+            .load();
+
+        assertNull(dotenv.get("FOO"));
+        assertEquals(dotenv.get("BAR"), "bar");
+        assertNull(dotenv.get("BAZ"), "baz");
+    }
 }
diff --git a/src/test/resources/unclosed.quote/.env b/src/test/resources/unclosed.quote/.env
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..5a1c3f6
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/test/resources/unclosed.quote/.env
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+FOO="
+BAR="bar"
+BAZ="baz