diff --git a/sphinx/writers/latex.py b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
index 52d8e268c..04b6f1564 100644
--- a/sphinx/writers/latex.py
+++ b/sphinx/writers/latex.py
@@ -2117,7 +2117,7 @@ class LaTeXTranslator(nodes.NodeVisitor):
             self.body.append(r'\sphinxaccelerator{')
             self.context.append('}')
         elif classes and not self.in_title:
-            self.body.append(r'\DUrole{%s}{' % ','.join(classes))
+            self.body.append(r'\DUrole{\detokenize{%s}}{' % ','.join(classes))
             self.context.append('}')
         else:
             self.context.append('')
diff --git a/tests/test_build_latex.py b/tests/test_build_latex.py
index 6a13ea60a..8e05fae70 100644
--- a/tests/test_build_latex.py
+++ b/tests/test_build_latex.py
@@ -461,8 +461,8 @@ def test_reference_in_caption_and_codeblock_in_footnote(app, status, warning):
             '\sphinxAtStartFootnote\n'
             'Foot note in longtable\n%\n\\end{footnotetext}' in result)
     assert ('This is a reference to the code-block in the footnote:\n'
-            '{\hyperref[index:codeblockinfootnote]{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole'
-            '{std,std-ref}{I am in a footnote}}}}') in result
+            '{\\hyperref[index:codeblockinfootnote]{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole'
+            '{\\detokenize{std,std-ref}}{I am in a footnote}}}}') in result
     assert ('&\nThis is one more footnote with some code in it '
             '\\sphinxfootnotemark[10].\n\\\\') in result
     assert '\\begin{sphinxVerbatim}[commandchars=\\\\\\{\\}]' in result
diff --git a/tests/test_directive_code.py b/tests/test_directive_code.py
index a29db6b90..d6e8d52ca 100644
--- a/tests/test_directive_code.py
+++ b/tests/test_directive_code.py
@@ -80,10 +80,10 @@ def test_code_block_namedlink_latex(app, status, warning):
     latex = (app.outdir / 'Python.tex').text(encoding='utf-8')
     label1 = '\def\sphinxLiteralBlockLabel{\label{caption:name-test-rb}}'
     link1  = '\\hyperref[caption:name\\string-test\\string-rb]'\
-             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{std,std-ref}{Ruby}}'
+             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{\\detokenize{std,std-ref}}{Ruby}}'
     label2 = '\def\sphinxLiteralBlockLabel{\label{namedblocks:some-ruby-code}}'
     link2  = '\\hyperref[namedblocks:some\\string-ruby\\string-code]'\
-             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{std,std-ref}{the ruby code}}}'
+             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{\\detokenize{std,std-ref}}{the ruby code}}}'
     assert label1 in latex
     assert link1 in latex
     assert label2 in latex
@@ -275,10 +275,10 @@ def test_literalinclude_namedlink_latex(app, status, warning):
     latex = (app.outdir / 'Python.tex').text(encoding='utf-8')
     label1 = '\def\sphinxLiteralBlockLabel{\label{caption:name-test-py}}'
     link1  = '\\hyperref[caption:name\\string-test\\string-py]'\
-             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{std,std-ref}{Python}}'
+             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{\\detokenize{std,std-ref}}{Python}}'
     label2 = '\def\sphinxLiteralBlockLabel{\label{namedblocks:some-python-code}}'
     link2  = '\\hyperref[namedblocks:some\\string-python\\string-code]'\
-             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{std,std-ref}{the python code}}}'
+             '{\\sphinxcrossref{\\DUrole{\\detokenize{std,std-ref}}{the python code}}}'
     assert label1 in latex
     assert link1 in latex
     assert label2 in latex