diff --git a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/servers_test.go b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/servers_test.go
index f3e523a4c0..112991b521 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/servers_test.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/servers_test.go
@@ -1150,7 +1150,7 @@ func TestCreateServers(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			{
 				Path:            "/_ngf-internal-rule1-route0",
-				ProxyPass:       "http://$test__route1_rule1$request_uri",
+				ProxyPass:       "http://$group_test__route1_rule1$request_uri",
 				ProxySetHeaders: httpBaseHeaders,
 				Type:            http.InternalLocationType,
 				Includes:        internalIncludes,
@@ -2810,7 +2810,7 @@ func TestCreateProxyPass(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 		},
 		{
-			expected: "http://$ns1__bg_rule0$request_uri",
+			expected: "http://$group_ns1__bg_rule0$request_uri",
 			grp: dataplane.BackendGroup{
 				Source: types.NamespacedName{Namespace: "ns1", Name: "bg"},
 				Backends: []dataplane.Backend{
diff --git a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/split_clients_test.go b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/split_clients_test.go
index 44eebf359b..4e70c44d1e 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/split_clients_test.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/nginx/config/split_clients_test.go
@@ -52,8 +52,8 @@ func TestExecuteSplitClients(t *testing.T) {
 				bg3,
 			},
 			expStrings: []string{
-				"split_clients $request_id $test__hr_rule0",
-				"split_clients $request_id $test__hr_rule1",
+				"split_clients $request_id $group_test__hr_rule0",
+				"split_clients $request_id $group_test__hr_rule1",
 				"50.00% test1;",
 				"50.00% test2;",
 				"50.00% test3;",
@@ -74,7 +74,7 @@ func TestExecuteSplitClients(t *testing.T) {
 				},
 			},
 			expStrings: []string{
-				"split_clients $request_id $test__zero_percent_rule0",
+				"split_clients $request_id $group_test__zero_percent_rule0",
 				"100.00% non-zero;",
 				"# 0.00% zero;",
 			},
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ func TestCreateSplitClients(t *testing.T) {
 			},
 			expSplitClients: []http.SplitClient{
 				{
-					VariableName: "test__hr_one_split_rule0",
+					VariableName: "group_test__hr_one_split_rule0",
 					Distributions: []http.SplitClientDistribution{
 						{
 							Percent: "50.00",
@@ -201,7 +201,7 @@ func TestCreateSplitClients(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 				{
-					VariableName: "test__hr_two_splits_rule0",
+					VariableName: "group_test__hr_two_splits_rule0",
 					Distributions: []http.SplitClientDistribution{
 						{
 							Percent: "50.00",
@@ -214,7 +214,7 @@ func TestCreateSplitClients(t *testing.T) {
 					},
 				},
 				{
-					VariableName: "test__hr_two_splits_rule1",
+					VariableName: "group_test__hr_two_splits_rule1",
 					Distributions: []http.SplitClientDistribution{
 						{
 							Percent: "33.33",
@@ -661,7 +661,7 @@ func TestBackendGroupName(t *testing.T) {
 					Weight:       1,
 				},
 			},
-			expName: "test__hr_rule0",
+			expName: "group_test__hr_rule0",
 		},
 		{
 			msg: "multiple invalid backends",
@@ -677,7 +677,7 @@ func TestBackendGroupName(t *testing.T) {
 					Weight:       1,
 				},
 			},
-			expName: "test__hr_rule0",
+			expName: "group_test__hr_rule0",
 		},
 	}
 
diff --git a/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/configuration_test.go b/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/configuration_test.go
index 4c9e92da38..f3869cbeb2 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/configuration_test.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/configuration_test.go
@@ -2992,20 +2992,21 @@ func TestBuildUpstreams(t *testing.T) {
 	g.Expect(upstreams).To(ConsistOf(expUpstreams))
 }
 
-func TestBuildBackendGroups(t *testing.T) {
-	t.Parallel()
-	createBackendGroup := func(name string, ruleIdx int, backendNames ...string) BackendGroup {
-		backends := make([]Backend, len(backendNames))
-		for i, name := range backendNames {
-			backends[i] = Backend{UpstreamName: name}
-		}
+func createBackendGroup(name string, ruleIdx int, backendNames ...string) BackendGroup {
+	backends := make([]Backend, len(backendNames))
+	for i, name := range backendNames {
+		backends[i] = Backend{UpstreamName: name}
+	}
 
-		return BackendGroup{
-			Source:   types.NamespacedName{Namespace: "test", Name: name},
-			RuleIdx:  ruleIdx,
-			Backends: backends,
-		}
+	return BackendGroup{
+		Source:   types.NamespacedName{Namespace: "test", Name: name},
+		RuleIdx:  ruleIdx,
+		Backends: backends,
 	}
+}
+
+func TestBuildBackendGroups(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
 
 	hr1Group0 := createBackendGroup("hr1", 0, "foo", "bar")
 
@@ -3061,10 +3062,19 @@ func TestBuildBackendGroups(t *testing.T) {
 	g := NewWithT(t)
 
 	result := buildBackendGroups(servers)
-
 	g.Expect(result).To(ConsistOf(expGroups))
 }
 
+func TestBackendGroupName(t *testing.T) {
+	t.Parallel()
+	backendGroup := createBackendGroup("route1", 2, "foo", "bar")
+
+	expectedGroupName := "group_test__route1_rule2"
+
+	g := NewWithT(t)
+	g.Expect(backendGroup.Name()).To(Equal(expectedGroupName))
+}
+
 func TestHostnameMoreSpecific(t *testing.T) {
 	t.Parallel()
 	tests := []struct {
diff --git a/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/types.go b/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/types.go
index 2b82cde7ae..b096d517ee 100644
--- a/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/types.go
+++ b/internal/mode/static/state/dataplane/types.go
@@ -267,11 +267,13 @@ type BackendGroup struct {
 
 // Name returns the name of the backend group.
 // This name must be unique across all HTTPRoutes and all rules within the same HTTPRoute.
+// It is prefixed with `group_` for cases when namespace name starts with a digit. Variable names
+// in nginx configuration cannot start with a digit.
 // The RuleIdx is used to make the name unique across all rules within the same HTTPRoute.
 // The RuleIdx may change for a given rule if an update is made to the HTTPRoute, but it will always match the index
 // of the rule in the stored HTTPRoute.
 func (bg *BackendGroup) Name() string {
-	return fmt.Sprintf("%s__%s_rule%d", bg.Source.Namespace, bg.Source.Name, bg.RuleIdx)
+	return fmt.Sprintf("group_%s__%s_rule%d", bg.Source.Namespace, bg.Source.Name, bg.RuleIdx)
 }
 
 // Backend represents a Backend for a routing rule.
diff --git a/site/content/how-to/monitoring/troubleshooting.md b/site/content/how-to/monitoring/troubleshooting.md
index c14d72ea83..7ea6eb0285 100644
--- a/site/content/how-to/monitoring/troubleshooting.md
+++ b/site/content/how-to/monitoring/troubleshooting.md
@@ -294,6 +294,7 @@ Verify that the port number (for example, `8080`) matches the port number you ha
 ### Common errors
 
 {{< bootstrap-table "table table-striped table-bordered" >}}
+
 | Problem Area | Symptom | Troubleshooting Method | Common Cause |
 |------------------------------|----------------------------------------|---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------|
 | Startup | NGINX Gateway Fabric fails to start. | Check logs for _nginx_ and _nginx-gateway_ containers. | Readiness probe failed. |
@@ -301,6 +302,7 @@ Verify that the port number (for example, `8080`) matches the port number you ha
 | NGINX errors | Reload failures on NGINX | Fix permissions for control plane. | Security context not configured. |
 | Usage reporting | Errors logs related to usage reporting | Enable usage reporting. Refer to [Usage Reporting]({{< relref "installation/usage-reporting.md" >}}) | Usage reporting disabled. |
 | Client Settings | Request entity too large error | Adjust client settings. Refer to [Client Settings Policy]({{< relref "../traffic-management/client-settings.md" >}}) | Payload is greater than the [`client_max_body_size`](https://nginx.org/en/docs/http/ngx_http_core_module.html#client_max_body_size) value.|
+
 {{< /bootstrap-table >}}
 
 ##### NGINX fails to reload