Singular repulsive barrier [Formula: see text] inside a square-well is interpreted and studied as a linear analog of the state-dependent interaction [Formula: see text] in nonlinear Schrödinger equation. In the linearized case, Rayleigh–Schrödinger perturbation theory is shown to provide a closed-form spectrum at sufficiently small [Formula: see text] or after an amendment of the unperturbed Hamiltonian. At any spike strength [Formula: see text], the model remains solvable numerically, by the matching of wave functions. Analytically, the singularity is shown regularized via the change of variables [Formula: see text] which interchanges the roles of the asymptotic and central boundary conditions.