diff --git a/ir.c b/ir.c
index f641bab..8be380d 100644
--- a/ir.c
+++ b/ir.c
@@ -72,16 +72,56 @@ const char *ir_op_name[IR_LAST_OP] = {
 #endif
 };
 
+static void ir_print_escaped_str(const char *s, size_t len, FILE *f)
+{
+	char ch;
+
+	while (len > 0) {
+		ch = *s;
+		switch (ch) {
+			case '\\': fputs("\\\\", f); break;
+			case '\'': fputs("'", f); break;
+			case '\"': fputs("\\\"", f); break;
+			case '\a': fputs("\\a", f); break;
+			case '\b': fputs("\\b", f); break;
+			case '\e': fputs("\\e", f); break;
+			case '\f': fputs("\\f", f); break;
+			case '\n': fputs("\\n", f); break;
+			case '\r': fputs("\\r", f); break;
+			case '\t': fputs("\\t", f); break;
+			case '\v': fputs("\\v", f); break;
+			case '\?': fputs("\\?", f); break;
+			default:
+				if (ch < 32) {
+					fprintf(f, "\\%c%c%c",
+						'0' + ((ch >> 3) % 8),
+						'0' + ((ch >> 6) % 8),
+						'0' + (ch % 8));
+					break;
+				} else {
+					fputc(ch, f);
+				}
+		}
+		s++;
+		len--;
+	}
+}
+
 void ir_print_const(const ir_ctx *ctx, const ir_insn *insn, FILE *f, bool quoted)
 {
 	if (insn->op == IR_FUNC || insn->op == IR_SYM) {
 		fprintf(f, "%s", ir_get_str(ctx, insn->val.name));
 		return;
 	} else if (insn->op == IR_STR) {
+		size_t len;
+		const char *str = ir_get_strl(ctx, insn->val.str, &len);
+
 		if (quoted) {
-			fprintf(f, "\"%s\"", ir_get_str(ctx, insn->val.str));
+			fprintf(f, "\"");
+			ir_print_escaped_str(str, len, f);
+			fprintf(f, "\"");
 		} else {
-			fprintf(f, "%s", ir_get_str(ctx, insn->val.str));
+			ir_print_escaped_str(str, len, f);
 		}
 		return;
 	}
diff --git a/ir.g b/ir.g
index e7cee24..20976a4 100644
--- a/ir.g
+++ b/ir.g
@@ -122,6 +122,42 @@ static void yy_error(const char *msg);
 static void yy_error_sym(const char *msg, int sym);
 static void yy_error_str(const char *msg, const char *str);
 
+static ir_ref ir_make_const_str(ir_ctx *ctx, const char *str, size_t len)
+{
+	char *buf = alloca(len + 1);
+	char *p = buf;
+
+	while (len > 0) {
+		if (*str != '\\') {
+			*p = *str;
+		} else {
+			str++;
+			len--;
+			IR_ASSERT(len != 0);
+			switch (*str) {
+				case '\\': *p = '\\'; break;
+				case '\'': *p = '\''; break;
+				case '"':  *p = '"';  break;
+				case 'a':  *p = '\a'; break;
+				case 'e':  *p = 27;   break; /* '\e'; */
+				case 'f':  *p = '\f'; break;
+				case 'n':  *p = '\n'; break;
+				case 'r':  *p = '\r'; break;
+				case 't':  *p = '\t'; break;
+				case 'v':  *p = '\v'; break;
+				case '?':  *p = 0x3f; break;
+				default:
+					yy_error("unsupported escape sequence");
+			}
+		}
+		str++;
+		p++;
+		len--;
+	}
+	*p = 0;
+	return ir_const_str(ctx, ir_strl(ctx, buf, p - buf));
+}
+
 %}
 
 ir(ir_loader *loader):
@@ -404,7 +440,7 @@ ir_insn(ir_parser_ctx *p):
 	|	"sym" "(" ID(&func, &func_len) ")"
 		{ref = ir_const_sym(p->ctx, ir_strl(p->ctx, func, func_len));}
 	|   STRING(&func, &func_len)
-		{ref = ir_const_str(p->ctx, ir_strl(p->ctx, func, func_len));}
+		{ref = ir_make_const_str(p->ctx, func, func_len);}
 	|	func(&op)
 		(
 			"/"
diff --git a/ir_aarch64.dasc b/ir_aarch64.dasc
index e58d25d..f5158d3 100644
--- a/ir_aarch64.dasc
+++ b/ir_aarch64.dasc
@@ -5767,44 +5767,6 @@ void *ir_emit_code(ir_ctx *ctx, size_t *size_ptr)
 					c = str[i];
 					if (!c) {
 						break;
-					} else if (c == '\\') {
-						if (str[i+1] == '\\') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\\';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == '\'') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\'';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == '"') {
-							i++;
-							c = '"';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'a') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\a';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'b') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\b';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'e') {
-							i++;
-							c = 27; /* '\e'; */
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'f') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\f';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'n') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\n';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'r') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\r';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 't') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\t';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == 'v') {
-							i++;
-							c = '\v';
-						} else if (str[i+1] == '?') {
-							i++;
-							c = 0x3f;
-						}
 					}
 					w |= c << (8 * j);
 					i++;
diff --git a/ir_emit_llvm.c b/ir_emit_llvm.c
index f1d03c3..594df52 100644
--- a/ir_emit_llvm.c
+++ b/ir_emit_llvm.c
@@ -1267,45 +1267,6 @@ static int ir_emit_func(ir_ctx *ctx, const char *name, FILE *f)
 			for (j = 0; j < len; j++) {
 				char c = str[j];
 
-				if (c == '\\') {
-					if (str[j+1] == '\\') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\\';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == '\'') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\'';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == '"') {
-						j++;
-						c = '"';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'a') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\a';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'b') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\b';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'e') {
-						j++;
-						c = 27; /* '\e'; */
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'f') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\f';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'n') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\n';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'r') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\r';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 't') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\t';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == 'v') {
-						j++;
-						c = '\v';
-					} else if (str[j+1] == '?') {
-						j++;
-						c = 0x3f;
-					}
-				}
 				if (c < ' ' || c >= 127) {
 					char c1 = c >> 8;
 					char c2 = c & 15;
diff --git a/ir_load.c b/ir_load.c
index 42637e8..377abeb 100644
--- a/ir_load.c
+++ b/ir_load.c
@@ -104,6 +104,42 @@ static void yy_error(const char *msg);
 static void yy_error_sym(const char *msg, int sym);
 static void yy_error_str(const char *msg, const char *str);
 
+static ir_ref ir_make_const_str(ir_ctx *ctx, const char *str, size_t len)
+{
+	char *buf = alloca(len + 1);
+	char *p = buf;
+
+	while (len > 0) {
+		if (*str != '\\') {
+			*p = *str;
+		} else {
+			str++;
+			len--;
+			IR_ASSERT(len != 0);
+			switch (*str) {
+				case '\\': *p = '\\'; break;
+				case '\'': *p = '\''; break;
+				case '"':  *p = '"';  break;
+				case 'a':  *p = '\a'; break;
+				case 'e':  *p = 27;   break; /* '\e'; */
+				case 'f':  *p = '\f'; break;
+				case 'n':  *p = '\n'; break;
+				case 'r':  *p = '\r'; break;
+				case 't':  *p = '\t'; break;
+				case 'v':  *p = '\v'; break;
+				case '?':  *p = 0x3f; break;
+				default:
+					yy_error("unsupported escape sequence");
+			}
+		}
+		str++;
+		p++;
+		len--;
+	}
+	*p = 0;
+	return ir_const_str(ctx, ir_strl(ctx, buf, p - buf));
+}
+
 #define YYPOS cpos
 #define YYEND cend
 
@@ -1363,7 +1399,7 @@ _yy_state_76:
 			break;
 		case YY_STRING:
 			sym = parse_STRING(sym, &func, &func_len);
-			ref = ir_const_str(p->ctx, ir_strl(p->ctx, func, func_len));
+			ref = ir_make_const_str(p->ctx, func, func_len);
 			break;
 		case YY_ID:
 			sym = parse_func(sym, &op);
diff --git a/ir_x86.dasc b/ir_x86.dasc
index 60b6cca..e3fa95a 100644
--- a/ir_x86.dasc
+++ b/ir_x86.dasc
@@ -9673,45 +9673,6 @@ next_block:;
 			while (str[i]) {
 				char c = str[i];
 
-				if (c == '\\') {
-					if (str[i+1] == '\\') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\\';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == '\'') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\'';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == '"') {
-						i++;
-						c = '"';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'a') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\a';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'b') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\b';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'e') {
-						i++;
-						c = 27; /* '\e'; */
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'f') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\f';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'n') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\n';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'r') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\r';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 't') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\t';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == 'v') {
-						i++;
-						c = '\v';
-					} else if (str[i+1] == '?') {
-						i++;
-						c = 0x3f;
-					}
-				}
 				|.byte c
 				i++;
 			}
diff --git a/tests/llvm/call_001.irt b/tests/llvm/call_001.irt
index c4b5f01..d4206c5 100644
--- a/tests/llvm/call_001.irt
+++ b/tests/llvm/call_001.irt
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ define i32 @test()
 	ret i32 %d2
 }
 declare i32 @printf(ptr, ...)
-@.str6 = private unnamed_addr constant [12 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
+@.str6 = private unnamed_addr constant [11 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
diff --git a/tests/llvm/call_002.irt b/tests/llvm/call_002.irt
index b6e9e44..da1a052 100644
--- a/tests/llvm/call_002.irt
+++ b/tests/llvm/call_002.irt
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ define i32 @test(ptr %d2, i32 %d3)
 	%d4 = call i32 %d2(ptr @.str4, i32 %d3)
 	ret i32 %d4
 }
-@.str4 = private unnamed_addr constant [12 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
+@.str4 = private unnamed_addr constant [11 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
diff --git a/tests/llvm/tailcall_001.irt b/tests/llvm/tailcall_001.irt
index aab2351..5a3802a 100644
--- a/tests/llvm/tailcall_001.irt
+++ b/tests/llvm/tailcall_001.irt
@@ -21,4 +21,4 @@ define i8 @test()
 	ret i8 %d2
 }
 declare i32 @printf(ptr, ...)
-@.str6 = private unnamed_addr constant [12 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
+@.str6 = private unnamed_addr constant [11 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
diff --git a/tests/llvm/tailcall_002.irt b/tests/llvm/tailcall_002.irt
index f734cab..cffdcc8 100644
--- a/tests/llvm/tailcall_002.irt
+++ b/tests/llvm/tailcall_002.irt
@@ -17,4 +17,4 @@ define i32 @test(ptr %d2, i32 %d3)
 	%d4 = tail call i32 %d2(ptr @.str4, i32 %d3)
 	ret i32 %d4
 }
-@.str4 = private unnamed_addr constant [12 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"
+@.str4 = private unnamed_addr constant [11 x i8] c"hello %d!\0A\00"