diff --git a/command.cc b/command.cc
index 990dec4..2f594b3 100644
--- a/command.cc
+++ b/command.cc
@@ -3227,46 +3227,6 @@ void init_lib_io(CsState &cs) {
     });
 }
 
-const char *escapestring(const char *s) {
-    stridx = (stridx + 1) % 4;
-    ostd::Vector<char> &buf = strbuf[stridx];
-    buf.clear();
-    buf.push('"');
-    for (; *s; s++) switch (*s) {
-        case '\n':
-            buf.push('^');
-            buf.push('n');
-            break;
-        case '\t':
-            buf.push('^');
-            buf.push('t');
-            break;
-        case '\f':
-            buf.push('^');
-            buf.push('f');
-            break;
-        case '"':
-            buf.push('^');
-            buf.push('\"');
-            break;
-        case '^':
-            buf.push('^');
-            buf.push('^');
-            break;
-        default:
-            buf.push(*s);
-            break;
-        }
-    buf.push('"');
-    buf.push('\0');
-    return buf.data();
-}
-
-const char *escapeid(const char *s) {
-    const char *end = s + strcspn(s, "\"/;()[]@ \f\t\r\n\0");
-    return *end ? escapestring(s) : s;
-}
-
 bool validateblock(const char *s) {
     const int maxbrak = 100;
     static char brakstack[maxbrak];
@@ -4463,7 +4423,9 @@ void init_lib_string(CsState &cs) {
     });
 
     cs.add_command("escape", "s", [](CsState &cs, char *s) {
-        cs.result->set_str(dup_ostr(escapestring(s)));
+        auto x = ostd::appender<ostd::String>();
+        util::escape_string(x, s);
+        cs.result->set_str(x.get().disown());
     });
 
     cs.add_command("unescape", "s", [](CsState &cs, char *s) {
diff --git a/command.hh b/command.hh
index 5c7dcfc..225d584 100644
--- a/command.hh
+++ b/command.hh
@@ -585,11 +585,6 @@ extern ostd::Uint32 *compilecode(const char *p);
 extern void keepcode(ostd::Uint32 *p);
 extern void freecode(ostd::Uint32 *p);
 
-extern const char *escapestring(const char *s);
-extern const char *escapeid(const char *s);
-static inline const char *escapeid(Ident &id) {
-    return escapeid(id.name.data());
-}
 extern bool validateblock(const char *s);
 void explodelist(const char *s, ostd::Vector<ostd::String> &elems, int limit = -1);
 extern char *indexlist(const char *s, int pos);
@@ -600,4 +595,34 @@ void init_lib_io(CsState &cs);
 void init_lib_math(CsState &cs);
 void init_lib_string(CsState &cs);
 void init_lib_list(CsState &cs);
-void init_lib_shell(CsState &cs);
\ No newline at end of file
+void init_lib_shell(CsState &cs);
+
+namespace util {
+    template<typename R>
+    inline ostd::Size escape_string(R &&writer, ostd::ConstCharRange str) {
+        ostd::Size ret = 2;
+        writer.put('"');
+        for (; !str.empty(); str.pop_front()) switch (str.front()) {
+        case '\n':
+            ret += writer.put_n("^n", 2);
+            break;
+        case '\t':
+            ret += writer.put_n("^t", 2);
+            break;
+        case '\f':
+            ret += writer.put_n("^f", 2);
+            break;
+        case '"':
+            ret += writer.put_n("^\"", 2);
+            break;
+        case '^':
+            ret += writer.put_n("^^", 2);
+            break;
+        default:
+            ret += writer.put(str.front());
+            break;
+        }
+        writer.put('"');
+        return ret;
+    }
+}
\ No newline at end of file