diff --git a/backend/library.c b/backend/library.c
index 9db839e8..e7a898b5 100644
--- a/backend/library.c
+++ b/backend/library.c
@@ -852,7 +852,7 @@ int escape_char_process(struct zint_symbol *symbol, unsigned char *input_string,
                     hex1 = ctoi(input_string[in_posn + 2]);
                     hex2 = ctoi(input_string[in_posn + 3]);
                     if ((hex1 >= 0) && (hex2 >= 0)) {
-                        escaped_string[out_posn] += (hex1 << 4) + hex2;
+                        escaped_string[out_posn] = (hex1 << 4) + hex2;
                         in_posn += 4;
                     } else {
                         strcpy(symbol->errtxt, "233: Corrupt escape character in input data");
diff --git a/backend_qt/qzint.cpp b/backend_qt/qzint.cpp
index 3a472d9f..a42c9d07 100644
--- a/backend_qt/qzint.cpp
+++ b/backend_qt/qzint.cpp
@@ -37,7 +37,7 @@ namespace Zint {
         m_bgColor = Qt::white;
         m_zintSymbol = 0;
         m_error = 0;
-        m_input_mode = UNICODE_MODE;
+        m_input_mode = UNICODE_MODE + ESCAPE_MODE;
         m_scale = 1.0;
         m_option_3 = 0;
         m_hidetext = 0;
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ namespace Zint {
         m_zintSymbol->whitespace_width = m_whitespace;
         m_zintSymbol->border_width = m_borderWidth;
         m_zintSymbol->option_1 = m_securityLevel;
-        m_zintSymbol->input_mode = m_input_mode;
+        m_zintSymbol->input_mode = m_input_mode + ESCAPE_MODE;
         m_zintSymbol->option_2 = m_width;
         m_zintSymbol->dot_size = m_dot_size;
         if (m_hidetext) {
@@ -252,7 +252,7 @@ namespace Zint {
         m_zintSymbol->whitespace_width = m_whitespace;
         m_zintSymbol->border_width = m_borderWidth;
         m_zintSymbol->option_1 = m_securityLevel;
-        m_zintSymbol->input_mode = m_input_mode;
+        m_zintSymbol->input_mode = m_input_mode + ESCAPE_MODE;
         m_zintSymbol->option_2 = m_width;
         m_zintSymbol->dot_size = m_dot_size;
         if (m_hidetext) {
diff --git a/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp b/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp
index c62199d7..e6255ddc 100644
--- a/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp
+++ b/frontend_qt/datawindow.cpp
@@ -77,7 +77,8 @@ void DataWindow::from_file()
     QString filename;
     QFile file;
     QByteArray outstream;
-    
+    QString escape_string;
+
     open_dialog.setWindowTitle("Open File");
     open_dialog.setDirectory(settings.value("studio/default_dir", QDir::toNativeSeparators(QDir::homePath())).toString());
     
@@ -92,10 +93,27 @@ void DataWindow::from_file()
         QMessageBox::critical(this, tr("Open Error"), tr("Could not open selected file."));
         return;
     }
-
+    
     outstream = file.readAll();
 
-    txtDataInput->setPlainText(QString(outstream));
+    /* Allow some non-printing (control) characters to be read from file
+       by converting them to escape sequences */
+    escape_string.clear();
+    escape_string.append(QString(outstream));
+    
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\\', (QString)"\\\\", Qt::CaseInsensitive);
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)0x04, (QString)"\\E", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* End of Transmission */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\a', (QString)"\\a", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Bell */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\b', (QString)"\\b", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Backspace */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\t', (QString)"\\t", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Horizontal tab */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\v', (QString)"\\v", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Vertical tab */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\f', (QString)"\\f", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Form feed */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)'\r', (QString)"\\r", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Carriage return */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)0x1b, (QString)"\\e", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Escape */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)0x1d, (QString)"\\G", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Group Separator */
+    escape_string.replace((QChar)0x1e, (QString)"\\R", Qt::CaseInsensitive); /* Record Separator */
+    
+    txtDataInput->setPlainText(QString(escape_string));
     file.close();
     
     settings.setValue("studio/default_dir", filename.mid(0, filename.lastIndexOf(QDir::separator())));