diff --git a/daemon/cmd_load_studio.c b/daemon/cmd_load_studio.c
index 6c9f2731..31f7caef 100644
--- a/daemon/cmd_load_studio.c
+++ b/daemon/cmd_load_studio.c
@@ -776,7 +776,7 @@ static void callback_elend(void * data, const char * el)
   else if (context_ptr->element[context_ptr->depth] == PARSE_CONTEXT_APPLICATION)
   {
     context_ptr->data[unescape(context_ptr->data, context_ptr->data_used, context_ptr->data)] = 0;
-    unescape(context_ptr->str, strlen(context_ptr->str) + 1, context_ptr->str);
+    unescape_simple(context_ptr->str);
 
     log_info("application '%s' (%s, %s, level %u) with commandline '%s'", context_ptr->str, context_ptr->terminal ? "terminal" : "shell", context_ptr->autorun ? "autorun" : "stopped", (unsigned int)context_ptr->level, context_ptr->data);
 
diff --git a/daemon/cmd_save_studio.c b/daemon/cmd_save_studio.c
index afb56561..d7ec5e3d 100644
--- a/daemon/cmd_save_studio.c
+++ b/daemon/cmd_save_studio.c
@@ -60,7 +60,7 @@ write_jack_parameter(
   do
   {
     *dst++ = '/';
-    escape(&src, &dst);
+    escape(&src, &dst, LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL);
     src++;
   }
   while (*src != 0);
diff --git a/daemon/escape.c b/daemon/escape.c
index 233c269a..1d4e0ccd 100644
--- a/daemon/escape.c
+++ b/daemon/escape.c
@@ -30,7 +30,7 @@ static char hex_digits[] = "0123456789ABCDEF";
 
 #define HEX_TO_INT(hexchar) ((hexchar) <= '9' ? hexchar - '0' : 10 + (hexchar - 'A'))
 
-void escape(const char ** src_ptr, char ** dst_ptr)
+void escape(const char ** src_ptr, char ** dst_ptr, unsigned int flags)
 {
   const char * src;
   char * dst;
@@ -43,30 +43,38 @@ void escape(const char ** src_ptr, char ** dst_ptr)
     switch (*src)
     {
     case '/':               /* used as separator for address components */
-    case '<':               /* invalid attribute value char (XML spec) */
-    case '&':               /* invalid attribute value char (XML spec) */
-    case '"':               /* we store attribute values in double quotes - invalid attribute value char (XML spec) */
     case '\'':
     case '>':
     case '%':
+      if ((flags & LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_OTHER) == 0)
+      {
+        break;
+      }
+    case '<':               /* invalid attribute value char (XML spec) */
+    case '&':               /* invalid attribute value char (XML spec) */
+    case '"':               /* we store attribute values in double quotes - invalid attribute value char (XML spec) */
+      if ((flags & LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_XML_ATTR) == 0)
+      {
+        break;
+      }
       dst[0] = '%';
       dst[1] = hex_digits[*src >> 4];
       dst[2] = hex_digits[*src & 0x0F];
       dst += 3;
       src++;
-      break;
-    default:
-      *dst++ = *src++;
+      continue;
     }
+
+    *dst++ = *src++;
   }
 
   *src_ptr = src;
   *dst_ptr = dst;
 }
 
-void escape_simple(const char * src_ptr, char * dst_ptr)
+void escape_simple(const char * src_ptr, char * dst_ptr, unsigned int flags)
 {
-  escape(&src_ptr, &dst_ptr);
+  escape(&src_ptr, &dst_ptr, flags);
   *dst_ptr = 0;
 }
 
@@ -102,3 +110,24 @@ size_t unescape(const char * src, size_t src_len, char * dst)
 
   return dst_len;
 }
+
+void unescape_simple(char * buffer)
+{
+  unescape(buffer, strlen(buffer) + 1, buffer);
+}
+
+char * unescape_dup(const char * src)
+{
+  size_t len;
+  char * dst;
+
+  len = strlen(src) + 1;
+
+  dst = malloc(len);
+  if (dst != NULL)
+  {
+    unescape(src, len, dst);
+  }
+
+  return dst;
+}
diff --git a/daemon/escape.h b/daemon/escape.h
index 15bf9d8a..bd73181d 100644
--- a/daemon/escape.h
+++ b/daemon/escape.h
@@ -28,10 +28,17 @@
 #define ESCAPE_H__FABBE484_1093_41C1_9FC9_62ED0106E542__INCLUDED
 
 #include "common.h"
+#include <limits.h>             /* UINT_MAX */
 
-void escape(const char ** src_ptr, char ** dst_ptr);
-void escape_simple(const char * src_ptr, char * dst_ptr);
+#define LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_XML_ATTR ((unsigned int)1 << 0)
+#define LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_OTHER    ((unsigned int)1 << 1)
+#define LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL      UINT_MAX
+
+void escape(const char ** src_ptr, char ** dst_ptr, unsigned int flags);
+void escape_simple(const char * src_ptr, char * dst_ptr, unsigned int flags);
 size_t unescape(const char * src, size_t src_len, char * dst);
+void unescape_simple(char * buffer);
+char * unescape_dup(const char * src);
 
 /* encode each char in three bytes (percent encoding) */
 #define max_escaped_length(unescaped_length) ((unescaped_length) * 3)
diff --git a/daemon/room_load.c b/daemon/room_load.c
index 37978200..a4c7e47f 100644
--- a/daemon/room_load.c
+++ b/daemon/room_load.c
@@ -655,7 +655,7 @@ static void callback_elend(void * data, const char * el)
   else if (context_ptr->element[context_ptr->depth] == PARSE_CONTEXT_APPLICATION)
   {
     context_ptr->data[unescape(context_ptr->data, context_ptr->data_used, context_ptr->data)] = 0;
-    unescape(context_ptr->str, strlen(context_ptr->str) + 1, context_ptr->str);
+    unescape_simple(context_ptr->str);
 
     log_info("application '%s' (%s, %s, level %u) with commandline '%s'", context_ptr->str, context_ptr->terminal ? "terminal" : "shell", context_ptr->autorun ? "autorun" : "stopped", (unsigned int)context_ptr->level, context_ptr->data);
 
diff --git a/daemon/room_save.c b/daemon/room_save.c
index 151fbc25..38db5913 100644
--- a/daemon/room_save.c
+++ b/daemon/room_save.c
@@ -267,7 +267,7 @@ char * compose_project_dir_from_name(const char * project_name)
 
   memcpy(project_dir, home_dir, home_dir_len);
   memcpy(project_dir + home_dir_len, DEFAULT_PROJECT_BASE_DIR, DEFAULT_PROJECT_BASE_DIR_LEN);
-  escape_simple(project_name, project_dir + home_dir_len + DEFAULT_PROJECT_BASE_DIR_LEN);
+  escape_simple(project_name, project_dir + home_dir_len + DEFAULT_PROJECT_BASE_DIR_LEN, LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL);
 
   return project_dir;
 }
diff --git a/daemon/save.c b/daemon/save.c
index db00f90b..b14cc468 100644
--- a/daemon/save.c
+++ b/daemon/save.c
@@ -71,7 +71,7 @@ bool ladish_write_indented_string(int fd, int indent, const char * string)
   return true;
 }
 
-bool ladish_write_string_escape(int fd, const char * string)
+bool ladish_write_string_escape_ex(int fd, const char * string, unsigned int flags)
 {
   bool ret;
   char * escaped_buffer;
@@ -83,7 +83,7 @@ bool ladish_write_string_escape(int fd, const char * string)
     return false;
   }
 
-  escape_simple(string, escaped_buffer);
+  escape_simple(string, escaped_buffer, flags);
 
   ret = ladish_write_string(fd, escaped_buffer);
 
@@ -92,6 +92,11 @@ bool ladish_write_string_escape(int fd, const char * string)
   return ret;
 }
 
+bool ladish_write_string_escape(int fd, const char * string)
+{
+  return ladish_write_string_escape_ex(fd, string, LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL);
+}
+
 #define fd (((struct ladish_write_context *)context)->fd)
 #define indent (((struct ladish_write_context *)context)->indent)
 
@@ -462,7 +467,7 @@ ladish_save_app(
 
   unescaped_string = name;
   escaped_string = escaped_buffer;
-  escape(&unescaped_string, &escaped_string);
+  escape(&unescaped_string, &escaped_string, LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL);
   *escaped_string = 0;
   if (!ladish_write_string(fd, escaped_buffer))
   {
@@ -508,7 +513,7 @@ ladish_save_app(
 
   unescaped_string = command;
   escaped_string = escaped_buffer;
-  escape(&unescaped_string, &escaped_string);
+  escape(&unescaped_string, &escaped_string, LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL);
   *escaped_string = 0;
   if (!ladish_write_string(fd, escaped_buffer))
   {
diff --git a/daemon/save.h b/daemon/save.h
index 77c9acae..c340178a 100644
--- a/daemon/save.h
+++ b/daemon/save.h
@@ -44,6 +44,7 @@ struct ladish_write_context
 bool ladish_write_string(int fd, const char * string);
 bool ladish_write_indented_string(int fd, int indent, const char * string);
 bool ladish_write_string_escape(int fd, const char * string);
+bool ladish_write_string_escape_ex(int fd, const char * string, unsigned int flags);
 bool ladish_write_dict(int fd, int indent, ladish_dict_handle dict);
 bool ladish_write_vgraph(int fd, int indent, ladish_graph_handle vgraph, ladish_app_supervisor_handle app_supervisor);
 bool ladish_write_room_link_ports(int fd, int indent, ladish_room_handle room);
diff --git a/daemon/studio.c b/daemon/studio.c
index 2cfe98aa..3c256e8e 100644
--- a/daemon/studio.c
+++ b/daemon/studio.c
@@ -733,7 +733,7 @@ bool ladish_studio_compose_filename(const char * name, char ** filename_ptr_ptr,
   *p++ = '/';
 
   src = name;
-  escape(&src, &p);
+  escape(&src, &p, LADISH_ESCAPE_FLAG_ALL);
   strcpy(p, ".xml");
 
   *filename_ptr_ptr = filename_ptr;