diff --git a/core/io/pathnames/pathnames.factor b/core/io/pathnames/pathnames.factor
index 2d382e49d1..7b62da4b1e 100644
--- a/core/io/pathnames/pathnames.factor
+++ b/core/io/pathnames/pathnames.factor
@@ -65,7 +65,7 @@ ERROR: no-parent-directory path ;
     {
         { [ dup "\\\\?\\" head? ] [ t ] }
         { [ dup length 2 < ] [ f ] }
-        { [ dup second CHAR: : = ] [ t ] }
+        { [ dup second CHAR: \: = ] [ t ] }
         [ f ]
     } cond ;
 
diff --git a/core/strings/parser/parser.factor b/core/strings/parser/parser.factor
index 056d6527c4..6b8bd10570 100644
--- a/core/strings/parser/parser.factor
+++ b/core/strings/parser/parser.factor
@@ -22,6 +22,10 @@ ERROR: bad-escape char ;
         { CHAR: 0  CHAR: \0 }
         { CHAR: \\ CHAR: \\ }
         { CHAR: \" CHAR: \" }
+        { CHAR: \: CHAR: \: }
+        { CHAR: \[ CHAR: \[ }
+        { CHAR: \{ CHAR: \{ }
+        { CHAR: \( CHAR: \( }
     } ?at [ bad-escape ] unless ;
 
 SYMBOL: name>char-hook