diff --git a/pony.g b/pony.g
index 6b2d708ae7..7c6780822a 100644
--- a/pony.g
+++ b/pony.g
@@ -22,7 +22,7 @@ use_ffi
   ;
 
 class_def
-  : ('type' | 'interface' | 'trait' | 'primitive' | 'struct' | 'class' | 'actor') ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? '@'? cap? ID typeparams? ('is' type)? STRING? members
+  : ('type' | 'interface' | 'trait' | 'primitive' | 'struct' | 'class' | 'actor') ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? '@'? cap? ID typeparams? ('is' type)? STRING? members
   ;
 
 members
@@ -34,11 +34,11 @@ field
   ;
 
 method
-  : ('fun' | 'be' | 'new') ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ID typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' (':' type)? '?'? STRING? ('if' rawseq)? ('=>' rawseq)?
+  : ('fun' | 'be' | 'new') ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ID typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' (':' type)? '?'? STRING? ('if' rawseq)? ('=>' rawseq)?
   ;
 
 annotatedrawseq
-  : ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? (exprseq | jump)
+  : ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? (exprseq | jump)
   ;
 
 rawseq
@@ -88,30 +88,30 @@ binop
   ;
 
 nextterm
-  : 'if' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'then' rawseq (elseif | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
-  | 'ifdef' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? infix 'then' rawseq (elseifdef | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
-  | 'match' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq caseexpr* ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'while' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'repeat' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'until' annotatedrawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'for' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? idseq 'in' rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'with' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? (withelem (',' withelem)*) 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'try' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? ('then' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'recover' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? rawseq 'end'
+  : 'if' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'then' rawseq (elseif | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
+  | 'ifdef' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? infix 'then' rawseq (elseifdef | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
+  | 'match' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq caseexpr* ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'while' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'repeat' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'until' annotatedrawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'for' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? idseq 'in' rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'with' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? (withelem (',' withelem)*) 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'try' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? ('then' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'recover' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? rawseq 'end'
   | 'consume' cap? term
   | nextpattern
   | '#' postfix
   ;
 
 term
-  : 'if' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'then' rawseq (elseif | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
-  | 'ifdef' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? infix 'then' rawseq (elseifdef | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
-  | 'match' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq caseexpr* ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'while' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'repeat' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'until' annotatedrawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'for' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? idseq 'in' rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'with' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? (withelem (',' withelem)*) 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'try' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? ('then' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
-  | 'recover' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? rawseq 'end'
+  : 'if' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'then' rawseq (elseif | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
+  | 'ifdef' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? infix 'then' rawseq (elseifdef | ('else' annotatedrawseq))? 'end'
+  | 'match' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq caseexpr* ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'while' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'repeat' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'until' annotatedrawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'for' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? idseq 'in' rawseq 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'with' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? (withelem (',' withelem)*) 'do' rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'try' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq ('else' annotatedrawseq)? ('then' annotatedrawseq)? 'end'
+  | 'recover' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? rawseq 'end'
   | 'consume' cap? term
   | pattern
   | '#' postfix
@@ -122,15 +122,15 @@ withelem
   ;
 
 caseexpr
-  : '|' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? pattern? ('if' rawseq)? ('=>' rawseq)?
+  : '|' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? pattern? ('if' rawseq)? ('=>' rawseq)?
   ;
 
 elseifdef
-  : 'elseif' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? infix 'then' rawseq (elseifdef | ('else' annotatedrawseq))?
+  : 'elseif' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? infix 'then' rawseq (elseifdef | ('else' annotatedrawseq))?
   ;
 
 elseif
-  : 'elseif' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? rawseq 'then' rawseq (elseif | ('else' annotatedrawseq))?
+  : 'elseif' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? rawseq 'then' rawseq (elseif | ('else' annotatedrawseq))?
   ;
 
 idseq
@@ -193,9 +193,9 @@ nextatom
   | literal
   | LPAREN_NEW rawseq tuple? ')'
   | LSQUARE_NEW ('as' type ':')? rawseq (',' rawseq)* ']'
-  | 'object' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ('is' type)? members 'end'
-  | '{' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq '}' cap?
-  | 'lambda' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq 'end'
+  | 'object' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ('is' type)? members 'end'
+  | '{' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq '}' cap?
+  | 'lambda' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq 'end'
   | '@' (ID | STRING) typeargs? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) positional? named? ')' '?'?
   | '__loc'
   ;
@@ -206,9 +206,9 @@ atom
   | literal
   | ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) rawseq tuple? ')'
   | ('[' | LSQUARE_NEW) ('as' type ':')? rawseq (',' rawseq)* ']'
-  | 'object' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ('is' type)? members 'end'
-  | '{' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq '}' cap?
-  | 'lambda' ('\' ID (',' ID)* '\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq 'end'
+  | 'object' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ('is' type)? members 'end'
+  | '{' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq '}' cap?
+  | 'lambda' ('\\' ID (',' ID)* '\\')? cap? ID? typeparams? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) params? ')' lambdacaptures? (':' type)? '?'? '=>' rawseq 'end'
   | '@' (ID | STRING) typeargs? ('(' | LPAREN_NEW) positional? named? ')' '?'?
   | '__loc'
   ;
diff --git a/src/libponyc/ast/bnfprint.c b/src/libponyc/ast/bnfprint.c
index de85daadbf..b833bf0bcd 100644
--- a/src/libponyc/ast/bnfprint.c
+++ b/src/libponyc/ast/bnfprint.c
@@ -250,6 +250,27 @@ static bnf_t* bnf_add(bnf_t* bnf, bnf_t* parent)
   return bnf;
 }
 
+// Print out a quoted token, in ANTLR syntax.
+// Certain characters should be escaped before printing.
+static void bnf_print_quoted_token(const char* token)
+{
+  printf("'");
+  for(const char* c = token; *c != '\0'; c++) {
+    // See the definition of LITERAL_CHAR and ESC in
+    // http://www.antlr3.org/grammar/ANTLR/ANTLRv3.g
+    switch(*c) {
+      case '\'': printf("\\'"); break;
+      case '\\': printf("\\\\"); break;
+      case '\n': printf("\\n"); break;
+      case '\r': printf("\\r"); break;
+      case '\t': printf("\\t"); break;
+      case '\b': printf("\\b"); break;
+      case '\f': printf("\\f"); break;
+      default: putchar(*c); break;
+    }
+  }
+  printf("'");
+}
 
 // Print out the given node, in ANTLR syntax.
 // The top_format parameter indicates we should use top level node within rule
@@ -308,7 +329,7 @@ static void bnf_print(bnf_t* bnf, bool top_format)
       break;
 
     case BNF_QUOTED_TOKEN:
-      printf("'%s'", bnf->name);
+      bnf_print_quoted_token(bnf->name);
       break;
 
     case BNF_NEVER: