diff --git a/open.tmux b/open.tmux
index 042108a..c0a7bf2 100755
--- a/open.tmux
+++ b/open.tmux
@@ -34,20 +34,21 @@ get_editor_from_the_env_var() {
 	fi
 }
 
-preserve_url_hash() {
-	echo "sed s/##/####/g"
+escape_and_expand() {
+	# the `echo {} | bash` is to perform tilde expansion.
+	echo "sed s/##/####/g | xargs -I {} echo 'echo {}' | bash"
 }
 
 command_generator() {
 	local command_string="$1"
-	echo "$(preserve_url_hash) | xargs -I {} tmux run-shell -b 'cd #{pane_current_path}; $command_string \"{}\" > /dev/null'"
+	echo "$(escape_and_expand) | xargs -I {} tmux run-shell -b 'cd #{pane_current_path}; $command_string \"{}\" > /dev/null'"
 }
 
 search_command_generator() {
 	local command_string="$1"
 	local engine="$2"
 
-	echo "$(preserve_url_hash) | sed 's/\ /+/g' | xargs -I {} tmux run-shell -b 'cd #{pane_current_path}; $command_string $engine\"{}\" > /dev/null'"
+	echo "$(escape_and_expand) | sed 's/\ /+/g' | xargs -I {} tmux run-shell -b 'cd #{pane_current_path}; $command_string $engine\"{}\" > /dev/null'"
 }
 
 generate_open_command() {
@@ -84,7 +85,7 @@ generate_editor_command() {
 	local editor=$(get_tmux_option "$open_editor_override" "$environment_editor")
 	# vim freezes terminal unless there's the '--' argument. Other editors seem
 	# to be fine with it (textmate [mate], light table [table]).
-	echo "$(preserve_url_hash) | xargs -I {} tmux send-keys '$editor -- \"{}\"'; tmux send-keys 'C-m'"
+	echo "$(escape_and_expand)  | xargs -I {} tmux send-keys '$editor -- \"{}\"'; tmux send-keys 'C-m'"
 }
 
 set_copy_mode_open_bindings() {