diff --git a/edb/edgeql/quote.py b/edb/edgeql/quote.py
index 5455cc5dcf9..2859fa64d32 100644
--- a/edb/edgeql/quote.py
+++ b/edb/edgeql/quote.py
@@ -35,17 +35,25 @@
 ''')
 
 
-def escape_string(s: str) -> str:
-    split = re.split(r"(\n|\\\\|\\')", s)
+def quote_literal(string: str) -> str:
 
-    if len(split) == 1:
-        return s.replace(r"'", r"\'")
+    def escape_string(s: str) -> str:
+        # characters escaped according to
+        # https://www.edgedb.com/docs/reference/edgeql/lexical#strings
+        result = s
 
-    return ''.join((r if i % 2 else r.replace(r"'", r"\'"))
-                   for i, r in enumerate(split))
+        # escape backslash first
+        result = result.replace('\\', '\\\\')
 
+        result = result.replace('\'', '\\\'')
+        result = result.replace('\b', '\\b')
+        result = result.replace('\f', '\\f')
+        result = result.replace('\n', '\\n')
+        result = result.replace('\r', '\\r')
+        result = result.replace('\t', '\\t')
+
+        return result
 
-def quote_literal(string: str) -> str:
     return "'" + escape_string(string) + "'"
 
 
diff --git a/edb/server/compiler/ddl.py b/edb/server/compiler/ddl.py
index db63446c909..f41cd50c09f 100644
--- a/edb/server/compiler/ddl.py
+++ b/edb/server/compiler/ddl.py
@@ -721,8 +721,6 @@ def _describe_current_migration(
                     **extra,
                 }
             )
-            .encode('unicode_escape')
-            .decode('utf-8')
         )
 
         desc_ql = edgeql.parse_query(
diff --git a/tests/edgeql/__init__.py b/tests/edgeql/__init__.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..8de1eeb735c
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/edgeql/__init__.py
@@ -0,0 +1,26 @@
+#
+# This source file is part of the EdgeDB open source project.
+#
+# Copyright 2016-present MagicStack Inc. and the EdgeDB authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+
+import unittest
+
+
+def suite():
+    test_loader = unittest.TestLoader()
+    test_suite = test_loader.discover('.', pattern='test_*.py')
+    return test_suite
diff --git a/tests/edgeql/test_quote.py b/tests/edgeql/test_quote.py
new file mode 100644
index 00000000000..a8924972aa4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/edgeql/test_quote.py
@@ -0,0 +1,45 @@
+#
+# This source file is part of the EdgeDB open source project.
+#
+# Copyright 2018-present MagicStack Inc. and the EdgeDB authors.
+#
+# Licensed under the Apache License, Version 2.0 (the "License");
+# you may not use this file except in compliance with the License.
+# You may obtain a copy of the License at
+#
+#     http://www.apache.org/licenses/LICENSE-2.0
+#
+# Unless required by applicable law or agreed to in writing, software
+# distributed under the License is distributed on an "AS IS" BASIS,
+# WITHOUT WARRANTIES OR CONDITIONS OF ANY KIND, either express or implied.
+# See the License for the specific language governing permissions and
+# limitations under the License.
+#
+
+import unittest
+
+import edb.edgeql.quote as qlquote
+
+class QuoteTests(unittest.TestCase):
+
+    def test_quote_string(self):
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal(""), "''"),
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("abc"), "'abc'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\""), "'\"'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\b"), "'\\b'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\f"), "'\\f'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\n"), "'\\n'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\r"), "'\\r'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\t"), "'\\t'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\'"), "'\\\''")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\"), "'\\\\'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\b"), "'\\\\b'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\f"), "'\\\\f'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\n"), "'\\\\n'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\r"), "'\\\\r'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\t"), "'\\\\t'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\\'"), "'\\\\\\\''")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal("\\\\"), "'\\\\\\\\'")
+        self.assertEqual(qlquote.quote_literal(
+            "abc\"efg\nhij\'klm\\nop"),
+            "'abc\"efg\\nhij\\\'klm\\\\nop'")