diff --git a/src/eval/eval_core.c b/src/eval/eval_core.c
index f93de847..ffb1aaab 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_core.c
+++ b/src/eval/eval_core.c
@@ -20,6 +20,57 @@ e_hash_from_string(U64 seed, String8 string)
   return result;
 }
 
+internal String8
+e_raw_from_escaped_string(Arena *arena, String8 string)
+{
+  Temp scratch = scratch_begin(&arena, 1);
+  String8List strs = {0};
+  U64 start = 0;
+  for(U64 idx = 0; idx <= string.size; idx += 1)
+  {
+    if(idx == string.size || string.str[idx] == '\\' || string.str[idx] == '\r')
+    {
+      String8 str = str8_substr(string, r1u64(start, idx));
+      if(str.size != 0)
+      {
+        str8_list_push(scratch.arena, &strs, str);
+      }
+      start = idx+1;
+    }
+    if(idx < string.size && string.str[idx] == '\\')
+    {
+      U8 next_char = string.str[idx+1];
+      U8 replace_byte = 0;
+      switch(next_char)
+      {
+        default:{}break;
+        case 'a': replace_byte = 0x07; break;
+        case 'b': replace_byte = 0x08; break;
+        case 'e': replace_byte = 0x1b; break;
+        case 'f': replace_byte = 0x0c; break;
+        case 'n': replace_byte = 0x0a; break;
+        case 'r': replace_byte = 0x0d; break;
+        case 't': replace_byte = 0x09; break;
+        case 'v': replace_byte = 0x0b; break;
+        case '\\':replace_byte = '\\'; break;
+        case '\'':replace_byte = '\''; break;
+        case '"': replace_byte = '"';  break;
+        case '?': replace_byte = '?';  break;
+      }
+      String8 replace_string = push_str8_copy(scratch.arena, str8(&replace_byte, 1));
+      str8_list_push(scratch.arena, &strs, replace_string);
+      if(replace_byte == '\\' || replace_byte == '"' || replace_byte == '\'')
+      {
+        idx += 1;
+        start += 1;
+      }
+    }
+  }
+  String8 result = str8_list_join(arena, &strs, 0);
+  scratch_end(scratch);
+  return result;
+}
+
 ////////////////////////////////
 //~ rjf: Message Functions
 
diff --git a/src/eval/eval_core.h b/src/eval/eval_core.h
index 25b67c27..f24564d8 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_core.h
+++ b/src/eval/eval_core.h
@@ -113,6 +113,7 @@ struct E_Module
 //~ rjf: Basic Helper Functions
 
 internal U64 e_hash_from_string(U64 seed, String8 string);
+internal String8 e_raw_from_escaped_string(Arena *arena, String8 string);
 
 ////////////////////////////////
 //~ rjf: Message Functions
diff --git a/src/eval/eval_parse.c b/src/eval/eval_parse.c
index ce367699..c5059057 100644
--- a/src/eval/eval_parse.c
+++ b/src/eval/eval_parse.c
@@ -1698,7 +1698,9 @@ e_parse_expr_from_text_tokens__prec(Arena *arena, String8 text, E_TokenArray *to
           it += 1;
           if(token_string.size > 1 && token_string.str[0] == '\'' && token_string.str[1] != '\'')
           {
-            U8 char_val = token_string.str[1];
+            String8 char_literal_escaped = str8_skip(str8_chop(token_string, 1), 1);
+            String8 char_literal_raw = e_raw_from_escaped_string(scratch.arena, char_literal_escaped);
+            U8 char_val = char_literal_raw.size > 0 ? char_literal_raw.str[0] : 0;
             atom = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_LeafU64, token_string.str);
             atom->u64 = (U64)char_val;
           }
@@ -1712,8 +1714,9 @@ e_parse_expr_from_text_tokens__prec(Arena *arena, String8 text, E_TokenArray *to
         case E_TokenKind_StringLiteral:
         {
           String8 string_value_escaped = str8_chop(str8_skip(token_string, 1), 1);
+          String8 string_value_raw = e_raw_from_escaped_string(arena, string_value_escaped);
           atom = e_push_expr(arena, E_ExprKind_LeafStringLiteral, token_string.str);
-          atom->string = string_value_escaped;
+          atom->string = string_value_raw;
           it += 1;
         }break;
         
diff --git a/src/metagen/metagen.c b/src/metagen/metagen.c
index 8cfc6a3d..7b2e7304 100644
--- a/src/metagen/metagen.c
+++ b/src/metagen/metagen.c
@@ -142,7 +142,7 @@ mg_escaped_from_str8(Arena *arena, String8 string)
       String8 str = str8_substr(string, r1u64(start, idx));
       if(str.size != 0)
       {
-        str8_list_push(arena, &strs, str);
+        str8_list_push(scratch.arena, &strs, str);
       }
       start = idx+1;
     }