diff --git a/string_compiler.py b/string_compiler.py
index ebc548f..c0b39eb 100644
--- a/string_compiler.py
+++ b/string_compiler.py
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ def str_to_int(cc):
 	return reduce(fn, reversed(cc), 0)
 
 def str_to_print(cc):
-	return "".join([x if x.isprintable() else "." for x in cc])
+	return "".join([x if (x.isascii() and x.isprintable()) else "." for x in cc])
 
 def or_mask(cc):
-	fn = lambda x, y: (x << 8) + (0x20 * y.islower())
+	fn = lambda x, y: (x << 8) + (0x20 * (y.isascii() and y.islower()))
 	return reduce(fn, reversed(cc), 0)
 
 def mask_char(asm, short_m, old, new):
@@ -78,8 +78,9 @@ def generate_asm(asm, d, level):
 		l = asm.reserve_label()
 		if flag_i: mask = mask_char(asm, short_m, mask, or_mask(k))
 		v = str_to_int(k)
-		if v != 0:
-			asm.emit("cmp #${:04x}\t; '{}'".format(v, str_to_print(k)), 3)
+		# only valid if preceeded by a lda/ora
+		# if v != 0:
+		asm.emit("cmp #${:04x}\t; '{}'".format(v, encode_string(k)), 3)
 		asm.bne(l)
 		generate_asm(asm, dd, level+1)
 		asm.emit_label(l)
@@ -95,8 +96,8 @@ def generate_asm(asm, d, level):
 		l = asm.reserve_label()
 		if flag_i: mask = mask_char(asm, short_m, mask, or_mask(k))
 		v = str_to_int(k)
-		if v != 0:
-			asm.emit("cmp #${:02x}\t; '{}'".format(v, str_to_print(k)), 2)
+		# if v != 0:
+		asm.emit("cmp #${:02x}\t; '{}'".format(v, encode_string(k)), 2)
 		asm.bne(l)
 		generate_asm(asm, dd, level+1)
 		asm.emit_label(l)
@@ -125,13 +126,23 @@ def process(data, name):
 			current[x] = tmp
 			current = tmp
 
-		current[""] = { "__value__": data[k], "__key__": k }
+		current[""] = { "__value__": data[k], "__key__": encode_string(k) }
 
 	# print(tree);
 	asm = Assembler(name)
 	generate_asm(asm, tree, 0)
 	asm.finish(sys.stdout)
 
+def decode_string(s):
+	global decode_map
+
+	fn = lambda x: decode_map.get(x[1].lower(), '')
+	return re.sub(r"\\([xX][A-Fa-f0-9]{2}|.)", fn, s)
+
+def encode_string(s):
+	global encode_map
+	return "".join([encode_map.get(x, x) for x in s])
+
 
 def usage(ex=1):
 	print("Usage: string_compiler [-i] name [file]")
@@ -153,14 +164,14 @@ def read_data(f, name):
 		if not m:
 			err = "{}:{}: Bad data: {}".format(name,ln,line)
 			raise Exception(err)
-		k = m[1]
+		k = orig_k = m[1]
 		if flag_i:
 			k = k.lower()
-
+		k = decode_string(k)
 		v = int(m[2])
 
 		if k in data:
-			err = "{}:{}: Duplicate string: {}".format(name,ln,k)
+			err = "{}:{}: Duplicate string: {}".format(name,ln,orig_k)
 			raise Exception(err)
 
 		data[k] = v
@@ -178,6 +189,39 @@ def read_file(path):
 
 def main():
 	global flag_i
+	global decode_map
+	global encode_map
+
+	decode_map = {}
+	for i in range(0, 256):
+		decode_map["x{:02x}".format(i)] = chr(i)
+	decode_map['\\'] = '\\'
+	decode_map["'"] = "'"
+	decode_map['"'] = '"'
+	decode_map['?'] = '?'
+
+	decode_map['a'] = chr(7)
+	decode_map['b'] = chr(8)
+	decode_map['f'] = chr(12)
+	decode_map['n'] = chr(10)
+	decode_map['r'] = chr(13)
+	decode_map['t'] = chr(9)
+	decode_map['v'] = chr(11)
+
+	encode_map = {}
+	for i in range(0, 20): encode_map[chr(i)] = "\\x{:02x}".format(i)
+	for i in range(127, 256): encode_map[chr(i)] = "\\x{:02x}".format(i)
+
+	encode_map['\\'] = '\\\\'
+	encode_map[chr(7)] = '\\a'
+	encode_map[chr(8)] = '\\b'
+	encode_map[chr(12)] = '\\f'
+	encode_map[chr(10)] = '\\n'
+	encode_map[chr(13)] = '\\r'
+	encode_map[chr(9)] = '\\t'
+	encode_map[chr(11)] = '\\v'
+
+
 
 	argv = sys.argv[1:]
 	opts, args = getopt.getopt(argv, "i")