diff --git a/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc b/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc
index 973e37eb..4af8f663 100644
--- a/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc
+++ b/doc/pages/faces.asciidoc
@@ -156,3 +156,14 @@ echo -markup 'default {Error}error{Default} default'
 Inside a markup string, a literal `{` character is written `\{`, and a
 literal backslash (`\`) that precedes a '{' character is escaped as well
 (`\\`).
+
+The `{\}` string disables markup processing for the rest of the line,
+and can be used to avoid having to escape text that might be mistaken
+for markup instructions.
+
+For example this will prevent any '{' in the current buffer name from
+being incorrectly interpreted as markup instructions.
+
+----
+echo -markup "{Information}name:{\} %val{bufname}"
+----
diff --git a/rc/tools/ctags.kak b/rc/tools/ctags.kak
index da1481e6..b39eeb66 100644
--- a/rc/tools/ctags.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/ctags.kak
@@ -44,20 +44,20 @@ define-command -params ..1 \
             /^!TAGROOT\t/ { tagroot=$2 }
             /[^\t]+\t[^\t]+\t\/\^.*\$?\// {
                 line = $0; sub(".*\t/\\^", "", line); sub("\\$?/$", "", line);
-                menu_info = line; gsub("!", "!!", menu_info); gsub(/^[\t ]+/, "", menu_info); gsub("{", "\\{", menu_info); gsub(/\t/, " ", menu_info);
+                menu_info = line; gsub("!", "!!", menu_info); gsub(/^[\t ]+/, "", menu_info); gsub(/\t/, " ", menu_info);
                 keys = line; gsub(/</, "<lt>", keys); gsub(/\t/, "<c-v><c-i>", keys); gsub("!", "!!", keys); gsub("&", "&&", keys); gsub("#", "##", keys); gsub("\\|", "||", keys); gsub("\\\\/", "/", keys);
                 menu_item = $2; gsub("!", "!!", menu_item);
                 edit_path = path($2); gsub("&", "&&", edit_path); gsub("#", "##", edit_path); gsub("\\|", "||", edit_path);
                 select = $1; gsub(/</, "<lt>", select); gsub(/\t/, "<c-v><c-i>", select); gsub("!", "!!", select); gsub("&", "&&", select); gsub("#", "##", select); gsub("\\|", "||", select);
-                out = out "%!" menu_item ": {MenuInfo}" menu_info "! %!evaluate-commands %# try %& edit -existing %|" edit_path "|; execute-keys %|/\\Q" keys "<ret>vc| & catch %& fail unable to find tag &; try %& execute-keys %|s\\Q" select "<ret>| & # !"
+                out = out "%!" menu_item ": {MenuInfo}{\\}" menu_info "! %!evaluate-commands %# try %& edit -existing %|" edit_path "|; execute-keys %|/\\Q" keys "<ret>vc| & catch %& fail unable to find tag &; try %& execute-keys %|s\\Q" select "<ret>| & # !"
             }
             /[^\t]+\t[^\t]+\t[0-9]+/ {
                 menu_item = $2; gsub("!", "!!", menu_item);
                 select = $1; gsub(/</, "<lt>", select); gsub(/\t/, "<c-v><c-i>", select); gsub("!", "!!", select); gsub("&", "&&", select); gsub("#", "##", select); gsub("\\|", "||", select);
-                menu_info = $3; gsub("!", "!!", menu_info); gsub("{", "\\{", menu_info);
+                menu_info = $3; gsub("!", "!!", menu_info);
                 edit_path = path($2); gsub("!", "!!", edit_path); gsub("#", "##", edit_path); gsub("&", "&&", edit_path); gsub("\\|", "||", edit_path);
                 line_number = $3;
-                out = out "%!" menu_item ": {MenuInfo}" menu_info "! %!evaluate-commands %# try %& edit -existing %|" edit_path "|; execute-keys %|" line_number "gx| & catch %& fail unable to find tag &; try %& execute-keys %|s\\Q" select "<ret>| & # !"
+                out = out "%!" menu_item ": {MenuInfo}{\}" menu_info "! %!evaluate-commands %# try %& edit -existing %|" edit_path "|; execute-keys %|" line_number "gx| & catch %& fail unable to find tag &; try %& execute-keys %|s\\Q" select "<ret>| & # !"
             }
             END { print ( length(out) == 0 ? "fail no such tag " ENVIRON["tagname"] : "menu -markup -auto-single " out ) }
             # Ensure x is an absolute file path, by prepending with tagroot
diff --git a/rc/tools/make.kak b/rc/tools/make.kak
index fabd7e75..5ae1cf52 100644
--- a/rc/tools/make.kak
+++ b/rc/tools/make.kak
@@ -44,7 +44,7 @@ declare-option -docstring "name of the client in which all source code jumps wil
 define-command -hidden make-open-error -params 4 %{
     evaluate-commands -try-client %opt{jumpclient} %{
         edit -existing "%arg{1}" %arg{2} %arg{3}
-        echo -markup "{Information}%arg{4}"
+        echo -markup "{Information}{\}%arg{4}"
         try %{ focus }
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/display_buffer.cc b/src/display_buffer.cc
index e7e2da54..7df0aa1e 100644
--- a/src/display_buffer.cc
+++ b/src/display_buffer.cc
@@ -280,6 +280,11 @@ DisplayLine parse_display_line(StringView line, const FaceRegistry& faces, const
                     // closing is now at the first char of "}}", advance it to the second
                     ++closing;
                 }
+                else if (closing == it+2 and *(it+1) == '\\')
+                {
+                    pos = closing + 1;
+                    break;
+                }
                 else
                     face = faces[{it+1, closing}];
                 it = closing;