diff --git a/src/string.hh b/src/string.hh
index 6fd2f5fb..00a20adc 100644
--- a/src/string.hh
+++ b/src/string.hh
@@ -330,12 +330,13 @@ String replace(StringView str, StringView substr, StringView replacement);
 template<typename Container>
 String join(const Container& container, char joiner, bool esc_joiner = true)
 {
+    const char to_escape[] = { joiner, '\\' };
     String res;
     for (const auto& str : container)
     {
         if (not res.empty())
             res += joiner;
-        res += esc_joiner ? escape(str, joiner, '\\') : str;
+        res += esc_joiner ? escape(str, to_escape, '\\') : str;
     }
     return res;
 }
diff --git a/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/cmd b/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/cmd
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..2783a13e
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/cmd
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+%<a-s>H
diff --git a/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/in b/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/in
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..819467ab
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/in
@@ -0,0 +1,3 @@
+foo\:bar
+foo\\
+bar
diff --git a/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/selections b/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/selections
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..16016faf
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/regression/1014-ambiguous-kak_selections/selections
@@ -0,0 +1 @@
+foo\\\:bar:foo\\\\:bar