diff --git a/src/utils/ansi.py b/src/utils/ansi.py
index 511f6d6d9..b3bde1265 100644
--- a/src/utils/ansi.py
+++ b/src/utils/ansi.py
@@ -62,7 +62,8 @@ class ANSIParser(object):
     to ANSI command sequences
 
     We also allow to escape colour codes
-    by prepending with a \.
+    by prepending with a \ for mux-style and xterm256,
+    an extra { for Merc-style codes
     """
 
     def __init__(self):
@@ -71,29 +72,29 @@ class ANSIParser(object):
         # MUX-style mappings %cr %cn etc
 
         self.mux_ansi_map = [
-            (r'(?<!\\)%r',  ANSI_RETURN),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%t',  ANSI_TAB),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%b',  ANSI_SPACE),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cf', ANSI_BLINK),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%ci', ANSI_INVERSE),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%ch', ANSI_HILITE),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cn', ANSI_NORMAL),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cx', ANSI_BLACK),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cX', ANSI_BACK_BLACK),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cr', ANSI_RED),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cR', ANSI_BACK_RED),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cg', ANSI_GREEN),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cG', ANSI_BACK_GREEN),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cy', ANSI_YELLOW),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cY', ANSI_BACK_YELLOW),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cb', ANSI_BLUE),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cB', ANSI_BACK_BLUE),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cm', ANSI_MAGENTA),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cM', ANSI_BACK_MAGENTA),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cc', ANSI_CYAN),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cC', ANSI_BACK_CYAN),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cw', ANSI_WHITE),
-            (r'(?<!\\)%cW', ANSI_BACK_WHITE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%r',  ANSI_RETURN),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%t',  ANSI_TAB),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%b',  ANSI_SPACE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cf', ANSI_BLINK),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%ci', ANSI_INVERSE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%ch', ANSI_HILITE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cn', ANSI_NORMAL),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cx', ANSI_BLACK),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cX', ANSI_BACK_BLACK),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cr', ANSI_RED),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cR', ANSI_BACK_RED),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cg', ANSI_GREEN),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cG', ANSI_BACK_GREEN),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cy', ANSI_YELLOW),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cY', ANSI_BACK_YELLOW),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cb', ANSI_BLUE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cB', ANSI_BACK_BLUE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cm', ANSI_MAGENTA),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cM', ANSI_BACK_MAGENTA),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cc', ANSI_CYAN),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cC', ANSI_BACK_CYAN),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cw', ANSI_WHITE),
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%cW', ANSI_BACK_WHITE),
             ]
 
         # Expanded mapping {r {n etc
@@ -101,30 +102,30 @@ class ANSIParser(object):
         hilite = ANSI_HILITE
         normal = ANSI_NORMAL
         self.ext_ansi_map = [
-            (r'(?<!\\){r', hilite + ANSI_RED),
-            (r'(?<!\\){R', normal + ANSI_RED),
-            (r'(?<!\\){g', hilite + ANSI_GREEN),
-            (r'(?<!\\){G', normal + ANSI_GREEN),
-            (r'(?<!\\){y', hilite + ANSI_YELLOW),
-            (r'(?<!\\){Y', normal + ANSI_YELLOW),
-            (r'(?<!\\){b', hilite + ANSI_BLUE),
-            (r'(?<!\\){B', normal + ANSI_BLUE),
-            (r'(?<!\\){m', hilite + ANSI_MAGENTA),
-            (r'(?<!\\){M', normal + ANSI_MAGENTA),
-            (r'(?<!\\){c', hilite + ANSI_CYAN),
-            (r'(?<!\\){C', normal + ANSI_CYAN),
-            (r'(?<!\\){w', hilite + ANSI_WHITE), # pure white
-            (r'(?<!\\){W', normal + ANSI_WHITE), #light grey
-            (r'(?<!\\){x', hilite + ANSI_BLACK), #dark grey
-            (r'(?<!\\){X', normal + ANSI_BLACK), #pure black
-            (r'(?<!\\){n', normal)               #reset
+            (r'(?<!{){r', hilite + ANSI_RED),
+            (r'(?<!{){R', normal + ANSI_RED),
+            (r'(?<!{){g', hilite + ANSI_GREEN),
+            (r'(?<!{){G', normal + ANSI_GREEN),
+            (r'(?<!{){y', hilite + ANSI_YELLOW),
+            (r'(?<!{){Y', normal + ANSI_YELLOW),
+            (r'(?<!{){b', hilite + ANSI_BLUE),
+            (r'(?<!{){B', normal + ANSI_BLUE),
+            (r'(?<!{){m', hilite + ANSI_MAGENTA),
+            (r'(?<!{){M', normal + ANSI_MAGENTA),
+            (r'(?<!{){c', hilite + ANSI_CYAN),
+            (r'(?<!{){C', normal + ANSI_CYAN),
+            (r'(?<!{){w', hilite + ANSI_WHITE), # pure white
+            (r'(?<!{){W', normal + ANSI_WHITE), #light grey
+            (r'(?<!{){x', hilite + ANSI_BLACK), #dark grey
+            (r'(?<!{){X', normal + ANSI_BLACK), #pure black
+            (r'(?<!{){n', normal)               #reset
             ]
 
         # xterm256 {123, %c134,
 
         self.xterm256_map = [
-            (r'(?<!\\)%c([0-5]{3})', self.parse_rgb),  # %c123 - foreground colour
-            (r'(?<!\\)%c(b[0-5]{3})', self.parse_rgb), # %cb123 - background colour
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%c([0-5]{3})', self.parse_rgb),  # %c123 - foreground colour
+            (r'(?<!\\{2})%c(b[0-5]{3})', self.parse_rgb), # %cb123 - background colour
             (r'(?<!\\){([0-5]{3})', self.parse_rgb),   # {123 - foreground colour
             (r'(?<!\\){(b[0-5]{3})', self.parse_rgb)   # {b123 - background colour
             ]
@@ -132,10 +133,10 @@ class ANSIParser(object):
         # matching for cleaning out escaped colour codes (used with sub)
 
         self.clean_escapes = [
-            (r"\\{", "{"),
-            (r"\\%r", "%r"),
-            (r"\\%b", "%b"),
-            (r"\\%c", "%c")
+            (r"{{", "{"),
+            (r"\\\\%r", "%r"),
+            (r"\\\\%b", "%b"),
+            (r"\\\\%c", "%c")
             ]
 
         # obs - order matters here, we want to do the xterms first since