diff --git a/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs b/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs
index 4b809ef..b517a72 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker.Test/TemplateTests.cs
@@ -37,6 +37,17 @@ public void ParameterQuotesItsDefaultValueWhenAsked() =>
 			"string name = \"none\"",
 			Render(new ParameterTemplate { Type = "string", Name = "name", DefaultValue = "none", DefaultValueIsQuoted = true }));
 
+	[TestMethod]
+	[DataRow(@"C:\temp", @"""C:\\temp""", DisplayName = "Backslash")]
+	[DataRow("say \"hi\"", @"""say \""hi\""""", DisplayName = "Quote")]
+	[DataRow("one\ntwo\r\n", @"""one\ntwo\r\n""", DisplayName = "Newline")]
+	[DataRow("tab\there\0", @"""tab\there\0""", DisplayName = "Tab and null")]
+	[DataRow("bell\u0007 sep\u2028", @"""bell\a sep\u2028""", DisplayName = "Other control and separator")]
+	public void ParameterEscapesAQuotedDefaultValue(string value, string expectedLiteral) =>
+		Assert.AreEqual(
+			$"string name = {expectedLiteral}",
+			Render(new ParameterTemplate { Type = "string", Name = "name", DefaultValue = value, DefaultValueIsQuoted = true }));
+
 	[TestMethod]
 	public void ParameterKeepsItsAttributesOnTheDeclarationLine()
 	{
@@ -59,6 +70,12 @@ public void FieldWritesItsInitialiser() =>
 			"private const int Max = 10;\n",
 			Render(new FieldTemplate { Type = "int", Name = "Max", Keywords = { "private", "const" }, DefaultValue = "10" }));
 
+	[TestMethod]
+	public void FieldEscapesAQuotedInitialiser() =>
+		Assert.AreEqual(
+			"private string p = \"C:\\\\temp\\\\\\\"x\\\"\";\n",
+			Render(new FieldTemplate { Type = "string", Name = "p", Keywords = { "private" }, DefaultValue = "C:\\temp\\\"x\"", DefaultValueIsQuoted = true }));
+
 	[TestMethod]
 	public void FieldCommentsAndAttributesGoOnTheirOwnLines()
 	{
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs
index 42349ac..ee31222 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateBase.cs
@@ -27,9 +27,9 @@ public abstract class TemplateBase
 	public string DefaultValue { get; set; } = string.Empty;
 
 	/// <summary>
-	/// Gets or sets a value indicating whether <see cref="DefaultValue"/> is written inside double
-	/// quotes. Set this for string literals; leave it clear for anything already written as an
-	/// expression.
+	/// Gets or sets a value indicating whether <see cref="DefaultValue"/> is written as a string
+	/// literal. Set this to pass the raw text of a string, which is escaped and quoted; leave it clear
+	/// for anything already written as an expression.
 	/// </summary>
 	public bool DefaultValueIsQuoted { get; set; }
 
@@ -79,8 +79,8 @@ public virtual void WriteTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 	}
 
 	/// <summary>
-	/// Writes <c> = value</c> when <see cref="DefaultValue"/> is set, quoting it when
-	/// <see cref="DefaultValueIsQuoted"/> is set.
+	/// Writes <c> = value</c> when <see cref="DefaultValue"/> is set, as an escaped string literal
+	/// when <see cref="DefaultValueIsQuoted"/> is set.
 	/// </summary>
 	/// <param name="codeBlocker">The <see cref="CodeBlocker"/> to write to.</param>
 	protected void WriteDefaultValueTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ protected void WriteDefaultValueTo(CodeBlocker codeBlocker)
 		}
 
 		codeBlocker.Write(" = ");
-		codeBlocker.Write(DefaultValueIsQuoted ? $"\"{DefaultValue}\"" : DefaultValue);
+		codeBlocker.Write(DefaultValueIsQuoted ? TemplateRendering.QuoteStringLiteral(DefaultValue) : DefaultValue);
 	}
 }
 
diff --git a/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateRendering.cs b/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateRendering.cs
index c54a2c4..3fe9451 100644
--- a/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateRendering.cs
+++ b/CodeBlocker/Templates/TemplateRendering.cs
@@ -2,6 +2,9 @@
 
 namespace ktsu.CodeBlocker.Templates;
 
+using System.Globalization;
+using System.Text;
+
 /// <summary>
 /// The rendering steps shared by more than one template.
 /// </summary>
@@ -82,6 +85,54 @@ internal static void SpliceFragment(CodeBlocker parent, string fragment)
 		}
 	}
 
+	/// <summary>
+	/// Formats raw text as a C# regular string literal, quoted and escaped so that it compiles and
+	/// evaluates back to exactly <paramref name="value"/>.
+	/// </summary>
+	/// <param name="value">The raw text of the string.</param>
+	/// <returns>The quoted literal.</returns>
+	/// <remarks>
+	/// Backslashes, quotes and the common control characters take their short escapes; any other
+	/// control character, and the line and paragraph separators the compiler also treats as line
+	/// breaks, take a <c>\uXXXX</c> escape.
+	/// </remarks>
+	internal static string QuoteStringLiteral(string value)
+	{
+		StringBuilder literal = new(value.Length + 2);
+		literal.Append('"');
+		foreach (char c in value)
+		{
+			string? escape = c switch
+			{
+				'\\' => @"\\",
+				'"' => "\\\"",
+				'\0' => @"\0",
+				'\a' => @"\a",
+				'\b' => @"\b",
+				'\f' => @"\f",
+				'\n' => @"\n",
+				'\r' => @"\r",
+				'\t' => @"\t",
+				'\v' => @"\v",
+				_ when char.IsControl(c) || c is '\u2028' or '\u2029' =>
+					@"\u" + ((int)c).ToString("x4", CultureInfo.InvariantCulture),
+				_ => null,
+			};
+
+			if (escape is null)
+			{
+				literal.Append(c);
+			}
+			else
+			{
+				literal.Append(escape);
+			}
+		}
+
+		literal.Append('"');
+		return literal.ToString();
+	}
+
 	/// <summary>
 	/// Writes a parenthesised, comma-separated parameter list.
 	/// </summary>