diff --git a/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh b/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh
index 6186c474ba71e1..4a64aca3edaa0f 100644
--- a/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh
+++ b/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh
@@ -147,7 +147,7 @@ printf -v __git_printf_supports_v -- '%s' yes >/dev/null 2>&1
 
 # like __git_SOH=$'\001' etc but works also in shells without $'...'
 eval "$(printf '
-	__git_SOH="\001" __git_STX="\002" __git_ESC="\033"
+	__git_SOH="\\001" __git_STX="\\002" __git_ESC="\033"
 	__git_LF="\n" __git_CRLF="\r\n"
 ')"
 
diff --git a/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh b/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh
index d667dda654e2de..fc6fdd36c69de2 100755
--- a/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh
+++ b/t/t9903-bash-prompt.sh
@@ -13,10 +13,10 @@ export GIT_TEST_DEFAULT_INITIAL_BRANCH_NAME
 . "$GIT_BUILD_DIR/contrib/completion/git-prompt.sh"
 
 actual="$TRASH_DIRECTORY/actual"
-c_red='\001\e[31m\002'
-c_green='\001\e[32m\002'
-c_lblue='\001\e[1;34m\002'
-c_clear='\001\e[0m\002'
+c_red='\\001\e[31m\\002'
+c_green='\\001\e[32m\\002'
+c_lblue='\\001\e[1;34m\\002'
+c_clear='\\001\e[0m\\002'
 
 test_expect_success 'setup for prompt tests' '
 	git init otherrepo &&