diff --git a/inspect.lua b/inspect.lua
index c7179d1..e55f7c4 100644
--- a/inspect.lua
+++ b/inspect.lua
@@ -47,8 +47,18 @@ local controlCharsTranslation = {
   ["\r"] = "\\r",  ["\t"] = "\\t", ["\v"] = "\\v"
 }
 
+local controlCharsTranslationBeforeDigit = {}
+
+for i=0, 31 do
+    local ch = string.char(i)
+    if not controlCharsTranslation[ch] then
+        controlCharsTranslation[ch] = "\\"..i
+        controlCharsTranslationBeforeDigit[ch] = string.format("\\%03d",i)
+    end
+end
+
 local function escape(str)
-  local result = str:gsub("\\", "\\\\"):gsub("(%c)", controlCharsTranslation)
+  local result = str:gsub("\\", "\\\\"):gsub("(%c)%f[0-9]", controlCharsTranslationBeforeDigit):gsub("(%c)", controlCharsTranslation)
   return result
 end
 
diff --git a/spec/inspect_spec.lua b/spec/inspect_spec.lua
index 23868f0..4367fd4 100644
--- a/spec/inspect_spec.lua
+++ b/spec/inspect_spec.lua
@@ -38,6 +38,11 @@ describe( 'inspect', function()
        assert.equals('"I have \\b a back space"', inspect('I have \b a back space'))
     end)
 
+    it('escapes zeroes and other control characters properly', function()
+       assert.equals('"I have \\0 zeroes \\0000 and other \\1 control \\0010 characters \\6 \\17 \\0279 \\31"', 
+              inspect('I have \0 zeroes \0000 and other \1 control \0010 characters \6 \17 \0279 \31'))
+    end)
+
     it('backslashes its backslashes', function()
        assert.equals('"I have \\\\ a backslash"', inspect('I have \\ a backslash'))
        assert.equals('"I have \\\\\\\\ two backslashes"', inspect('I have \\\\ two backslashes'))