diff --git a/matcher/src/pattern.rs b/matcher/src/pattern.rs
index 0c554ba..d772ffb 100644
--- a/matcher/src/pattern.rs
+++ b/matcher/src/pattern.rs
@@ -171,8 +171,8 @@ impl Atom {
                 let mut saw_backslash = false;
                 for mut c in chars::graphemes(needle) {
                     if saw_backslash {
-                        if c == ' ' {
-                            needle_.push(' ');
+                        if c.is_whitespace() {
+                            needle_.push(c);
                             saw_backslash = false;
                             continue;
                         } else {
@@ -196,7 +196,9 @@ impl Atom {
                         }
                         Normalization::Never => (),
                     }
-                    needle_.push(c);
+                    if !saw_backslash {
+                        needle_.push(c);
+                    }
                 }
             } else {
                 let chars = chars::graphemes(needle).map(|mut c| {
diff --git a/matcher/src/pattern/tests.rs b/matcher/src/pattern/tests.rs
index 88880ba..c0575f2 100644
--- a/matcher/src/pattern/tests.rs
+++ b/matcher/src/pattern/tests.rs
@@ -87,6 +87,11 @@ fn case_matching() {
 fn escape() {
     let pat = Atom::parse("foo\\ bar", CaseMatching::Smart, Normalization::Smart);
     assert_eq!(pat.needle.to_string(), "foo bar");
+    let pat = Atom::parse("foö\\ bar", CaseMatching::Smart, Normalization::Smart);
+    assert_eq!(pat.needle.to_string(), "foö bar");
+    // escaped double-width IDEOGRAPHIC SPACE
+    let pat = Atom::parse("foo\\　bar", CaseMatching::Smart, Normalization::Smart);
+    assert_eq!(pat.needle.to_string(), "foo　bar");
     let pat = Atom::parse("\\!foo", CaseMatching::Smart, Normalization::Smart);
     assert_eq!(pat.needle.to_string(), "!foo");
     assert_eq!(pat.kind, AtomKind::Fuzzy);