diff --git a/src/uu/echo/src/echo.rs b/src/uu/echo/src/echo.rs
index c94443822e0..6d8c6242111 100644
--- a/src/uu/echo/src/echo.rs
+++ b/src/uu/echo/src/echo.rs
@@ -3,12 +3,15 @@
 // For the full copyright and license information, please view the LICENSE
 // file that was distributed with this source code.
 
+use clap::builder::ValueParser;
+use clap::parser::ValuesRef;
 use clap::{crate_version, Arg, ArgAction, Command};
-use std::io::{self, Write};
+use std::ffi::{OsStr, OsString};
+use std::io::{self, StdoutLock, Write};
 use std::iter::Peekable;
 use std::ops::ControlFlow;
-use std::str::Chars;
-use uucore::error::{FromIo, UResult};
+use std::slice::Iter;
+use uucore::error::{UResult, USimpleError};
 use uucore::{format_usage, help_about, help_section, help_usage};
 
 const ABOUT: &str = help_about!("echo.md");
@@ -22,94 +25,249 @@ mod options {
     pub const DISABLE_BACKSLASH_ESCAPE: &str = "disable_backslash_escape";
 }
 
-#[repr(u8)]
-#[derive(Clone, Copy)]
+enum BackslashNumberType {
+    OctalStartingWithNonZero(u8),
+    OctalStartingWithZero,
+    Hexadecimal,
+}
+
+impl BackslashNumberType {
+    fn base(&self) -> Base {
+        match self {
+            BackslashNumberType::OctalStartingWithZero
+            | BackslashNumberType::OctalStartingWithNonZero(_) => Base::Octal,
+            BackslashNumberType::Hexadecimal => Base::Hexadecimal,
+        }
+    }
+}
+
 enum Base {
-    Oct = 8,
-    Hex = 16,
+    Octal,
+    Hexadecimal,
 }
 
 impl Base {
-    fn max_digits(&self) -> u8 {
+    fn ascii_to_number(&self, digit: u8) -> Option<u8> {
+        fn octal_ascii_digit_to_number(digit: u8) -> Option<u8> {
+            let number = match digit {
+                b'0' => 0,
+                b'1' => 1,
+                b'2' => 2,
+                b'3' => 3,
+                b'4' => 4,
+                b'5' => 5,
+                b'6' => 6,
+                b'7' => 7,
+                _ => {
+                    return None;
+                }
+            };
+
+            Some(number)
+        }
+
+        fn hexadecimal_ascii_digit_to_number(digit: u8) -> Option<u8> {
+            let number = match digit {
+                b'0' => 0,
+                b'1' => 1,
+                b'2' => 2,
+                b'3' => 3,
+                b'4' => 4,
+                b'5' => 5,
+                b'6' => 6,
+                b'7' => 7,
+                b'8' => 8,
+                b'9' => 9,
+                b'A' | b'a' => 10,
+                b'B' | b'b' => 11,
+                b'C' | b'c' => 12,
+                b'D' | b'd' => 13,
+                b'E' | b'e' => 14,
+                b'F' | b'f' => 15,
+                _ => {
+                    return None;
+                }
+            };
+
+            Some(number)
+        }
+
+        match self {
+            Self::Octal => octal_ascii_digit_to_number(digit),
+            Self::Hexadecimal => hexadecimal_ascii_digit_to_number(digit),
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn maximum_number_of_digits(&self) -> u8 {
+        match self {
+            Self::Octal => 3,
+            Self::Hexadecimal => 2,
+        }
+    }
+
+    fn radix(&self) -> u8 {
         match self {
-            Self::Oct => 3,
-            Self::Hex => 2,
+            Self::Octal => 8,
+            Self::Hexadecimal => 16,
         }
     }
 }
 
-/// Parse the numeric part of the `\xHHH` and `\0NNN` escape sequences
-fn parse_code(input: &mut Peekable<Chars>, base: Base) -> Option<char> {
-    // All arithmetic on `ret` needs to be wrapping, because octal input can
-    // take 3 digits, which is 9 bits, and therefore more than what fits in a
-    // `u8`. GNU just seems to wrap these values.
-    // Note that if we instead make `ret` a `u32` and use `char::from_u32` will
-    // yield incorrect results because it will interpret values larger than
-    // `u8::MAX` as unicode.
-    let mut ret = input.peek().and_then(|c| c.to_digit(base as u32))? as u8;
-
-    // We can safely ignore the None case because we just peeked it.
-    let _ = input.next();
-
-    for _ in 1..base.max_digits() {
-        match input.peek().and_then(|c| c.to_digit(base as u32)) {
-            Some(n) => ret = ret.wrapping_mul(base as u8).wrapping_add(n as u8),
-            None => break,
-        }
-        // We can safely ignore the None case because we just peeked it.
-        let _ = input.next();
+/// Parse the numeric part of `\xHHH`, `\0NNN`, and `\NNN` escape sequences
+fn parse_backslash_number(
+    input: &mut Peekable<Iter<u8>>,
+    backslash_number_type: BackslashNumberType,
+) -> Option<u8> {
+    let first_digit_ascii = match backslash_number_type {
+        BackslashNumberType::OctalStartingWithZero | BackslashNumberType::Hexadecimal => {
+            match input.peek() {
+                Some(&&digit_ascii) => digit_ascii,
+                None => {
+                    // One of the following cases: argument ends with "\0" or "\x"
+                    // If "\0" (octal): caller will print not ASCII '0', 0x30, but ASCII '\0' (NUL), 0x00
+                    // If "\x" (hexadecimal): caller will print literal "\x"
+                    return None;
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        // Never returns early when backslash number starts with "\1" through "\7", because caller provides the
+        // first digit
+        BackslashNumberType::OctalStartingWithNonZero(digit_ascii) => digit_ascii,
+    };
+
+    let base = backslash_number_type.base();
+
+    let first_digit_number = match base.ascii_to_number(first_digit_ascii) {
+        Some(digit_number) => {
+            // Move past byte, since it was successfully parsed
+            let _ = input.next();
+
+            digit_number
+        }
+        None => {
+            // The first digit was not a valid octal or hexadecimal digit
+            // This should never be the case when the backslash number starts with "\1" through "\7"
+            // (caller unwraps to verify this)
+            return None;
+        }
+    };
+
+    let radix = base.radix();
+
+    let mut sum = first_digit_number;
+
+    for _ in 1..(base.maximum_number_of_digits()) {
+        match input
+            .peek()
+            .and_then(|&&digit_ascii| base.ascii_to_number(digit_ascii))
+        {
+            Some(digit_number) => {
+                // Move past byte, since it was successfully parsed
+                let _ = input.next();
+
+                // All arithmetic on `sum` needs to be wrapping, because octal input can
+                // take 3 digits, which is 9 bits, and therefore more than what fits in a
+                // `u8`.
+                //
+                // GNU Core Utilities: "if nnn is a nine-bit value, the ninth bit is ignored"
+                // https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/echo-invocation.html
+                sum = sum.wrapping_mul(radix).wrapping_add(digit_number);
+            }
+            None => {
+                break;
+            }
+        }
     }
 
-    Some(ret.into())
+    Some(sum)
 }
 
-fn print_escaped(input: &str, mut output: impl Write) -> io::Result<ControlFlow<()>> {
-    let mut iter = input.chars().peekable();
-    while let Some(c) = iter.next() {
-        if c != '\\' {
-            write!(output, "{c}")?;
+fn print_escaped(input: &[u8], output: &mut StdoutLock) -> io::Result<ControlFlow<()>> {
+    let mut iter = input.iter().peekable();
+
+    while let Some(&current_byte) = iter.next() {
+        if current_byte != b'\\' {
+            output.write_all(&[current_byte])?;
+
             continue;
         }
 
-        // This is for the \NNN syntax for octal sequences.
-        // Note that '0' is intentionally omitted because that
-        // would be the \0NNN syntax.
-        if let Some('1'..='8') = iter.peek() {
-            if let Some(parsed) = parse_code(&mut iter, Base::Oct) {
-                write!(output, "{parsed}")?;
-                continue;
-            }
+        // This is for the \NNN syntax for octal sequences
+        // Note that '0' is intentionally omitted, because the \0NNN syntax is handled below
+        if let Some(&&first_digit @ b'1'..=b'7') = iter.peek() {
+            // Unwrap because anything starting with "\1" through "\7" can be successfully parsed
+            let parsed_octal_number = parse_backslash_number(
+                &mut iter,
+                BackslashNumberType::OctalStartingWithNonZero(first_digit),
+            )
+            .unwrap();
+
+            output.write_all(&[parsed_octal_number])?;
+
+            continue;
         }
 
         if let Some(next) = iter.next() {
-            let unescaped = match next {
-                '\\' => '\\',
-                'a' => '\x07',
-                'b' => '\x08',
-                'c' => return Ok(ControlFlow::Break(())),
-                'e' => '\x1b',
-                'f' => '\x0c',
-                'n' => '\n',
-                'r' => '\r',
-                't' => '\t',
-                'v' => '\x0b',
-                'x' => {
-                    if let Some(c) = parse_code(&mut iter, Base::Hex) {
-                        c
+            // For extending lifetime
+            // Unnecessary when using Rust >= 1.79.0
+            // https://github.com/rust-lang/rust/pull/121346
+            // TODO: when we have a MSRV >= 1.79.0, delete these "hold" bindings
+            let hold_one_byte_outside_of_match: [u8; 1_usize];
+            let hold_two_bytes_outside_of_match: [u8; 2_usize];
+
+            let unescaped: &[u8] = match *next {
+                b'\\' => br"\",
+                b'a' => b"\x07",
+                b'b' => b"\x08",
+                b'c' => return Ok(ControlFlow::Break(())),
+                b'e' => b"\x1B",
+                b'f' => b"\x0C",
+                b'n' => b"\n",
+                b'r' => b"\r",
+                b't' => b"\t",
+                b'v' => b"\x0B",
+                b'x' => {
+                    if let Some(parsed_hexadecimal_number) =
+                        parse_backslash_number(&mut iter, BackslashNumberType::Hexadecimal)
+                    {
+                        // TODO: remove when we have a MSRV >= 1.79.0
+                        hold_one_byte_outside_of_match = [parsed_hexadecimal_number];
+
+                        // TODO: when we have a MSRV >= 1.79.0, return reference to a temporary array:
+                        // &[parsed_hexadecimal_number]
+                        &hold_one_byte_outside_of_match
                     } else {
-                        write!(output, "\\")?;
-                        'x'
+                        // "\x" with any non-hexadecimal digit after means "\x" is treated literally
+                        br"\x"
                     }
                 }
-                '0' => parse_code(&mut iter, Base::Oct).unwrap_or('\0'),
-                c => {
-                    write!(output, "\\")?;
-                    c
+                b'0' => {
+                    if let Some(parsed_octal_number) = parse_backslash_number(
+                        &mut iter,
+                        BackslashNumberType::OctalStartingWithZero,
+                    ) {
+                        // TODO: remove when we have a MSRV >= 1.79.0
+                        hold_one_byte_outside_of_match = [parsed_octal_number];
+
+                        // TODO: when we have a MSRV >= 1.79.0, return reference to a temporary array:
+                        // &[parsed_octal_number]
+                        &hold_one_byte_outside_of_match
+                    } else {
+                        // "\0" with any non-octal digit after it means "\0" is treated as ASCII '\0' (NUL), 0x00
+                        b"\0"
+                    }
+                }
+                other_byte => {
+                    // Backslash and the following byte are treated literally
+                    hold_two_bytes_outside_of_match = [b'\\', other_byte];
+
+                    &hold_two_bytes_outside_of_match
                 }
             };
-            write!(output, "{unescaped}")?;
+
+            output.write_all(unescaped)?;
         } else {
-            write!(output, "\\")?;
+            output.write_all(br"\")?;
         }
     }
 
@@ -120,15 +278,33 @@ fn print_escaped(input: &str, mut output: impl Write) -> io::Result<ControlFlow<
 pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> UResult<()> {
     let matches = uu_app().get_matches_from(args);
 
+    // TODO
+    // "If the POSIXLY_CORRECT environment variable is set, then when echo’s first argument is not -n it outputs option-like arguments instead of treating them as options."
+    // https://www.gnu.org/software/coreutils/manual/html_node/echo-invocation.html
+
     let no_newline = matches.get_flag(options::NO_NEWLINE);
     let escaped = matches.get_flag(options::ENABLE_BACKSLASH_ESCAPE);
-    let values: Vec<String> = match matches.get_many::<String>(options::STRING) {
-        Some(s) => s.map(|s| s.to_string()).collect(),
-        None => vec![String::new()],
-    };
 
-    execute(no_newline, escaped, &values)
-        .map_err_context(|| "could not write to stdout".to_string())
+    let mut stdout_lock = io::stdout().lock();
+
+    match matches.get_many::<OsString>(options::STRING) {
+        Some(arguments_after_options) => {
+            execute(
+                &mut stdout_lock,
+                no_newline,
+                escaped,
+                arguments_after_options,
+            )?;
+        }
+        None => {
+            // No strings to print, so just handle newline setting
+            if !no_newline {
+                stdout_lock.write_all(b"\n")?;
+            }
+        }
+    }
+
+    Ok(())
 }
 
 pub fn uu_app() -> Command {
@@ -165,29 +341,63 @@ pub fn uu_app() -> Command {
                 .action(ArgAction::SetTrue)
                 .overrides_with(options::ENABLE_BACKSLASH_ESCAPE),
         )
-        .arg(Arg::new(options::STRING).action(ArgAction::Append))
+        .arg(
+            Arg::new(options::STRING)
+                .action(ArgAction::Append)
+                .value_parser(ValueParser::os_string()),
+        )
 }
 
-fn execute(no_newline: bool, escaped: bool, free: &[String]) -> io::Result<()> {
-    let stdout = io::stdout();
-    let mut output = stdout.lock();
+fn execute(
+    stdout_lock: &mut StdoutLock,
+    no_newline: bool,
+    escaped: bool,
+    arguments_after_options: ValuesRef<'_, OsString>,
+) -> UResult<()> {
+    for (i, input) in arguments_after_options.enumerate() {
+        let Some(bytes) = bytes_from_os_string(input.as_os_str()) else {
+            return Err(USimpleError::new(
+                1,
+                "Non-UTF-8 arguments provided, but this platform does not support them",
+            ));
+        };
 
-    for (i, input) in free.iter().enumerate() {
         if i > 0 {
-            write!(output, " ")?;
+            stdout_lock.write_all(b" ")?;
         }
+
         if escaped {
-            if print_escaped(input, &mut output)?.is_break() {
+            if print_escaped(bytes, stdout_lock)?.is_break() {
                 return Ok(());
             }
         } else {
-            write!(output, "{input}")?;
+            stdout_lock.write_all(bytes)?;
         }
     }
 
     if !no_newline {
-        writeln!(output)?;
+        stdout_lock.write_all(b"\n")?;
     }
 
     Ok(())
 }
+
+fn bytes_from_os_string(input: &OsStr) -> Option<&[u8]> {
+    let option = {
+        #[cfg(target_family = "unix")]
+        {
+            use std::os::unix::ffi::OsStrExt;
+
+            Some(input.as_bytes())
+        }
+
+        #[cfg(not(target_family = "unix"))]
+        {
+            // TODO
+            // Verify that this works correctly on these platforms
+            input.to_str().map(|st| st.as_bytes())
+        }
+    };
+
+    option
+}
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_echo.rs b/tests/by-util/test_echo.rs
index 4ae623f2f6f..47240c7c056 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_echo.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_echo.rs
@@ -303,3 +303,88 @@ fn partial_version_argument() {
 fn partial_help_argument() {
     new_ucmd!().arg("--he").succeeds().stdout_is("--he\n");
 }
+
+#[test]
+fn multibyte_escape_unicode() {
+    // spell-checker:disable-next-line
+    // Tests suggested by kkew3
+    // https://github.com/uutils/coreutils/issues/6741
+
+    // \u{1F602} is:
+    //
+    // "Face with Tears of Joy"
+    // U+1F602
+    // "😂"
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\xf0\x9f\x98\x82"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only("\u{1F602}\n");
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\x41\xf0\x9f\x98\x82\x42"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only("A\u{1F602}B\n");
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\xf0\x41\x9f\x98\x82"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_bytes(b"\xF0A\x9F\x98\x82\n");
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\x41\xf0\c\x9f\x98\x82"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_bytes(b"A\xF0");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn non_utf_8_hex_round_trip() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\xFF"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_bytes(b"\xFF\n");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn nine_bit_octal() {
+    const RESULT: &[u8] = b"\xFF\n";
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\0777"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_bytes(RESULT);
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", r"\777"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_bytes(RESULT);
+}
+
+#[test]
+#[cfg(target_family = "unix")]
+fn non_utf_8() {
+    use std::ffi::OsStr;
+    use std::os::unix::ffi::OsStrExt;
+
+    // ISO-8859-1 encoded text
+    // spell-checker:disable
+    const INPUT_AND_OUTPUT: &[u8] =
+        b"Swer an rehte g\xFCete wendet s\xEEn gem\xFCete, dem volget s\xE6lde und \xEAre.";
+    // spell-checker:enable
+
+    let os_str = OsStr::from_bytes(INPUT_AND_OUTPUT);
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .arg("-n")
+        .arg(os_str)
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only_bytes(INPUT_AND_OUTPUT);
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn slash_eight_off_by_one() {
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["-e", "-n", r"\8"])
+        .succeeds()
+        .stdout_only(r"\8");
+}