diff --git a/powerline/renderer.py b/powerline/renderer.py
index 2117eeee..0555caef 100644
--- a/powerline/renderer.py
+++ b/powerline/renderer.py
@@ -4,12 +4,15 @@ from powerline.theme import Theme
 from unicodedata import east_asian_width, combining
 import os
 
-
 try:
 	NBSP = unicode(' ', 'utf-8')
 except NameError:
 	NBSP = ' '
 
+try:
+	from __builtin__ import unichr as chr
+except ImportError:
+	pass
 
 def construct_returned_value(rendered_highlighted, segments, output_raw):
 	if output_raw:
@@ -65,6 +68,22 @@ class Renderer(object):
 		python-2) regular string or ``None``.
 	'''
 
+	character_translations = {ord(' '): NBSP}
+	'''Character translations for use in escape() function.
+	
+	See documentation of ``unicode.translate`` for details.
+	'''
+
+	np_character_translations = dict(((i, '^' + chr(i + 0x40)) for i in range(0x20)))
+	'''Non-printable character translations
+
+	These are used to transform characters in range 0x00—0x1F into ``^@``, 
+	``^A`` and so on. Unilke with ``.escape()`` method (and 
+	``character_translations``) result is passed to ``.strwidth()`` method.
+
+	Note: transforms tab into ``^I``.
+	'''
+
 	def __init__(self,
 				theme_config,
 				local_themes,
@@ -262,8 +281,8 @@ class Renderer(object):
 					contents_raw = (segment['_space_left'] * ' ') + contents_raw + (segment['_space_right'] * ' ') + outer_padding
 
 			# Replace spaces with no-break spaces
-			contents_raw = contents_raw.replace(' ', NBSP)
 			divider_raw = divider_raw.replace(' ', NBSP)
+			contents_raw = contents_raw.translate(self.np_character_translations)
 
 			# Apply highlighting to padded dividers and contents
 			if render_highlighted:
@@ -295,11 +314,11 @@ class Renderer(object):
 			segment['_len'] = self.strwidth(segment['_rendered_raw'])
 			yield segment
 
-	@staticmethod
-	def escape(string):
+	@classmethod
+	def escape(cls, string):
 		'''Method that escapes segment contents.
 		'''
-		return string
+		return string.translate(cls.character_translations)
 
 	def hlstyle(fg=None, bg=None, attr=None):
 		'''Output highlight style string.
diff --git a/powerline/renderers/bash_prompt.py b/powerline/renderers/bash_prompt.py
index 01f42f74..58cf36d9 100644
--- a/powerline/renderers/bash_prompt.py
+++ b/powerline/renderers/bash_prompt.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
 
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
 from powerline.renderers.shell import ShellRenderer
 
 
@@ -8,9 +10,9 @@ class BashPromptRenderer(ShellRenderer):
 	escape_hl_start = '\['
 	escape_hl_end = '\]'
 
-	@staticmethod
-	def escape(string):
-		return string.replace('\\', '\\\\').replace('$', '\\$').replace('`', '\\`')
+	character_translations = ShellRenderer.character_translations
+	character_translations[ord('$')] = '\\$'
+	character_translations[ord('`')] = '\\`'
 
 
 renderer = BashPromptRenderer
diff --git a/powerline/renderers/shell.py b/powerline/renderers/shell.py
index 945dc765..e261bb28 100644
--- a/powerline/renderers/shell.py
+++ b/powerline/renderers/shell.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
 
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
 from powerline.renderer import Renderer
 from powerline.colorscheme import ATTR_BOLD, ATTR_ITALIC, ATTR_UNDERLINE
 
@@ -19,6 +21,9 @@ class ShellRenderer(Renderer):
 	tmux_escape = False
 	screen_escape = False
 
+	character_translations = Renderer.character_translations
+	character_translations[ord('\\')] = '\\\\'
+
 	def hlstyle(self, fg=None, bg=None, attr=None):
 		'''Highlight a segment.
 
@@ -62,9 +67,5 @@ class ShellRenderer(Renderer):
 			r = '\033P' + r.replace('\033', '\033\033') + '\033\\'
 		return self.escape_hl_start + r + self.escape_hl_end
 
-	@staticmethod
-	def escape(string):
-		return string.replace('\\', '\\\\')
-
 
 renderer = ShellRenderer
diff --git a/powerline/renderers/tmux.py b/powerline/renderers/tmux.py
index 655c1a6b..e8ab17f1 100644
--- a/powerline/renderers/tmux.py
+++ b/powerline/renderers/tmux.py
@@ -1,11 +1,17 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
 
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
 from powerline.renderer import Renderer
 from powerline.colorscheme import ATTR_BOLD, ATTR_ITALIC, ATTR_UNDERLINE
 
 
 class TmuxRenderer(Renderer):
 	'''Powerline tmux segment renderer.'''
+
+	character_translations = Renderer.character_translations
+	character_translations[ord('#')] = '##[]'
+
 	def hlstyle(self, fg=None, bg=None, attr=None):
 		'''Highlight a segment.'''
 		# We don't need to explicitly reset attributes, so skip those calls
diff --git a/powerline/renderers/vim.py b/powerline/renderers/vim.py
index 8e8fb0e9..f2e17c32 100644
--- a/powerline/renderers/vim.py
+++ b/powerline/renderers/vim.py
@@ -1,6 +1,6 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
 
-from __future__ import absolute_import
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
 
 from powerline.bindings.vim import vim_get_func, environ
 from powerline.renderer import Renderer
@@ -11,6 +11,12 @@ import vim
 import sys
 
 
+try:
+	from __builtin__ import unichr as chr
+except ImportError:
+	pass
+
+
 vim_mode = vim_get_func('mode', rettype=str)
 mode_translations = {
 	chr(ord('V') - 0x40): '^V',
@@ -21,6 +27,9 @@ mode_translations = {
 class VimRenderer(Renderer):
 	'''Powerline vim segment renderer.'''
 
+	character_translations = Renderer.character_translations
+	character_translations[ord('%')] = '%%'
+
 	def __init__(self, *args, **kwargs):
 		if not hasattr(vim, 'strwidth'):
 			# Hope nobody want to change this at runtime
@@ -97,10 +106,6 @@ class VimRenderer(Renderer):
 	def reset_highlight(self):
 		self.hl_groups.clear()
 
-	@staticmethod
-	def escape(string):
-		return string.replace('%', '%%')
-
 	def hlstyle(self, fg=None, bg=None, attr=None):
 		'''Highlight a segment.
 
diff --git a/powerline/renderers/zsh_prompt.py b/powerline/renderers/zsh_prompt.py
index 2e6e5e77..e30ac061 100644
--- a/powerline/renderers/zsh_prompt.py
+++ b/powerline/renderers/zsh_prompt.py
@@ -1,5 +1,7 @@
 # vim:fileencoding=utf-8:noet
 
+from __future__ import absolute_import, unicode_literals
+
 from powerline.renderers.shell import ShellRenderer
 
 
@@ -8,9 +10,8 @@ class ZshPromptRenderer(ShellRenderer):
 	escape_hl_start = '%{'
 	escape_hl_end = '%}'
 
-	@staticmethod
-	def escape(string):
-		return string.replace('%', '%%').replace('\\', '\\\\')
+	character_translations = ShellRenderer.character_translations
+	character_translations[ord('%')] = '%%'
 
 
 renderer = ZshPromptRenderer