diff --git a/test/tools/ls/escape.sh b/test/tools/ls/escape.sh
index 1c244ad1..74cab32e 100755
--- a/test/tools/ls/escape.sh
+++ b/test/tools/ls/escape.sh
@@ -29,8 +29,8 @@ printf "dir\x1b d 777 0 0\n" > "$PWD/escape.pseudo";
 # shellcheck disable=SC2086
 $MKSQUASHFS "$PWD/empty" "$PWD/escape.squashfs" -pf "$PWD/escape.pseudo" \
 	$MKSQUASHFS_OPTS
-result=$($SQSH_LS -r --escape "$PWD/escape.squashfs")
-[ "$result" = "/dir\e" ]
+result="$($SQSH_LS -r --escape "$PWD/escape.squashfs")"
+[ "$result" = "$(printf "%s" "/dir\e")" ]
 
-result=$($SQSH_LS -r --raw "$PWD/escape.squashfs")
+result="$($SQSH_LS -r --raw "$PWD/escape.squashfs")"
 [ "$result" = "$(printf "/dir\e")" ]