diff --git a/sqstdlib/sqstdstring.cpp b/sqstdlib/sqstdstring.cpp
index 615ce75..1ce1149 100644
--- a/sqstdlib/sqstdstring.cpp
+++ b/sqstdlib/sqstdstring.cpp
@@ -257,7 +257,19 @@ static SQInteger _string_escape(HSQUIRRELVM v)
         sq_push(v,2);
         return 1;
     }
-    SQInteger destcharsize = (size * 6); //assumes every char could be escaped
+#ifdef SQUNICODE
+#if WCHAR_SIZE == 2
+    const SQChar *escpat = _SC("\\x%04x");
+    const SQInteger maxescsize = 6;
+#else //WCHAR_SIZE == 4
+    const SQChar *escpat = _SC("\\x%08x");
+    const SQInteger maxescsize = 10;
+#endif
+#else
+    const SQChar *escpat = _SC("\\x%02x");
+    const SQInteger maxescsize = 4;
+#endif
+    SQInteger destcharsize = (size * maxescsize); //assumes every char could be escaped
     resstr = dest = (SQChar *)sq_getscratchpad(v,destcharsize * sizeof(SQChar));
     SQChar c;
     SQChar escch;
@@ -289,7 +301,8 @@ static SQInteger _string_escape(HSQUIRRELVM v)
             }
         }
         else {
-            dest += scsprintf(dest,destcharsize,_SC("\\x%x"),c);
+
+            dest += scsprintf(dest, destcharsize, escpat, c);
             escaped++;
         }
     }