diff --git a/list_same/list_same b/list_same/list_same
index e92af10..1400afe 100755
--- a/list_same/list_same
+++ b/list_same/list_same
@@ -40,6 +40,7 @@ sub cmdline {
 	if ( scalar @dirs == 0 ) {
 		push @dirs, ".";
 	}
+#	map { print "$_\n"; } @dirs;
 }
 
 sub getdir {
@@ -182,20 +183,38 @@ sub output_doubles(@) {
 sub output($) {
 	my $string = shift;
 	if ($opts{e}) {
-		$string =~ s/([ \&\;\`\'\\\"\|\*\?\~\<\>\^\(\)\[\]\{\}\$\010\013\020\011])/\\${1}/g;
+		$string = &escape($string);
 	}
 	print "$string";
 }
 
+sub escape($) {
+	my $string = shift;
+	$string =~ s/([ \&\;\`\'\\\"\|\*\?\~\<\>\^\(\)\[\]\{\}\$\010\013\020\011])/\\${1}/g;
+	return $string;
+}
+
+sub unescape($) {
+	my $string = shift;
+	$string =~ s/\\([ \&\;\`\'\\\"\|\*\?\~\<\>\^\(\)\[\]\{\}\$\010\013\020\011])/${1}/g;
+	return $string;
+}
+
 sub dirsort {
-	my $firstdir = $dirs[0];
-	if ( $a =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/ && $b =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/ ) {
+	my $firstdir = &escape($dirs[0]);
+	my $debuglevel = 0;
+	print "$a $b\n" if $debuglevel == 1;
+	if ( $a =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/o && $b =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/o ) {
+		print "A $a $b\n" if $debuglevel == 1;
 		return &wardsort;
-	} elsif ( ( $a =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/ ) && ! ( $b =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/ ) ) {
+	} elsif ( ( $a =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/o ) && ! ( $b =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/o ) ) {
+		print "B $a $b\n" if $debuglevel == 1;
 		return -1;
-	} elsif ( ! ( $a =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/ ) && ( $b =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/ ) ) {
+	} elsif ( ! ( $a =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/o ) && ( $b =~ /^$firstdir\/[^\/]*$/o ) ) {
+		print "C $a $b\n" if $debuglevel == 1;
 		return 1;
 	} else {
+		print "D $a $b\n" if $debuglevel == 1;
 		return &wardsort;
 	}
 }