diff --git a/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs b/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs
index 1d0ea435a8..b57f2f8cd7 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/src/formats/to/nuon.rs
@@ -173,12 +173,11 @@ fn value_to_string(v: &Value, span: Span) -> Result<String, ShellError> {
 fn value_to_string_without_quotes(v: &Value, span: Span) -> Result<String, ShellError> {
     match v {
         Value::String { val, .. } => Ok({
-            let mut quoted = escape_quote_string(val);
-            if !needs_quotes(val) {
-                quoted.remove(0);
-                quoted.pop();
+            if needs_quotes(val) {
+                escape_quote_string(val)
+            } else {
+                val.clone()
             }
-            quoted
         }),
         _ => value_to_string(v, span),
     }
@@ -209,6 +208,7 @@ fn needs_quotes(string: &str) -> bool {
         || string.contains('\t')
         || string.contains('\n')
         || string.contains('\r')
+        || string.contains('\"')
 }
 
 #[cfg(test)]
diff --git a/crates/nu-command/tests/format_conversions/nuon.rs b/crates/nu-command/tests/format_conversions/nuon.rs
index 77f7b71517..94069acc2f 100644
--- a/crates/nu-command/tests/format_conversions/nuon.rs
+++ b/crates/nu-command/tests/format_conversions/nuon.rs
@@ -103,6 +103,51 @@ fn to_nuon_escaping2() {
     assert_eq!(actual.out, "hello\\world");
 }
 
+#[test]
+fn to_nuon_escaping3() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/formats", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            ["hello\\world"]
+            | to nuon
+            | from nuon
+            | $in == [hello\world]
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, "true");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn to_nuon_escaping4() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/formats", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            ["hello\"world"]
+            | to nuon
+            | from nuon
+            | $in == ["hello\"world"]
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, "true");
+}
+
+#[test]
+fn to_nuon_escaping5() {
+    let actual = nu!(
+        cwd: "tests/fixtures/formats", pipeline(
+        r#"
+            {s: "hello\"world"}
+            | to nuon
+            | from nuon
+            | $in == {s: "hello\"world"}
+        "#
+    ));
+
+    assert_eq!(actual.out, "true");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn to_nuon_negative_int() {
     let actual = nu!(