diff --git a/grid.c b/grid.c
index 35e719b5..529ce154 100644
--- a/grid.c
+++ b/grid.c
@@ -583,7 +583,7 @@ grid_string_cells_code(const struct grid_cell *lastgc,
 /* Convert cells into a string. */
 char *
 grid_string_cells(struct grid *gd, u_int px, u_int py, u_int nx,
-    struct grid_cell **lastgc, int with_codes, int escape_c0)
+    struct grid_cell **lastgc, int with_codes, int escape_c0, int trim)
 {
 	const struct grid_cell	*gc;
 	static struct grid_cell	 lastgc1;
@@ -595,7 +595,7 @@ grid_string_cells(struct grid *gd, u_int px, u_int py, u_int nx,
 
 	GRID_DEBUG(gd, "px=%u, py=%u, nx=%u", px, py, nx);
 
-	if (*lastgc == NULL) {
+	if (lastgc != NULL && *lastgc == NULL) {
 		memcpy(&lastgc1, &grid_default_cell, sizeof lastgc1);
 		*lastgc = &lastgc1;
 	}
@@ -621,7 +621,7 @@ grid_string_cells(struct grid *gd, u_int px, u_int py, u_int nx,
 		data = ud.data;
 		size = ud.size;
 		if (escape_c0 && size == 1 && *data == '\\') {
-			data = "\\";
+			data = "\\\\";
 			size = 2;
 		}
 
@@ -638,8 +638,10 @@ grid_string_cells(struct grid *gd, u_int px, u_int py, u_int nx,
 		off += size;
 	}
 
-	while (off > 0 && buf[off - 1] == ' ')
-		off--;
+        if (trim) {
+		while (off > 0 && buf[off - 1] == ' ')
+			off--;
+        }
 	buf[off] = '\0';
 
 	return (buf);