diff --git a/src/pattern.go b/src/pattern.go
index 47cabf7..3432930 100644
--- a/src/pattern.go
+++ b/src/pattern.go
@@ -53,13 +53,15 @@ type Pattern struct {
 }
 
 var (
-	_patternCache map[string]*Pattern
-	_splitRegex   *regexp.Regexp
-	_cache        ChunkCache
+	_patternCache       map[string]*Pattern
+	_splitRegex         *regexp.Regexp
+	_escapedPrefixRegex *regexp.Regexp
+	_cache              ChunkCache
 )
 
 func init() {
-	_splitRegex = regexp.MustCompile("\\s+")
+	_splitRegex = regexp.MustCompile(" +")
+	_escapedPrefixRegex = regexp.MustCompile("^\\\\['!^]")
 	clearPatternCache()
 	clearChunkCache()
 }
@@ -80,7 +82,10 @@ func BuildPattern(fuzzy bool, fuzzyAlgo algo.Algo, extended bool, caseMode Case,
 
 	var asString string
 	if extended {
-		asString = strings.Trim(string(runes), " ")
+		asString = strings.TrimLeft(string(runes), " ")
+		for strings.HasSuffix(asString, " ") && !strings.HasSuffix(asString, "\\ ") {
+			asString = asString[:len(asString)-1]
+		}
 	} else {
 		asString = string(runes)
 	}
@@ -140,12 +145,13 @@ func BuildPattern(fuzzy bool, fuzzyAlgo algo.Algo, extended bool, caseMode Case,
 }
 
 func parseTerms(fuzzy bool, caseMode Case, normalize bool, str string) []termSet {
+	str = strings.Replace(str, "\\ ", "\t", -1)
 	tokens := _splitRegex.Split(str, -1)
 	sets := []termSet{}
 	set := termSet{}
 	switchSet := false
 	for _, token := range tokens {
-		typ, inv, text := termFuzzy, false, token
+		typ, inv, text := termFuzzy, false, strings.Replace(token, "\t", " ", -1)
 		lowerText := strings.ToLower(text)
 		caseSensitive := caseMode == CaseRespect ||
 			caseMode == CaseSmart && text != lowerText
@@ -167,6 +173,15 @@ func parseTerms(fuzzy bool, caseMode Case, normalize bool, str string) []termSet
 			text = text[1:]
 		}
 
+		if strings.HasSuffix(text, "$") {
+			if strings.HasSuffix(text, "\\$") {
+				text = text[:len(text)-2] + "$"
+			} else {
+				typ = termSuffix
+				text = text[:len(text)-1]
+			}
+		}
+
 		if strings.HasPrefix(text, "'") {
 			// Flip exactness
 			if fuzzy && !inv {
@@ -177,16 +192,16 @@ func parseTerms(fuzzy bool, caseMode Case, normalize bool, str string) []termSet
 				text = text[1:]
 			}
 		} else if strings.HasPrefix(text, "^") {
-			if strings.HasSuffix(text, "$") {
+			if typ == termSuffix {
 				typ = termEqual
-				text = text[1 : len(text)-1]
 			} else {
 				typ = termPrefix
-				text = text[1:]
 			}
-		} else if strings.HasSuffix(text, "$") {
-			typ = termSuffix
-			text = text[:len(text)-1]
+			text = text[1:]
+		}
+
+		if _escapedPrefixRegex.MatchString(text) {
+			text = text[1:]
 		}
 
 		if len(text) > 0 {
@@ -236,7 +251,7 @@ func (p *Pattern) CacheKey() string {
 			cacheableTerms = append(cacheableTerms, string(termSet[0].text))
 		}
 	}
-	return strings.Join(cacheableTerms, " ")
+	return strings.Join(cacheableTerms, "\t")
 }
 
 // Match returns the list of matches Items in the given Chunk
diff --git a/src/pattern_test.go b/src/pattern_test.go
index 9d56ff9..efb1ef2 100644
--- a/src/pattern_test.go
+++ b/src/pattern_test.go
@@ -165,15 +165,15 @@ func TestCacheKey(t *testing.T) {
 			t.Errorf("Expected: %s, actual: %s", expected, pat.CacheKey())
 		}
 		if pat.cacheable != cacheable {
-			t.Errorf("Expected: %s, actual: %s (%s)", cacheable, pat.cacheable, patStr)
+			t.Errorf("Expected: %t, actual: %t (%s)", cacheable, pat.cacheable, patStr)
 		}
 		clearPatternCache()
 	}
 	test(false, "foo !bar", "foo !bar", true)
 	test(false, "foo | bar !baz", "foo | bar !baz", true)
-	test(true, "foo  bar  baz", "foo bar baz", true)
+	test(true, "foo  bar  baz", "foo\tbar\tbaz", true)
 	test(true, "foo !bar", "foo", false)
-	test(true, "foo !bar   baz", "foo baz", false)
+	test(true, "foo !bar   baz", "foo\tbaz", false)
 	test(true, "foo | bar baz", "baz", false)
 	test(true, "foo | bar | baz", "", false)
 	test(true, "foo | bar !baz", "", false)
@@ -192,11 +192,11 @@ func TestCacheable(t *testing.T) {
 		}
 		clearPatternCache()
 	}
-	test(true, "foo bar", "foo bar", true)
-	test(true, "foo 'bar", "foo bar", false)
+	test(true, "foo bar", "foo\tbar", true)
+	test(true, "foo 'bar", "foo\tbar", false)
 	test(true, "foo !bar", "foo", false)
 
-	test(false, "foo bar", "foo bar", true)
+	test(false, "foo bar", "foo\tbar", true)
 	test(false, "foo 'bar", "foo", false)
 	test(false, "foo '", "foo", true)
 	test(false, "foo 'bar", "foo", false)
diff --git a/src/terminal.go b/src/terminal.go
index 8c7c1a8..5c66f44 100644
--- a/src/terminal.go
+++ b/src/terminal.go
@@ -281,9 +281,13 @@ func defaultKeymap() map[int][]action {
 	return keymap
 }
 
+func trimQuery(query string) []rune {
+	return []rune(strings.Replace(query, "\t", " ", -1))
+}
+
 // NewTerminal returns new Terminal object
 func NewTerminal(opts *Options, eventBox *util.EventBox) *Terminal {
-	input := []rune(opts.Query)
+	input := trimQuery(opts.Query)
 	var header []string
 	if opts.Reverse {
 		header = opts.Header
@@ -1694,13 +1698,13 @@ func (t *Terminal) Loop() {
 			case actPreviousHistory:
 				if t.history != nil {
 					t.history.override(string(t.input))
-					t.input = []rune(t.history.previous())
+					t.input = trimQuery(t.history.previous())
 					t.cx = len(t.input)
 				}
 			case actNextHistory:
 				if t.history != nil {
 					t.history.override(string(t.input))
-					t.input = []rune(t.history.next())
+					t.input = trimQuery(t.history.next())
 					t.cx = len(t.input)
 				}
 			case actSigStop:
diff --git a/test/test_go.rb b/test/test_go.rb
index f001ec6..3460f56 100644
--- a/test/test_go.rb
+++ b/test/test_go.rb
@@ -1378,6 +1378,28 @@ class TestGoFZF < TestBase
     tmux.send_keys 'a'
     tmux.until { |lines| lines.none? { |line| line.include? '1 2 3 4 5' } }
   end
+
+  def test_escaped_meta_characters
+    input = <<~EOF
+      foo^bar
+      foo$bar
+      foo!bar
+      foo'bar
+      foo bar
+      bar foo
+    EOF
+    writelines tempname, input.lines.map(&:chomp)
+
+    assert_equal input.lines.count, `#{FZF} -f'foo bar' < #{tempname}`.lines.count
+    assert_equal ['foo bar'], `#{FZF} -f'foo\\ bar' < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal ['bar foo'], `#{FZF} -f'foo$' < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal ['foo$bar'], `#{FZF} -f'foo\\$' < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal [], `#{FZF} -f'!bar' < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal ['foo!bar'], `#{FZF} -f'\\!bar' < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal ['foo bar'], `#{FZF} -f'^foo\\ bar$' < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal [], `#{FZF} -f"'br" < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+    assert_equal ["foo'bar"], `#{FZF} -f"\\'br" < #{tempname}`.lines.map(&:chomp)
+  end
 end
 
 module TestShell