diff --git a/lsyncd.lua b/lsyncd.lua
index a4eb1e8..ed5dc7d 100644
--- a/lsyncd.lua
+++ b/lsyncd.lua
@@ -1003,15 +1003,15 @@ local Excludes = (function()
 	local function toLuaPattern(p)
 		local o = p
 		p = string.gsub(p, "%%", "%%")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%^", "%^")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%$", "%$")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%(", "%(")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%)", "%)")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%.", "%.")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%[", "%[")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%]", "%]")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%+", "%+")
-		p = string.gsub(p, "%-", "%-")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%^", "%%^")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%$", "%%$")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%(", "%%(")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%)", "%%)")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%.", "%%.")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%[", "%%[")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%]", "%%]")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%+", "%%+")
+		p = string.gsub(p, "%-", "%%-")
 		p = string.gsub(p, "%?", "[^/]")
 		p = string.gsub(p, "%*", "[^/]*")
 		-- this was a ** before