diff --git a/src/builtin.cpp b/src/builtin.cpp
index 39e504258..245af8aff 100644
--- a/src/builtin.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin.cpp
@@ -1431,7 +1431,7 @@ static int builtin_echo(parser_t &parser, io_streams_t &streams, wchar_t **argv)
                         break;
                     }
                     case L'e': {
-                        wc = L'\x1B';
+                        wc = L'\e';
                         break;
                     }
                     case L'f': {
diff --git a/src/builtin_printf.cpp b/src/builtin_printf.cpp
index d690dcc4d..b26ecf49f 100644
--- a/src/builtin_printf.cpp
+++ b/src/builtin_printf.cpp
@@ -312,7 +312,7 @@ void builtin_printf_state_t::print_esc_char(wchar_t c) {
             break;
         }
         case L'e': {  // escape
-            this->append_output(L'\x1B');
+            this->append_output(L'\e');
             break;
         }
         case L'f': {  // form feed
diff --git a/src/common.cpp b/src/common.cpp
index ce6e95238..5de756383 100644
--- a/src/common.cpp
+++ b/src/common.cpp
@@ -833,7 +833,7 @@ static void escape_string_internal(const wchar_t *orig_in, size_t in_len, wcstri
                     need_escape = need_complex_escape = 1;
                     break;
                 }
-                case L'\x1b': {
+                case L'\e': {
                     out += L'\\';
                     out += L'e';
                     need_escape = need_complex_escape = 1;
@@ -1066,9 +1066,9 @@ size_t read_unquoted_escape(const wchar_t *input, wcstring *result, bool allow_i
             }
             break;
         }
-        // \x1b means escape.
+        // \e means escape.
         case L'e': {
-            result_char_or_none = L'\x1b';
+            result_char_or_none = L'\e';
             break;
         }
         // \f means form feed.
diff --git a/src/expand.cpp b/src/expand.cpp
index 0307c1c80..7027416b5 100644
--- a/src/expand.cpp
+++ b/src/expand.cpp
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ static int is_quotable(const wchar_t *str) {
         case L'\t':
         case L'\r':
         case L'\b':
-        case L'\x1b': {
+        case L'\e': {
             return 0;
         }
         default: { return is_quotable(str + 1); }
diff --git a/src/fish_tests.cpp b/src/fish_tests.cpp
index c09e72720..ac9616eb7 100644
--- a/src/fish_tests.cpp
+++ b/src/fish_tests.cpp
@@ -119,7 +119,7 @@ static void err(const wchar_t *blah, ...) {
 
     // Show errors in red.
     if (colorize) {
-        fputs("\x1b[31m", stdout);
+        fputs("\e[31m", stdout);
     }
     wprintf(L"Error: ");
     vwprintf(blah, va);
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ static void err(const wchar_t *blah, ...) {
 
     // Return to normal color.
     if (colorize) {
-        fputs("\x1b[0m", stdout);
+        fputs("\e[0m", stdout);
     }
 
     wprintf(L"\n");
@@ -1117,26 +1117,25 @@ static void test_escape_sequences(void) {
     if (escape_code_length(L"") != 0) err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
     if (escape_code_length(L"abcd") != 0)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b[2J") != 4)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e[2J") != 4)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b[38;5;123mABC") != strlen("\x1b[38;5;123m"))
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e[38;5;123mABC") != strlen("\e[38;5;123m"))
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b@") != 2)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e@") != 2)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
 
     // iTerm2 escape sequences.
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b]50;CurrentDir=/tmp/foo\x07NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 25)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e]50;CurrentDir=/tmp/foo\x07NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 25)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b]50;SetMark\x07NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 13)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e]50;SetMark\x07NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 13)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b"
-                           L"]6;1;bg;red;brightness;255\x07NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 28)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e]6;1;bg;red;brightness;255\x07NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 28)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b]Pg4040ff\x1b\\NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 12)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e]Pg4040ff\e\\NOT_PART_OF_SEQUENCE") != 12)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b]blahblahblah\x1b\\") != 16)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e]blahblahblah\e\\") != 16)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
-    if (escape_code_length(L"\x1b]blahblahblah\x07") != 15)
+    if (escape_code_length(L"\e]blahblahblah\x07") != 15)
         err(L"test_escape_sequences failed on line %d\n", __LINE__);
 }
 
diff --git a/src/input_common.cpp b/src/input_common.cpp
index 7a2ff24c9..f5590e184 100644
--- a/src/input_common.cpp
+++ b/src/input_common.cpp
@@ -28,7 +28,7 @@
 #include "wutil.h"
 
 /// Time in milliseconds to wait for another byte to be available for reading
-/// after \x1b is read before assuming that escape key was pressed, and not an
+/// after \e is read before assuming that escape key was pressed, and not an
 /// escape sequence.
 #define WAIT_ON_ESCAPE_DEFAULT 300
 static int wait_on_escape_ms = WAIT_ON_ESCAPE_DEFAULT;
diff --git a/src/output.cpp b/src/output.cpp
index ef87c5ea7..a975783fb 100644
--- a/src/output.cpp
+++ b/src/output.cpp
@@ -79,9 +79,9 @@ static bool write_color_escape(char *todo, unsigned char idx, bool is_fg) {
         // with what we do here, will make the brights actually work for virtual consoles/ancient
         // emulators.
         if (max_colors == 8 && idx > 8) idx -= 8;
-        snprintf(buff, sizeof buff, "\x1b[%dm", ((idx > 7) ? 82 : 30) + idx + !is_fg * 10);
+        snprintf(buff, sizeof buff, "\e[%dm", ((idx > 7) ? 82 : 30) + idx + !is_fg * 10);
     } else {
-        snprintf(buff, sizeof buff, "\x1b[%d;5;%dm", is_fg ? 38 : 48, idx);
+        snprintf(buff, sizeof buff, "\e[%d;5;%dm", is_fg ? 38 : 48, idx);
     }
 
     int (*writer)(char) = output_get_writer();
@@ -127,7 +127,7 @@ bool write_color(rgb_color_t color, bool is_fg) {
     // Background: ^[48;2;<r>;<g>;<b>m
     color24_t rgb = color.to_color24();
     char buff[128];
-    snprintf(buff, sizeof buff, "\x1b[%d;2;%u;%u;%um", is_fg ? 38 : 48, rgb.rgb[0], rgb.rgb[1],
+    snprintf(buff, sizeof buff, "\e[%d;2;%u;%u;%um", is_fg ? 38 : 48, rgb.rgb[0], rgb.rgb[1],
              rgb.rgb[2]);
     int (*writer)(char) = output_get_writer();
     if (writer) {
diff --git a/src/proc.cpp b/src/proc.cpp
index 275ed6236..815a53084 100644
--- a/src/proc.cpp
+++ b/src/proc.cpp
@@ -506,7 +506,7 @@ static void format_job_info(const job_t *j, const wchar_t *status, size_t job_co
     if (cur_term != NULL)
         tputs(clr_eol, 1, &writeb);
     else
-        fwprintf(stdout, L"\x1b[K");
+        fwprintf(stdout, L"\e[K");
     fwprintf(stdout, L"\n");
 }
 
@@ -613,7 +613,7 @@ int job_reap(bool allow_interactive) {
                 if (cur_term != NULL) {
                     tputs(clr_eol, 1, &writeb);
                 } else {
-                    fwprintf(stdout, L"\x1b[K");  // no term set up - do clr_eol manually
+                    fwprintf(stdout, L"\e[K");  // no term set up - do clr_eol manually
                 }
                 fwprintf(stdout, L"\n");
             }
diff --git a/src/reader.cpp b/src/reader.cpp
index 6c867c2c3..d77cee9d4 100644
--- a/src/reader.cpp
+++ b/src/reader.cpp
@@ -2719,7 +2719,7 @@ const wchar_t *reader_readline(int nchars) {
                 break;
             }
             // Escape was pressed.
-            case L'\x1b': {
+            case L'\e': {
                 if (data->search_mode) {
                     data->search_mode = NO_SEARCH;
 
diff --git a/src/screen.cpp b/src/screen.cpp
index e962b51b2..4336de082 100644
--- a/src/screen.cpp
+++ b/src/screen.cpp
@@ -118,7 +118,7 @@ static bool is_screen_name_escape_seq(const wchar_t *code, size_t *resulting_len
     }
 #endif
 
-    const wchar_t *const screen_name_end_sentinel = L"\x1b\\";
+    const wchar_t *const screen_name_end_sentinel = L"\e\\";
     const wchar_t *screen_name_end = wcsstr(&code[2], screen_name_end_sentinel);
     if (screen_name_end == NULL) {
         // Consider just <esc>k to be the code.
@@ -139,7 +139,7 @@ static bool is_iterm2_escape_seq(const wchar_t *code, size_t *resulting_length)
         size_t cursor = 2;
         for (; code[cursor] != L'\0'; cursor++) {
             // Consume a sequence of characters up to <esc>\ or <bel>.
-            if (code[cursor] == '\x07' || (code[cursor] == '\\' && code[cursor - 1] == '\x1b')) {
+            if (code[cursor] == '\x07' || (code[cursor] == '\\' && code[cursor - 1] == '\e')) {
                 found = true;
                 break;
             }
@@ -199,12 +199,12 @@ static bool is_csi_style_escape_seq(const wchar_t *code, size_t *resulting_lengt
 }
 
 /// Returns the number of characters in the escape code starting at 'code' (which should initially
-/// contain \x1b).
+/// contain \e).
 size_t escape_code_length(const wchar_t *code) {
     assert(code != NULL);
 
-    // The only escape codes we recognize start with \x1b.
-    if (code[0] != L'\x1b') return 0;
+    // The only escape codes we recognize start with \e.
+    if (code[0] != L'\e') return 0;
 
     size_t resulting_length = 0;
     bool found = false;
@@ -284,7 +284,7 @@ static prompt_layout_t calc_prompt_layout(const wchar_t *prompt) {
     prompt_layout.line_count = 1;
 
     for (j = 0; prompt[j]; j++) {
-        if (prompt[j] == L'\x1b') {
+        if (prompt[j] == L'\e') {
             // This is the start of an escape code. Skip over it if it's at least one character
             // long.
             size_t escape_len = escape_code_length(&prompt[j]);