diff --git a/generate_header.py b/generate_header.py
index d8083a0..c818a56 100755
--- a/generate_header.py
+++ b/generate_header.py
@@ -30,6 +30,7 @@
 
 state = 0
 strings = []
+currentstring = ""
 
 for line in infile:
     line = line.strip()
@@ -38,14 +39,24 @@
     if len(line) == 0 or line[0] == '#':
         continue
 
+    # State 0: reading the name of the entry
+    # State 1: reading the lines of text for the english translation
+    # State 2: reading the lines of text for other languages until we get a ;
     if state == 0:
         name = line
         state = 1
+        currentstring = ""
     elif state == 1:
-        strings.append({"name": name, "text": line})
-        state = 2
-    elif state == 2 and line[0] == ';':
-        state = 0
+        if line[-1] == '\\':
+            currentstring += line[:-1] + '\n'
+        else:
+            currentstring += line
+            strings.append({"name": name, "text": currentstring.replace('"', '\\"')})
+            currentstring = ""
+            state = 2
+    elif state == 2:
+        if line[0] == ';':
+            state = 0
 
 # Write output
 
@@ -112,7 +123,8 @@
 """)
 
 for string in strings:
-    outfile.write(f"#define {string['name']}_STR \"{string['text']}\"\n")
+    escaped = string['text'].replace('"', '\"').replace('\n', '\\n\\\n')
+    outfile.write(f"#define {string['name']}_STR \"{escaped}\"\n")
 
 outfile.write("""
 #endif /* CATCOMP_STRINGS */
@@ -156,7 +168,7 @@
     i1 = i >> 16
     i2 = i >> 8
     i3 = i >> 0
-    l = len(string['text'].encode('latin1', 'backslashreplace').decode('unicode-escape')) + 1
+    l = len(string['text'].replace('\e', '\033').encode('latin1', 'backslashreplace').decode('unicode-escape')) + 1
     odd = False
     if (l & 1) != 0:
         odd = True