diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php
index 8abec46007..3634495340 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelper.php
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\ChoiceQuestion;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\ConfirmationQuestion;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\Question;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Style\SymfonyStyle;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Formatter\OutputFormatter;
 
 /**
  * Symfony Style Guide compliant question helper.
@@ -52,7 +53,7 @@ class SymfonyQuestionHelper extends QuestionHelper
      */
     protected function writePrompt(OutputInterface $output, Question $question)
     {
-        $text = $question->getQuestion();
+        $text = OutputFormatter::escape($question->getQuestion());
         $default = $question->getDefault();
 
         switch (true) {
@@ -74,18 +75,18 @@ class SymfonyQuestionHelper extends QuestionHelper
                     $default[$key] = $choices[trim($value)];
                 }
 
-                $text = sprintf(' <info>%s</info> [<comment>%s</comment>]:', $text, implode(', ', $default));
+                $text = sprintf(' <info>%s</info> [<comment>%s</comment>]:', $text, OutputFormatter::escape(implode(', ', $default)));
 
                 break;
 
             case $question instanceof ChoiceQuestion:
                 $choices = $question->getChoices();
-                $text = sprintf(' <info>%s</info> [<comment>%s</comment>]:', $text, $choices[$default]);
+                $text = sprintf(' <info>%s</info> [<comment>%s</comment>]:', $text, OutputFormatter::escape($choices[$default]));
 
                 break;
 
             default:
-                $text = sprintf(' <info>%s</info> [<comment>%s</comment>]:', $text, $default);
+                $text = sprintf(' <info>%s</info> [<comment>%s</comment>]:', $text, OutputFormatter::escape($default));
         }
 
         $output->writeln($text);
diff --git a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php
index 032e153f06..4b49d30978 100644
--- a/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php
+++ b/src/Symfony/Component/Console/Tests/Helper/SymfonyQuestionHelperTest.php
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ use Symfony\Component\Console\Helper\FormatterHelper;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Helper\HelperSet;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Helper\SymfonyQuestionHelper;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Output\StreamOutput;
+use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\Question;
 use Symfony\Component\Console\Question\ChoiceQuestion;
 
 /**
@@ -73,6 +74,24 @@ class SymfonyQuestionHelperTest extends \PHPUnit_Framework_TestCase
         $this->assertOutputContains('What is your favorite superhero? [Superman, Batman]', $output);
     }
 
+    public function testAskEscapeDefaultValue()
+    {
+        $helper = new SymfonyQuestionHelper();
+        $helper->setInputStream($this->getInputStream('\\'));
+        $helper->ask($this->createInputInterfaceMock(), $output = $this->createOutputInterface(), new Question('Can I have a backslash?', '\\'));
+
+        $this->assertOutputContains('Can I have a backslash? [\]', $output);
+    }
+
+    public function testAskEscapeLabel()
+    {
+        $helper = new SymfonyQuestionHelper();
+        $helper->setInputStream($this->getInputStream('sure'));
+        $helper->ask($this->createInputInterfaceMock(), $output = $this->createOutputInterface(), new Question('Do you want a \?'));
+
+        $this->assertOutputContains('Do you want a \?', $output);
+    }
+
     protected function getInputStream($input)
     {
         $stream = fopen('php://memory', 'r+', false);