diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 5074a36..3e0a68a 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -98,9 +98,10 @@ way more sophisticated. It also supports parsing the following:
 * Single quoted strings (`'hello world'`) which preserve any whitespace characters and
   only accept escape sequences `\\` and `\'`, e.g. `'let\'s go'`.
 * Double quoted strings (`"hello world"`) which preserve any whitespace characters and
-  support common escape sequences such as `\t\r\n` etc., e.g. `"hi there\nworld!"`.
+  support common escape sequences such as `\t\r\n` etc., hex escape sequences such as `\x20`
+  and octal escape sequences such as `\040`, e.g. `"hi there\nworld!"`.
 * Unquoted strings are terminated at the next (unescaped) whitespace character and
-  support common escape sequences such as `\t\r\n` etc., e.g. `hi\ there\nworld!`.
+  support common escape sequences just like double quoted strings, e.g. `hi\ there\nworld!`.
 * Ignores excessive whitespace around arguments, such as trailing whitespace or
   multiple spaces between arguments.
 * Makes no assumptions about your input encoding, so this works with binary data
diff --git a/src/functions.php b/src/functions.php
index 3759044..56f82a2 100644
--- a/src/functions.php
+++ b/src/functions.php
@@ -11,13 +11,6 @@
  */
 function split($command)
 {
-    // map of escaped characters and their replacement
-    static $escapes = array(
-        'n' => "\n",
-        'r' => "\r",
-        't' => "\t",
-    );
-
     // whitespace characters count as argument separators
     static $ws = array(
         ' ',
@@ -41,6 +34,7 @@ function split($command)
 
         $inQuote = null;
         $argument = '';
+        $part = '';
 
         // read a single argument
         for (; isset($command[$i]); ++$i) {
@@ -50,33 +44,37 @@ function split($command)
                 // we're within a 'single quoted' string
                 if ($c === '\\' && isset($command[$i + 1]) && ($command[$i + 1] === "'" || $command[$i + 1] === '\\')) {
                     // escaped single quote or backslash ends up as char in argument
-                    $argument .= $command[++$i];
+                    $part .= $command[++$i];
                     continue;
                 } elseif ($c === "'") {
                     // single quote ends
                     $inQuote = null;
+                    $argument .= $part;
+                    $part = '';
                     continue;
                 }
             } else {
                 // we're not within any quotes or within a "double quoted" string
                 if ($c === '\\' && isset($command[$i + 1])) {
-                    // any escaped character will be processed
-                    $c = $command[++$i];
-                    if (isset($escapes[$c])) {
-                        // apply mapped character if applicable
-                        $argument .= $escapes[$c];
-                    } else {
-                        // pass through original character otherwise
-                        $argument .= $c;
-                    }
+                    // escaped characters will be interpreted when part is complete
+                    $part .= $command[$i] . $command[$i + 1];
+                    ++$i;
                     continue;
                 } elseif ($inQuote === '"' && $c === '"') {
                     // double quote ends
                     $inQuote = null;
+
+                    // previous double quoted part should be interpreted
+                    $argument .= stripcslashes($part);
+                    $part = '';
                     continue;
                 } elseif ($inQuote === null && ($c === '"' || $c === "'")) {
                     // start of quotes found
                     $inQuote = $c;
+
+                    // previous unquoted part should be interpreted
+                    $argument .= stripcslashes($part);
+                    $part = '';
                     continue;
                 } elseif ($inQuote === null && in_array($c, $ws)) {
                     // whitespace character terminates unquoted argument
@@ -84,7 +82,7 @@ function split($command)
                 }
             }
 
-            $argument .= $c;
+            $part .= $c;
         }
 
         // end of argument reached. Still in quotes is a parse error.
@@ -92,6 +90,11 @@ function split($command)
             throw new \RuntimeException('Still in quotes (' . $inQuote  . ')');
         }
 
+        // add remaining part to current argument
+        if ($part !== '') {
+            $argument .= stripcslashes($part);
+        }
+
         $args []= $argument;
     }
 
diff --git a/tests/SplitTest.php b/tests/SplitTest.php
index f304cb0..89cfdc3 100644
--- a/tests/SplitTest.php
+++ b/tests/SplitTest.php
@@ -181,4 +181,86 @@ public function testSingleStringWithSingleQuotesAndInterpretedEscapes()
 
         $this->assertEquals(array("echo", "let's go"), $args);
     }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedEscapes()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\\\\');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello\\"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedIncompleteEscapes()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\\');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello\\"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedHexEscapes()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\x20world');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello world"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedIncompleteHexEscapesEnd()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\x9');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello\t"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedIncompleteHexEscapesMiddle()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\x9world');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello\tworld"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedOctalEscapes()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\040world');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello world"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithInterpretedShortOctalEscapes()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\40world');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello world"), $args);
+    }
+
+    public function testSingleStringWithUninterpretedNumberIsNotAnOctalEscape()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('hello\\999world');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("hello999world"), $args);
+    }
+
+    // "\n"\n"\n"
+    public function testSingleStringWithCombinedDoubleQuotedPartsWithInterpretedEscapes()
+    {
+        $args = Arguments\split('"\n"\n"\n"');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("\n\n\n"), $args);
+    }
+
+    // '\n'\n'\n'
+    public function testSingleStringWithCombinedSingleQuotedPartsWithInterpretedEscapesOnlyInInnerUnquotedPart()
+    {
+        $s = "'";
+        $args = Arguments\split($s . '\n' . $s . '\n' . $s . '\n' . $s);
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("\\n\n\\n"), $args);
+    }
+
+    // \n'\n'\n
+    public function testSingleStringWithCombinedSingleQuotedPartsWithInterpretedEscapesOnlyInOuterUnquotedParts()
+    {
+        $s = "'";
+        $args = Arguments\split('\n' . $s . '\n' . $s . '\n');
+
+        $this->assertEquals(array("\n\\n\n"), $args);
+    }
 }