diff --git a/NEWS b/NEWS
index 8fc15785e..e1602b007 100644
--- a/NEWS
+++ b/NEWS
@@ -3,6 +3,17 @@ For full details, see the git log at: https://github.com/ksh93/ksh
 
 Any uppercase BUG_* names are modernish shell bug IDs.
 
+2021-02-15:
+
+- A new 'backslashctrl' shell option has been added. It is on by default.
+  Turning it off (set +o backslashctrl or set --nobackslashctrl) disables the
+  special escaping behaviour of the backslash character in the emacs and vi
+  built-in editors. Particularly in the emacs editor, this makes it much easier
+  to go back, insert a forgotten backslash into a command, and then continue
+  editing without having your next cursor key replace your backslash with
+  garbage. Note that Ctrl+V (or whatever other character was set using
+  'stty lnext') always escapes all control characters in either editing mode.
+
 2021-02-14:
 
 - Due to a deficiency in some UNIX veriants, the 'sleep' built-in command could
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c
index 9d8ae86d3..bc4571045 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/data/builtins.c
@@ -204,6 +204,10 @@ const char sh_set[] =
 	"off. This can be repeated to enable/disable multiple options. "
 	"The value of \aoption\a must be one of the following:]{"
 		"[+allexport?Equivalent to \b-a\b.]"
+		"[+backslashctrl?The backslash character \b\\\b escapes the "
+			"next control character in the \bemacs\b built-in "
+			"editor and the next \aerase\a or \akill\a character "
+			"in the \bvi\b built-in editor. On by default.]"
 		"[+bgnice?Runs background jobs at lower priorities.]"
 #if SHOPT_BRACEPAT
 		"[+braceexpand?Equivalent to \b-B\b.] "
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/data/options.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/data/options.c
index c4e35aa32..f1e3019d2 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/data/options.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/data/options.c
@@ -31,6 +31,7 @@
 const Shtable_t shtab_options[] =
 {
 	"allexport",			SH_ALLEXPORT,
+	"nobackslashctrl",		SH_NOBACKSLCTRL,
 	"bgnice",			SH_BGNICE,
 #if SHOPT_BRACEPAT
 	"braceexpand",			SH_BRACEEXPAND,
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/edit.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/edit.c
index 35d0f182d..0e85c671e 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/edit.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/edit.c
@@ -785,6 +785,8 @@ void	ed_setup(register Edit_t *ep, int fd, int reedit)
 			sh_trap(".sh.subscript=$(" _pth_tput " cuu1 2>/dev/null)",0);
 #elif _tput_termcap
 			sh_trap(".sh.subscript=$(" _pth_tput " up 2>/dev/null)",0);
+#else
+#error no tput method
 #endif
 			if(pp=nv_getval(SH_SUBSCRNOD))
 				strncpy(CURSOR_UP,pp,sizeof(CURSOR_UP)-1);
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c
index 007f7fec1..cefb4b033 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/emacs.c
@@ -378,7 +378,7 @@ int ed_emacsread(void *context, int fd,char *buff,int scend, int reedit)
 			}
 			for(i= ++eol; i>cur; i--)
 				out[i] = out[i-1];
-			backslash =  (c == '\\');
+			backslash = (c == '\\' && !sh_isoption(SH_NOBACKSLCTRL));
 			out[cur++] = c;
 			draw(ep,APPEND);
 			continue;
@@ -1010,7 +1010,7 @@ static int escape(register Emacs_t* ep,register genchar *out,int count)
 				if(ep->ed->e_tabcount==1)
 				{
 					ep->ed->e_tabcount=2;
-					ed_ungetchar(ep->ed,cntl('\t'));
+					ed_ungetchar(ep->ed,'\t');
 					return(-1);
 				}
 				beep();
@@ -1229,7 +1229,7 @@ static void xcommands(register Emacs_t *ep,int count)
 				show_info(ep,hbuf);
 				return;
 			}
-#	if 0	/* debugging, modify as required */
+#	if !AST_ksh_release		/* debugging, modify as required */
 		case cntl('D'):		/* ^X^D show debugging info */
 			{
 				char debugbuf[MAXLINE];
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/vi.c b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/vi.c
index 0f31b57a6..cb6d7dea7 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/vi.c
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/edit/vi.c
@@ -1583,7 +1583,7 @@ static void getline(register Vi_t* vp,register int mode)
 				mode = APPEND;
 				max_virt = last_virt+3;
 			}
-			backslash = (c == '\\');
+			backslash = (c == '\\' && !sh_isoption(SH_NOBACKSLCTRL));
 			append(vp,c, mode);
 			break;
 		}
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/features/cmds b/src/cmd/ksh93/features/cmds
index 1554c68d9..87d211c0d 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/features/cmds
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/features/cmds
@@ -7,6 +7,8 @@ pth	ed fail{
 pth	tput
 
 tput_terminfo note{ does tput support terminfo codes }end run{
+	TERM=ansi
+	export TERM
 	case ${_pth_tput-} in
 	\"/*/tput\")
 		tput=`echo "${_pth_tput}" | sed 's/^"//; s/"$//'`
@@ -21,6 +23,8 @@ tput_terminfo note{ does tput support terminfo codes }end run{
 }end
 
 tput_termcap note{ does tput support termcap codes }end run{
+	TERM=ansi
+	export TERM
 	case ${_pth_tput-} in
 	\"/*/tput\")
 		tput=`echo "${_pth_tput}" | sed 's/^"//; s/"$//'`
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shell.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shell.h
index 491d54eee..b1db8d9ae 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shell.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/shell.h
@@ -132,6 +132,7 @@ typedef union Shnode_u Shnode_t;
 #endif
 #define SH_POSIX	46
 #define SH_MULTILINE	47
+#define SH_NOBACKSLCTRL	48
 #define SH_LOGIN_SHELL	67
 #define SH_NOUSRPROFILE	79	/* internal use only */
 #define SH_COMMANDLINE	0x100	/* bit flag for invocation-only options ('set -o' cannot change them) */
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
index 83344971d..ce73daf45 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/include/version.h
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@
 
 #define SH_RELEASE_FORK	"93u+m"		/* only change if you develop a new ksh93 fork */
 #define SH_RELEASE_SVER	"1.0.0-alpha"	/* semantic version number: https://semver.org */
-#define SH_RELEASE_DATE	"2021-02-14"	/* must be in this format for $((.sh.version)) */
+#define SH_RELEASE_DATE	"2021-02-15"	/* must be in this format for $((.sh.version)) */
 #define SH_RELEASE_CPYR	"(c) 2020-2021 Contributors to ksh " SH_RELEASE_FORK
 
 /* Scripts sometimes field-split ${.sh.version}, so don't change amount of whitespace. */
diff --git a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1 b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1
index 548b84c13..f5bd3aa2f 100644
--- a/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1
+++ b/src/cmd/ksh93/sh.1
@@ -4964,7 +4964,9 @@ Multiply parameter of next command by 4.
 .PP
 .TP 10
 .BI \e
-Escape next character.
+If the
+.B backslashctrl
+shell option is on (which is the default setting), this escapes the next character.
 Editing characters, the user's erase, kill and
 interrupt (normally
 .BR ^? )
@@ -4976,6 +4978,9 @@ The
 .B \e
 removes the next character's
 editing features (if any).
+See also
+.I lnext
+which is not subject to any shell option.
 .PP
 .TP 10
 .B M-^V
@@ -5074,7 +5079,9 @@ On some systems the \f3viraw\fP option
 may be required for this to work.
 .TP 10
 .BI \e
-Escape the next
+If the
+.B backslashctrl
+shell option is on (which is the default setting), this escapes the next
 .I erase
 or
 .I kill
@@ -7004,6 +7011,20 @@ The following argument can be one of the following option names:
 Same as
 .BR \-a .
 .TP 8
+.B backslashctrl
+The backslash character
+.B \\\\
+escapes the next control character in the
+.B emacs
+built-in editor and the next
+.I erase
+or
+.I kill
+character in the
+.B vi
+built-in editor.
+On by default.
+.TP 8
 .B bgnice
 All background jobs are run at a lower priority.
 This is the default mode.