diff --git a/nowrap b/nowrap
index cfd5243..8856688 100755
--- a/nowrap
+++ b/nowrap
@@ -75,7 +75,7 @@ use Text::CharWidth::PurePerl qw(mbwidth);
 use open ':locale';
 
 my $TABSTOP = 8;
-my $ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN = qr/(\e\[\d*(;\d+)*m)/;
+my $ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN = qr/(\e(\[\d*(;\d+)*m|\e*[ \t]*[^\e]))/;
 
 my $columns = `tput cols`;
 chomp($columns);
@@ -138,15 +138,20 @@ while (my $line = <>) {
             $cursor += $TABSTOP - ($cursor % $TABSTOP);
             ++$nchars;
         }
-        elsif ($c eq "\e") {
+        elsif ($c eq "\e" && substr($line, $i, length($line) - $i) =~ m/$ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN/) {
             # handle escape sequences
-            substr($line, $i, length($line) - $i) =~ m/$ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN/;
             die "\$` should be empty, stopped" if $`;
             my $esc_seq = $1;
             # skip over the sequence
             $i      += length($esc_seq) - 1; # -1 b/c of ++$i at loop top
             $nchars += length($esc_seq);
-            # $cursor is unchanged
+
+            my $tabCount = () = $esc_seq =~ /\t/g;
+            if ($tabCount > 0) {
+              # In contrast to spaces, tabs within the escape sequence are not
+              # swallowed.
+              $cursor += ($tabCount * $TABSTOP) - ($cursor % $TABSTOP);
+            }
 
             $append = $esc_seq;
         }
diff --git a/script/nowrap.pl b/script/nowrap.pl
index 02aae5a..9e63050 100755
--- a/script/nowrap.pl
+++ b/script/nowrap.pl
@@ -29,7 +29,7 @@
 use open ':locale';
 
 my $TABSTOP = 8;
-my $ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN = qr/(\e\[\d*(;\d+)*m)/;
+my $ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN = qr/(\e(\[\d*(;\d+)*m|\e*[ \t]*[^\e]))/;
 
 my $columns = `tput cols`;
 chomp($columns);
@@ -92,15 +92,20 @@
             $cursor += $TABSTOP - ($cursor % $TABSTOP);
             ++$nchars;
         }
-        elsif ($c eq "\e") {
+        elsif ($c eq "\e" && substr($line, $i, length($line) - $i) =~ m/$ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN/) {
             # handle escape sequences
-            substr($line, $i, length($line) - $i) =~ m/$ESCAPE_SEQUENCE_PATTERN/;
             die "\$` should be empty, stopped" if $`;
             my $esc_seq = $1;
             # skip over the sequence
             $i      += length($esc_seq) - 1; # -1 b/c of ++$i at loop top
             $nchars += length($esc_seq);
-            # $cursor is unchanged
+
+            my $tabCount = () = $esc_seq =~ /\t/g;
+            if ($tabCount > 0) {
+              # In contrast to spaces, tabs within the escape sequence are not
+              # swallowed.
+              $cursor += ($tabCount * $TABSTOP) - ($cursor % $TABSTOP);
+            }
 
             $append = $esc_seq;
         }
diff --git a/tests/tcescape.expected b/tests/tcescape.expected
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..e1f5df4
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tcescape.expected
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+ordinary t
+thisboldte
+singleescap
+twoescapeocc
+adjacentesc
+adjacentesc
+after single
+after   manysp
+after	tab
+after
+endescape
+endescap
diff --git a/tests/tcescape.in b/tests/tcescape.in
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..8e71e96
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/tcescape.in
@@ -0,0 +1,12 @@
+ordinary text
+thisboldtext
+singleescape
+twoescapeoccurrences
+adjacentescapes
+adjacentescapes
+after singlespace
+after   manyspaces
+after	tabulator
+after		tabulators
+endescape
+endescap
diff --git a/tests/test.sh b/tests/test.sh
index c5e8ecb..42840df 100755
--- a/tests/test.sh
+++ b/tests/test.sh
@@ -85,6 +85,9 @@ do_test tc6 --columns=72
 # ==== case 7: UTF-8-demo.txt @ 40 columns
 do_test tc7 --columns=40
 
+# ==== escape characters and colored text
+do_test tcescape --columns=10
+
 # ==== wrap
 do_test tcwrap --wrap --columns=10
 do_test tcindent-plain --wrap --indent-string '> ' --columns=10