diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0c4b114..a10f816 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -33,6 +33,7 @@ Usage: gen-compose [OPTIONS] [MAPPINGS]...
 Options:
   --key TEXT  key to use as compose key  [default: §]
   -r, --raw   just keymap without prefix
+  -e, --escape-modifier-keys   escape keys such as ^, so they're treated as the character and not a modifier
   --help      Show this message and exit.
 ```
 
diff --git a/gencompose.py b/gencompose.py
index 075f708..63699e6 100644
--- a/gencompose.py
+++ b/gencompose.py
@@ -66,14 +66,15 @@ def object_hook(dict_, func: Callable, types: Union[Tuple[Type], Type] = dict):
 @click.argument('mappings', type=click.File(), nargs=-1)
 @click.option('--key', default='§', show_default=True, help='key to use as compose key')
 @click.option('-r', '--raw', is_flag=True, help='just keymap without prefix')
-def main(mappings, raw, key):
+@click.option('-e', '--escape-modifier-keys', is_flag=True, help='escape modifier keys such as "^"')
+def main(mappings, raw, key, escape_modifier_keys):
     """Generate macos rebind file from compose json mapping"""
     all_maps = {}
     for mapping in mappings:
         yamldata = yaml.load(mapping.read(), Loader=yaml.Loader)
         all_maps.update(**{str(k): str(v) for k, v in yamldata.items()})
     all_maps = read_paths(all_maps)
-    text = data_to_mac_dict(all_maps)
+    text = data_to_mac_dict(all_maps, escape_modifier_keys)
     if raw:
         echo(text)
     else:
@@ -114,7 +115,7 @@ def read_paths(data):
     return parsed
 
 
-def data_to_mac_dict(data):
+def data_to_mac_dict(data, escape_modifer_keys=False):
     """
     converts dictionary data to macos keymap.dict format
 
@@ -127,6 +128,10 @@ def data_to_mac_dict(data):
       };
     };
     """
+    if escape_modifer_keys:
+        escape_special_chars = lambda c: f'\\{c}' if c in '^@~#$' else c
+        escape_keys = lambda d: {escape_special_chars(k): (escape_keys(v) if type(v) is dict else v) for k, v in d.items()}
+        data = escape_keys(data)
     updated = object_hook(data, lambda value: f'INSERT:{value}', str)
     text = json.dumps(updated, indent=2, ensure_ascii=False)
     repl = lambda value: f'("insertText:", "{value.groups()[0]}");'
diff --git a/tests/test_gencompose.py b/tests/test_gencompose.py
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..c8a0e17
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_gencompose.py
@@ -0,0 +1,14 @@
+from pathlib import Path
+
+from click.testing import CliRunner
+from gencompose import main
+
+
+def test_special_characters():
+    runner = CliRunner()
+    file = Path(__file__).parent / 'test_special_chars.yaml'
+    result = runner.invoke(main, args=['--escape-modifier-keys', str(file)])
+    print(result.output)
+    assert result.exit_code == 0
+    assert '"\\\\^"' in result.output
+    assert '"2"' in result.output
diff --git a/tests/test_special_chars.yaml b/tests/test_special_chars.yaml
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..845cc31
--- /dev/null
+++ b/tests/test_special_chars.yaml
@@ -0,0 +1,5 @@
+^2: ²
+$$: ﹩
+~~: ～
+"@@": ＠
+"#x": ⌧