diff --git a/bp2build/build_conversion.go b/bp2build/build_conversion.go
index d48d9759e..e93b3dca1 100644
--- a/bp2build/build_conversion.go
+++ b/bp2build/build_conversion.go
@@ -568,6 +568,13 @@ func isZero(value reflect.Value) bool {
 
 func escapeString(s string) string {
 	s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "\\", "\\\\")
+
+	// b/184026959: Reverse the application of some common control sequences.
+	// These must be generated literally in the BUILD file.
+	s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "\t", "\\t")
+	s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "\n", "\\n")
+	s = strings.ReplaceAll(s, "\r", "\\r")
+
 	return strings.ReplaceAll(s, "\"", "\\\"")
 }
 
diff --git a/bp2build/build_conversion_test.go b/bp2build/build_conversion_test.go
index ad88e9796..49897b3ca 100644
--- a/bp2build/build_conversion_test.go
+++ b/bp2build/build_conversion_test.go
@@ -239,6 +239,22 @@ func TestGenerateBazelTargetModules(t *testing.T) {
         "b",
     ],
     string_prop = "a",
+)`,
+		},
+		{
+			bp: `custom {
+	name: "control_characters",
+    string_list_prop: ["\t", "\n"],
+    string_prop: "a\t\n\r",
+    bazel_module: { bp2build_available: true },
+}`,
+			expectedBazelTarget: `custom(
+    name = "control_characters",
+    string_list_prop = [
+        "\t",
+        "\n",
+    ],
+    string_prop = "a\t\n\r",
 )`,
 		},
 	}