diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/api/serde.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/api/serde.py
index e3ef28be5..04c6ae2d5 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/api/serde.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/clan_cli/api/serde.py
@@ -30,7 +30,6 @@ Note: This module assumes the presence of other modules and classes such as `Cla
 """
 
 import dataclasses
-import json
 from dataclasses import dataclass, fields, is_dataclass
 from enum import Enum
 from pathlib import Path
@@ -162,7 +161,7 @@ def construct_value(
             msg = f"Expected string, got {field_value}"
             raise ClanError(msg, location=f"{loc}")
 
-        return json.loads(f'"{field_value}"')
+        return field_value
 
     if t is int and not isinstance(field_value, str):
         return int(field_value)  # type: ignore
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_deserializers.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_deserializers.py
index 7b0e64233..ecbbfa06a 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_deserializers.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_deserializers.py
@@ -217,8 +217,8 @@ def test_none_or_string() -> None:
 
 
 def test_roundtrip_escape() -> None:
-    assert from_dict(str, "\\n") == "\n"
-    assert dataclass_to_dict("\n") == "\\n"
+    assert from_dict(str, "\n") == "\n"
+    assert dataclass_to_dict("\n") == "\n"
 
     # Test that the functions are inverses of each other
     # f(g(x)) == x
diff --git a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_serializers.py b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_serializers.py
index c0ce5b3a9..927c71ac7 100644
--- a/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_serializers.py
+++ b/pkgs/clan-cli/tests/test_serializers.py
@@ -11,27 +11,25 @@ from clan_cli.api import (
 def test_sanitize_string() -> None:
     # Simple strings
     assert sanitize_string("Hello World") == "Hello World"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\nWorld") == "Hello\\nWorld"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\tWorld") == "Hello\\tWorld"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\rWorld") == "Hello\\rWorld"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\fWorld") == "Hello\\fWorld"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\vWorld") == "Hello\\u000bWorld"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\bWorld") == "Hello\\bWorld"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\\World") == "Hello\\\\World"
-    assert sanitize_string('Hello"World') == 'Hello\\"World'
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\nWorld") == "Hello\nWorld"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\tWorld") == "Hello\tWorld"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\rWorld") == "Hello\rWorld"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\fWorld") == "Hello\fWorld"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\vWorld") == "Hello\u000bWorld"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\bWorld") == "Hello\bWorld"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\\World") == "Hello\\World"
+    assert sanitize_string('Hello"World') == 'Hello"World'
     assert sanitize_string("Hello'World") == "Hello'World"
-    assert sanitize_string("Hello\0World") == "Hello\\u0000World"
+    assert sanitize_string("Hello\0World") == "Hello\x00World"
     # Console escape characters
 
-    assert sanitize_string("\033[1mBold\033[0m") == "\\u001b[1mBold\\u001b[0m"  # Red
-    assert sanitize_string("\033[31mRed\033[0m") == "\\u001b[31mRed\\u001b[0m"  # Blue
-    assert (
-        sanitize_string("\033[42mGreen\033[0m") == "\\u001b[42mGreen\\u001b[0m"
-    )  # Green
-    assert sanitize_string("\033[4mUnderline\033[0m") == "\\u001b[4mUnderline\\u001b[0m"
+    assert sanitize_string("\033[1mBold\033[0m") == "\033[1mBold\033[0m"  # Red
+    assert sanitize_string("\033[31mRed\033[0m") == "\033[31mRed\033[0m"  # Blue
+    assert sanitize_string("\033[42mGreen\033[0m") == "\033[42mGreen\033[0m"  # Green
+    assert sanitize_string("\033[4mUnderline\033[0m") == "\033[4mUnderline\033[0m"
     assert (
         sanitize_string("\033[91m\033[1mBold Red\033[0m")
-        == "\\u001b[91m\\u001b[1mBold Red\\u001b[0m"
+        == "\033[91m\033[1mBold Red\033[0m"
     )