diff --git a/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v b/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
index 1679e5b905..548e913f87 100644
--- a/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
+++ b/vlib/v/parser/tmpl.v
@@ -10,7 +10,7 @@ import strings
 
 const tmpl_str_start = "sb.write_string('"
 
-const tmpl_str_end = "' ) "
+const tmpl_str_end = "')\n"
 
 enum State {
 	html
@@ -78,14 +78,13 @@ mut sb := strings.new_builder($lstartlength)\n
 	mut start_of_line_pos := 0
 	mut tline_number := -1 // keep the original line numbers, even after insert/delete ops on lines; `i` changes
 	for i := 0; i < lines.len; i++ {
-		oline := lines[i]
+		line := lines[i]
 		tline_number++
 		start_of_line_pos = end_of_line_pos
-		end_of_line_pos += oline.len + 1
+		end_of_line_pos += line.len + 1
 		$if trace_tmpl ? {
-			eprintln('>>> tfile: $template_file, spos: ${start_of_line_pos:6}, epos:${end_of_line_pos:6}, fi: ${tline_number:5}, i: ${i:5}, line: $oline')
+			eprintln('>>> tfile: $template_file, spos: ${start_of_line_pos:6}, epos:${end_of_line_pos:6}, fi: ${tline_number:5}, i: ${i:5}, line: $line')
 		}
-		line := oline.trim_space()
 		if is_html_open_tag('style', line) {
 			state = .css
 		} else if line == '</style>' {
@@ -225,8 +224,8 @@ mut sb := strings.new_builder($lstartlength)\n
 		} else {
 			// HTML, may include `@var`
 			// escaped by cgen, unless it's a `vweb.RawHtml` string
-			source.writeln(line.replace(r'@', r'$').replace(r'$$', r'@').replace(r'.$',
-				r'.@').replace(r"'", r"\'"))
+			source.writeln(line.replace_each([r'@', r'$', r'$$', r'@', r'.$', r'.@', r"'", r"\'",
+				'\\', parser.tmpl_str_end + 'sb.write_b(92)\n' + parser.tmpl_str_start]))
 		}
 	}
 	source.writeln(parser.tmpl_str_end)
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/inout/file.html b/vlib/v/tests/inout/file.html
index e7eb9366ed..91f1dd4e94 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/inout/file.html
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/inout/file.html
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ const classes = `header ${ isLargeScreen() ? '' :
 <header>
 <h1>@{title}</h1>
 </header>
+<pre>
+                                  _
+                                 | |
+    _____  ____ _ _ __ ___  _ __ | | ___
+   / _ \ \/ / _` | '_ ` _ \| '_ \| |/ _ \
+  |  __/>  < (_| | | | | | | |_) | |  __/
+   \___/_/\_\__,_|_| |_| |_| .__/|_|\___|
+                           | |
+                           |_|
+</pre>
 </body>
 
-</html>
\ No newline at end of file
+</html>
diff --git a/vlib/v/tests/inout/tmpl_parse_html.out b/vlib/v/tests/inout/tmpl_parse_html.out
index 132622d0e8..f772cc184e 100644
--- a/vlib/v/tests/inout/tmpl_parse_html.out
+++ b/vlib/v/tests/inout/tmpl_parse_html.out
@@ -8,8 +8,8 @@ color: green;
 }
 
 @keyframes mymove {
-from {top: 0px;}
-to {top: 200px;}
+  from {top: 0px;}
+  to {top: 200px;}
 }
 </style>
 <style media="print">
@@ -32,6 +32,16 @@ const classes = `header ${ isLargeScreen() ? '' :
 <header>
 <h1>TEST</h1>
 </header>
+<pre>
+                                  _
+                                 | |
+    _____  ____ _ _ __ ___  _ __ | | ___
+   / _ \ \/ / _` | '_ ` _ \| '_ \| |/ _ \
+  |  __/>  < (_| | | | | | | |_) | |  __/
+   \___/_/\_\__,_|_| |_| |_| .__/|_|\___|
+                           | |
+                           |_|
+</pre>
 </body>
 
-</html>
\ No newline at end of file
+</html>