diff --git a/runtime/doc/eval.txt b/runtime/doc/eval.txt
index 13caa16..57e2c4e 100644
--- a/runtime/doc/eval.txt
+++ b/runtime/doc/eval.txt
@@ -1,4 +1,4 @@
-*eval.txt*      For Vim version 7.1.  Last change: 2008 Feb 20
+*eval.txt*      For Vim version 7.1.  Last change: 2008 May 28
 
 
 		  VIM REFERENCE MANUAL    by Bram Moolenaar
@@ -1609,6 +1609,7 @@
 				String	find directory {name} in {path}
 findfile( {name}[, {path}[, {count}]])
 				String	find file {name} in {path}
+fnameescape( {fname})		String	escape special characters in {fname}
 fnamemodify( {fname}, {mods})	String	modify file name
 foldclosed( {lnum})		Number	first line of fold at {lnum} if closed
 foldclosedend( {lnum})		Number	last line of fold at {lnum} if closed
@@ -2620,6 +2621,19 @@
 <		Searches from the directory of the current file upwards until
 		it finds the file "tags.vim".
 
+fnameescape({string})					*fnameescape()*
+		Escape {string} for use as file name command argument.  All
+		characters that have a special meaning, such as '%' and '|'
+		are escaped with a backslash.
+		For most systems the characters escaped are "".  For systems
+		where a backslash appears in a filename, it depends on the
+		value of 'isfname'.
+		Example: >
+			:let fname = 'some str%nge|name'
+			:exe "edit " . fnameescape(fname)
+<		results in executing: >
+			edit some\ str\%nge\|name
+
 fnamemodify({fname}, {mods})				*fnamemodify()*
 		Modify file name {fname} according to {mods}.  {mods} is a
 		string of characters like it is used for file names on the
diff --git a/runtime/filetype.vim b/runtime/filetype.vim
index 20719aa..e20a53a 100644
--- a/runtime/filetype.vim
+++ b/runtime/filetype.vim
@@ -16,20 +16,23 @@
 augroup filetypedetect
 
 " Ignored extensions
+if exists("*fnameescape")
 au BufNewFile,BufRead ?\+.orig,?\+.bak,?\+.old,?\+.new,?\+.rpmsave,?\+.rpmnew
-	\ exe "doau filetypedetect BufRead " . expand("<afile>:r")
+	\ exe "doau filetypedetect BufRead " . fnameescape(expand("<afile>:r"))
 au BufNewFile,BufRead *~
 	\ let s:name = expand("<afile>") |
 	\ let s:short = substitute(s:name, '\~$', '', '') |
 	\ if s:name != s:short && s:short != "" |
-	\   exe "doau filetypedetect BufRead " . s:short |
+	\   exe "doau filetypedetect BufRead " . fnameescape(s:short) |
 	\ endif |
-	\ unlet s:name |
-	\ unlet s:short
+	\ unlet s:name s:short
 au BufNewFile,BufRead ?\+.in
 	\ if expand("<afile>:t") != "configure.in" |
-	\   exe "doau filetypedetect BufRead " . expand("<afile>:r") |
+	\   exe "doau filetypedetect BufRead " . fnameescape(expand("<afile>:r")) |
 	\ endif
+elseif &verbose > 0
+  echomsg "Warning: some filetypes will not be recognized because this version of Vim does not have fnameescape()"
+endif
 
 " Pattern used to match file names which should not be inspected.
 " Currently finds compressed files.
diff --git a/src/eval.c b/src/eval.c
index e008df2..3426354 100644
--- a/src/eval.c
+++ b/src/eval.c
@@ -507,6 +507,7 @@
 static void f_filter __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_finddir __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_findfile __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
+static void f_fnameescape __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_fnamemodify __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_foldclosed __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
 static void f_foldclosedend __ARGS((typval_T *argvars, typval_T *rettv));
@@ -7107,6 +7108,7 @@
     {"filter",		2, 2, f_filter},
     {"finddir",		1, 3, f_finddir},
     {"findfile",	1, 3, f_findfile},
+    {"fnameescape",	1, 1, f_fnameescape},
     {"fnamemodify",	2, 2, f_fnamemodify},
     {"foldclosed",	1, 1, f_foldclosed},
     {"foldclosedend",	1, 1, f_foldclosedend},
@@ -9465,6 +9467,19 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * "fnameescape({string})" function
+ */
+    static void
+f_fnameescape(argvars, rettv)
+    typval_T	*argvars;
+    typval_T	*rettv;
+{
+    rettv->vval.v_string = vim_strsave_fnameescape(
+					   get_tv_string(&argvars[0]), FALSE);
+    rettv->v_type = VAR_STRING;
+}
+
+/*
  * "fnamemodify({fname}, {mods})" function
  */
     static void
diff --git a/src/ex_getln.c b/src/ex_getln.c
index e7f8c1b..b575e29 100644
--- a/src/ex_getln.c
+++ b/src/ex_getln.c
@@ -3656,22 +3656,7 @@
 #endif
 		    }
 		}
-#ifdef BACKSLASH_IN_FILENAME
-		{
-		    char_u	buf[20];
-		    int		j = 0;
-
-		    /* Don't escape '[' and '{' if they are in 'isfname'. */
-		    for (p = PATH_ESC_CHARS; *p != NUL; ++p)
-			if ((*p != '[' && *p != '{') || !vim_isfilec(*p))
-			    buf[j++] = *p;
-		    buf[j] = NUL;
-		    p = vim_strsave_escaped(files[i], buf);
-		}
-#else
-		p = vim_strsave_escaped(files[i],
-			     xp->xp_shell ? SHELL_ESC_CHARS : PATH_ESC_CHARS);
-#endif
+		p = vim_strsave_fnameescape(files[i], xp->xp_shell);
 		if (p != NULL)
 		{
 		    vim_free(files[i]);
@@ -3710,6 +3695,31 @@
 }
 
 /*
+ * Escape special characters in "fname" for when used as a file name argument
+ * after a Vim command, or, when "shell" is non-zero, a shell command.
+ * Returns the result in allocated memory.
+ */
+    char_u *
+vim_strsave_fnameescape(fname, shell)
+    char_u *fname;
+    int    shell;
+{
+#ifdef BACKSLASH_IN_FILENAME
+    char_u	buf[20];
+    int		j = 0;
+
+    /* Don't escape '[' and '{' if they are in 'isfname'. */
+    for (p = PATH_ESC_CHARS; *p != NUL; ++p)
+	if ((*p != '[' && *p != '{') || !vim_isfilec(*p))
+	    buf[j++] = *p;
+    buf[j] = NUL;
+    return vim_strsave_escaped(fname, buf);
+#else
+    return vim_strsave_escaped(fname, shell ? SHELL_ESC_CHARS : PATH_ESC_CHARS);
+#endif
+}
+
+/*
  * Put a backslash before the file name in "pp", which is in allocated memory.
  */
     static void
diff --git a/src/proto/ex_getln.pro b/src/proto/ex_getln.pro
index f5feb20..b4a5018 100644
--- a/src/proto/ex_getln.pro
+++ b/src/proto/ex_getln.pro
@@ -24,6 +24,7 @@
 void ExpandInit __ARGS((expand_T *xp));
 void ExpandCleanup __ARGS((expand_T *xp));
 void ExpandEscape __ARGS((expand_T *xp, char_u *str, int numfiles, char_u **files, int options));
+char_u *vim_strsave_fnameescape __ARGS((char_u *fname, int shell));
 void tilde_replace __ARGS((char_u *orig_pat, int num_files, char_u **files));
 char_u *sm_gettail __ARGS((char_u *s));
 char_u *addstar __ARGS((char_u *fname, int len, int context));
diff --git a/src/version.c b/src/version.c
index 45b003e..7b7bdcd 100644
--- a/src/version.c
+++ b/src/version.c
@@ -667,6 +667,8 @@
 static int included_patches[] =
 {   /* Add new patch number below this line */
 /**/
+    299,
+/**/
     298,
 /**/
     297,
diff --git a/src/vim.h b/src/vim.h
index d93bec1..71dd3ae 100644
--- a/src/vim.h
+++ b/src/vim.h
@@ -336,10 +336,10 @@
 # endif
 #endif
 #ifdef BACKSLASH_IN_FILENAME
-# define PATH_ESC_CHARS ((char_u *)" \t*?[{`%#")
+# define PATH_ESC_CHARS ((char_u *)" \t\n*?[{`%#'\"|!<")
 #else
-# define PATH_ESC_CHARS ((char_u *)" \t*?[{`$\\%#'\"|")
-# define SHELL_ESC_CHARS ((char_u *)" \t*?[{`$\\%#'\"|<>();&!")
+# define PATH_ESC_CHARS ((char_u *)" \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<")
+# define SHELL_ESC_CHARS ((char_u *)" \t\n*?[{`$\\%#'\"|!<>();&")
 #endif
 
 #define NUMBUFLEN 30	    /* length of a buffer to store a number in ASCII */