diff --git a/src/importer/flush-tree.js b/src/importer/flush-tree.js
index f12d121..bf26b59 100644
--- a/src/importer/flush-tree.js
+++ b/src/importer/flush-tree.js
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ const dagPB = require('ipld-dag-pb')
 const mapValues = require('async/mapValues')
 const waterfall = require('async/waterfall')
 const persist = require('../utils/persist')
+const toPathComponents = require('../utils/to-path-components')
 const DAGLink = dagPB.DAGLink
 const DAGNode = dagPB.DAGNode
 
@@ -54,7 +55,7 @@ function createTree (files) {
   const fileTree = {}
 
   files.forEach((file) => {
-    let splitted = file.path.split('/')
+    let splitted = toPathComponents(file.path)
     if (splitted.length === 1) {
       return // adding just one file
     }
diff --git a/src/importer/tree-builder.js b/src/importer/tree-builder.js
index 63d349f..386fb5c 100644
--- a/src/importer/tree-builder.js
+++ b/src/importer/tree-builder.js
@@ -9,6 +9,7 @@ const pushable = require('pull-pushable')
 const DirFlat = require('./dir-flat')
 const flatToShard = require('./flat-to-shard')
 const Dir = require('./dir')
+const toPathComponents = require('../utils/to-path-components')
 
 module.exports = createTreeBuilder
 
@@ -91,7 +92,7 @@ function createTreeBuilder (ipld, _options) {
   // ---- Add to tree
 
   function addToTree (elem, callback) {
-    const pathElems = (elem.path || '').split('/').filter(notEmpty)
+    const pathElems = toPathComponents(elem.path || '')
     let parent = tree
     const lastIndex = pathElems.length - 1
 
@@ -211,7 +212,3 @@ function createTreeBuilder (ipld, _options) {
     })
   }
 }
-
-function notEmpty (str) {
-  return Boolean(str)
-}
diff --git a/src/utils/to-path-components.js b/src/utils/to-path-components.js
new file mode 100644
index 0000000..4150d01
--- /dev/null
+++ b/src/utils/to-path-components.js
@@ -0,0 +1,11 @@
+'use strict'
+
+const toPathComponents = (path = '') => {
+  // split on / unless escaped with \
+  return (path
+    .trim()
+    .match(/([^\\\][^/]|\\\/)+/g) || [])
+    .filter(Boolean)
+}
+
+module.exports = toPathComponents
diff --git a/test/importer.js b/test/importer.js
index 9e4a7dc..5ad4bee 100644
--- a/test/importer.js
+++ b/test/importer.js
@@ -309,6 +309,24 @@ module.exports = (repo) => {
         )
       })
 
+      it('small file with an escaped slash in the title', (done) => {
+        const filePath = `small-\\/file-${Math.random()}.txt`
+
+        pull(
+          pull.values([{
+            path: filePath,
+            content: pull.values([smallFile])
+          }]),
+          importer(ipld, options),
+          pull.collect((err, files) => {
+            expect(err).to.not.exist()
+            expect(files.length).to.equal(1)
+            expect(files[0].path).to.equal(filePath)
+            done()
+          })
+        )
+      })
+
       it('small file (smaller than a chunk)', (done) => {
         pull(
           pull.values([{