diff --git a/autoload/tmuxify.vim b/autoload/tmuxify.vim
index 911c007..e8a795c 100644
--- a/autoload/tmuxify.vim
+++ b/autoload/tmuxify.vim
@@ -8,6 +8,11 @@ if exists('g:autoloaded_tmuxify') || &compatible || !executable('tmux') || !exec
 endif
 let g:autoloaded_tmuxify = 1
 
+" Uncommon separator
+let s:separator  = '__::__'
+let s:list_panes = printf("tmux list-panes -a -F '#D%s#S%s#I%s#P'", s:separator, s:separator, s:separator)
+let s:awk_cmd    = printf('awk -F "%s"', s:separator)
+
 " s:SID() {{{1
 function s:SID() abort
   return matchstr(expand('<sfile>'), '<SNR>\zs\d\+\ze_SID$')
@@ -34,27 +39,43 @@ endfunction
 
 " s:get_pane_descriptor_from_id() {{{1
 function! s:get_pane_descriptor_from_id(pane_id) abort
+  let cmd = s:list_panes . " | " . s:awk_cmd . " 'substr($1, 2) == " . a:pane_id . " { print $2 FS $3 FS $4 }'"
   if exists('*systemlist')
-    let descriptor_list = systemlist("tmux list-panes -a -F '#D #S #I #P' | awk 'substr($1, 2) == ". a:pane_id ." { print $2, $3, $4 }'")
+    let descriptor_list = systemlist(cmd)
   else
-    let descriptor_list = split(system("tmux list-panes -a -F '#D #S #I #P' | awk 'substr($1, 2) == ". a:pane_id ." { print $2, $3, $4 }'"), '\n')
+    let descriptor_list = split(system(cmd), '\n')
   endif
   if empty(descriptor_list) || descriptor_list[0] == 'failed to connect to server: Connection refused'
     return ''
   else
     " there should only ever be one item in descriptor_list, since it was filtered for matching the unique pane_id
-    let [session, window, pane] = split(descriptor_list[0],' ')
+    let [session, window, pane] = split(descriptor_list[0], s:separator)
     return session . ':' . window . '.' . pane
   endif
 endfunction
 
+" s:parse_pane_descriptor() {{{1
+function! s:parse_pane_descriptor(descriptor) abort
+  let [session, window_and_pane] = split(a:descriptor, ':')
+  let [window, pane] = split(window_and_pane, '\W')
+  return [session, window, pane]
+endfunction
+
+" s:get_scope() {{{1
+function! s:get_scope(bang) abort
+  return empty(a:bang) ? 'b:' : 'g:'
+endfunction
+
+" s:print_upgrade_message_if_shell_error() {{{1
+function! s:print_upgrade_message_if_shell_error() abort
+  if v:shell_error
+    echoerr 'tmuxify: A certain version of tmux 1.6 or higher is needed. Consider updating to 1.7+.'
+  endif
+endfunction
+
 " tmuxify#pane_create() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_create(bang, ...) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if !exists('$TMUX')
     echomsg 'tmuxify: This Vim is not running in a tmux session!'
@@ -70,10 +91,11 @@ function! tmuxify#pane_create(bang, ...) abort
 
   " capture the pane_id, as well as session, window, and pane index information
   " pane_id is unique, pane_index will change if the pane is moved
-  let [ pane_id, session, window, pane ] = map(split(system(get(g:, 'tmuxify_custom_command', 'tmux split-window -d') . " -PF '#D #S #I #P' | awk '{id=$1; session=$2; window=$3; pane=$4} END { print substr(id, 2), session, window, pane }'"), ' '), 'str2nr(v:val)')
-  if v:shell_error
-    echoerr 'tmuxify: A certain version of tmux 1.6 or higher is needed. Consider updating to 1.7+.'
-  endif
+  let tmuxify_command = get(g:, 'tmuxify_custom_command', 'tmux split-window -d') . printf(" -PF '#D%s#S%s#I%s#P'", s:separator, s:separator, s:separator)
+  let cmd = tmuxify_command . " | " . s:awk_cmd . " '{id=$1; session=$2; window=$3; pane=$4} END { print substr(id, 2) FS session FS window FS pane }'"
+  let [ pane_id, session, window, pane ] = map(split(system(cmd), s:separator), 'str2nr(v:val)')
+
+  call s:print_upgrade_message_if_shell_error()
 
   if exists('a:1')
     call tmuxify#pane_send(a:bang, a:1)
@@ -88,11 +110,7 @@ endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#pane_kill() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_kill(bang) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if !exists(scope . 'pane_id')
     echomsg "tmuxify: I'm not associated with any pane! Run :TxCreate, or check whether you're using bang commands consistently."
@@ -104,7 +122,7 @@ function! tmuxify#pane_kill(bang) abort
   if empty(pane_descriptor)
     echomsg 'tmuxify: The associated pane was already closed! Run :TxCreate.'
   else
-    call system('tmux kill-pane -t '. pane_descriptor)
+    call system('tmux kill-pane -t ' . shellescape(pane_descriptor))
   endif
 
   execute 'unlet ' . scope . 'pane_id'
@@ -112,33 +130,29 @@ endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#pane_set() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_set(bang, ...) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if a:0 == 1
     if a:1[0] == '%'
       let descriptor_string = s:get_pane_descriptor_from_id(strpart(a:1, 1))
-      if descriptor_string == ''
-        echo 'tmuxify: Invalid Pane ID!'
+      if empty(descriptor_string)
+        echomsg 'tmuxify: Invalid Pane ID!'
         return
       endif
-      let [session, window, pane] = split(descriptor_string, '\W')
+      let [session, window, pane] = s:parse_pane_descriptor(descriptor_string)
     else
-      let [session, window, pane] = split(a:1, '\W')
+      let [session, window, pane] = s:parse_pane_descriptor(a:1)
     endif
   else
-    let descriptor = input('Session:Window.Pane> ',    '', 'custom,<SNR>'. s:SID() .'_complete_descriptor')
-    let [session, window, pane] = split(descriptor, '\W')
+    let descriptor = input('Session:Window.Pane> ', '', 'custom,<SNR>' . s:SID() . '_complete_descriptor')
+    let [session, window, pane] = s:parse_pane_descriptor(descriptor)
   endif
 
   execute "let " . scope . "session = session"
   execute "let " . scope . "window = window"
   execute "let " . scope . "pane = pane"
 
-  let pane_id    = system("tmux list-panes -a -F '#D #S #I #P' | awk '$2 == \"". session ."\" && $3 == \"". window ."\" && $4 == \"". pane ."\" {print substr($1, 2)}'")
+  let pane_id = system(s:list_panes . " | " . s:awk_cmd . " '$2 == \"" . session . "\" && $3 == \"" . window . "\" && $4 == \"" . pane . "\" {print substr($1, 2)}'")
   if empty(pane_id)
     redraw | echomsg 'tmuxify: There is no pane '. pane .'!'
     return
@@ -149,11 +163,7 @@ endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#pane_run() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_run(bang, ...) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if !exists(scope . 'pane_id') && !tmuxify#pane_create(a:bang)
     return
@@ -179,11 +189,7 @@ endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#pane_send() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_send(bang, ...) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if !exists(scope . 'pane_id') && !tmuxify#pane_create(a:bang)
     return
@@ -196,12 +202,12 @@ function! tmuxify#pane_send(bang, ...) abort
     return
   endif
 
+  let pane_descriptor = shellescape(pane_descriptor)
+
   if exists('a:1')
     for line in split(a:1, '\n')
       call system('tmux send-keys -t '. pane_descriptor .' -l '. shellescape(s:fixstr(line)) .' && tmux send-keys -t '. pane_descriptor .' C-m')
-      if v:shell_error
-        echoerr 'tmuxify: A certain version of tmux 1.6 or higher is needed. Consider updating to 1.7+.'
-      endif
+      call s:print_upgrade_message_if_shell_error()
     endfor
   else
     call system('tmux send-keys -t '. pane_descriptor .' '. shellescape(s:fixstr(input('TxSend> '))) .' C-m')
@@ -215,11 +221,7 @@ endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#pane_send_raw() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_send_raw(cmd, bang) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if !exists(scope . 'pane_id') && !tmuxify#pane_create(a:bang)
     return
@@ -238,7 +240,7 @@ function! tmuxify#pane_send_raw(cmd, bang) abort
     let keys = a:cmd
   endif
 
-  call system('tmux send-keys -t '. pane_descriptor ." '". keys . "'")
+  call system('tmux send-keys -t ' . shellescape(pane_descriptor) . " '" . keys . "'")
 endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#set_run_command_for_filetype() {{{1
@@ -270,11 +272,7 @@ endfunction
 
 " tmuxify#pane_command() {{{1
 function! tmuxify#pane_command(bang, ...) abort
-  if empty(a:bang)
-    let scope = "b:"
-  else
-    let scope = "g:"
-  endif
+  let scope = s:get_scope(a:bang)
 
   if !exists(scope . 'pane_id')
     echomsg "tmuxify: I'm not associated with any pane! Run :TxCreate, or check whether you're using bang commands consistently."
@@ -288,7 +286,7 @@ function! tmuxify#pane_command(bang, ...) abort
     return
   endif
 
-  call system('tmux ' . a:1 . ' -t '. pane_descriptor)
+  call system('tmux ' . a:1 . ' -t ' . shellescape(pane_descriptor))
 endfunction
 
 " vim: et sw=2 sts=2 tw=80