diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 28942313..07acb052 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -158,14 +158,15 @@ Note that there is a distinction in comrak for "parse" options and "render" opti
 
 ### Render options
 
-| Name              | Description                                                                                            | Default |
-| ----------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------- |
-| `hardbreaks`      | [Soft line breaks](http://spec.commonmark.org/0.27/#soft-line-breaks) translate into hard line breaks. | `true`  |
-| `github_pre_lang` | GitHub-style `<pre lang="xyz">` is used for fenced code blocks with info tags.                         | `true`  |
-| `width`           | The wrap column when outputting CommonMark.                                                            | `80`    |
-| `unsafe`          | Allow rendering of raw HTML and potentially dangerous links.                                           | `false` |
-| `escape`          | Escape raw HTML instead of clobbering it.                                                              | `false` |
-| `sourcepos`       | Include source position attribute in HTML and XML output.                                              | `false` |
+| Name                 | Description                                                                                            | Default |
+| -------------------- | ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ | ------- |
+| `hardbreaks`         | [Soft line breaks](http://spec.commonmark.org/0.27/#soft-line-breaks) translate into hard line breaks. | `true`  |
+| `github_pre_lang`    | GitHub-style `<pre lang="xyz">` is used for fenced code blocks with info tags.                         | `true`  |
+| `width`              | The wrap column when outputting CommonMark.                                                            | `80`    |
+| `unsafe`             | Allow rendering of raw HTML and potentially dangerous links.                                           | `false` |
+| `escape`             | Escape raw HTML instead of clobbering it.                                                              | `false` |
+| `sourcepos`          | Include source position attribute in HTML and XML output.                                              | `false` |
+| `escaped_char_spans` | Wrap escaped characters in span tags                                                                   | `true`  |
 
 As well, there are several extensions which you can toggle in the same manner:
 
diff --git a/ext/commonmarker/src/options.rs b/ext/commonmarker/src/options.rs
index 09044328..8b2d4c11 100644
--- a/ext/commonmarker/src/options.rs
+++ b/ext/commonmarker/src/options.rs
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@ const RENDER_WIDTH: &str = "width";
 const RENDER_UNSAFE: &str = "unsafe";
 const RENDER_ESCAPE: &str = "escape";
 const RENDER_SOURCEPOS: &str = "sourcepos";
+const RENDER_ESCAPED_CHAR_SPANS: &str = "escaped_char_spans";
 
 fn iterate_render_options(comrak_options: &mut ComrakOptions, options_hash: RHash) {
     options_hash
@@ -57,6 +58,9 @@ fn iterate_render_options(comrak_options: &mut ComrakOptions, options_hash: RHas
                 Ok(Cow::Borrowed(RENDER_SOURCEPOS)) => {
                     comrak_options.render.sourcepos = TryConvert::try_convert(value)?;
                 }
+                Ok(Cow::Borrowed(RENDER_ESCAPED_CHAR_SPANS)) => {
+                    comrak_options.render.escaped_char_spans = TryConvert::try_convert(value)?;
+                }
                 _ => {}
             }
             Ok(ForEach::Continue)
diff --git a/lib/commonmarker/config.rb b/lib/commonmarker/config.rb
index ad38bdf6..b3882e12 100644
--- a/lib/commonmarker/config.rb
+++ b/lib/commonmarker/config.rb
@@ -16,6 +16,7 @@ module Config
         unsafe: false,
         escape: false,
         sourcepos: false,
+        escaped_char_spans: true,
       }.freeze,
       extension: {
         strikethrough: true,
diff --git a/test/escaped_char_spans_test.rb b/test/escaped_char_spans_test.rb
new file mode 100644
index 00000000..fd067b43
--- /dev/null
+++ b/test/escaped_char_spans_test.rb
@@ -0,0 +1,19 @@
+# frozen_string_literal: true
+
+require "test_helper"
+
+class EscapeCharSpansTest < Minitest::Test
+  def test_to_html
+    md = <<~MARKDOWN
+      Hello \\@user
+
+      Hey, @user!
+    MARKDOWN
+    expected = <<~HTML
+      <p>Hello <span data-escaped-char>@</span>user</p>
+      <p>Hey, @user!</p>
+    HTML
+
+    assert_equal(expected, Commonmarker.to_html(md, options: { render: { escaped_char_spans: true } }))
+  end
+end
diff --git a/test/node/creation_test.rb b/test/node/creation_test.rb
index 7fc72113..dd898efd 100644
--- a/test/node/creation_test.rb
+++ b/test/node/creation_test.rb
@@ -66,36 +66,3 @@ def test_errors_reported
     end
   end
 end
-
-#             ComrakNodeValue::List(..) => Symbol::new("list"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::DescriptionList => Symbol::new("description_list"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::DescriptionItem(_) => Symbol::new("description_item"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::DescriptionTerm => Symbol::new("description_term"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::DescriptionDetails => Symbol::new("description_details"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Item(..) => Symbol::new("item"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::CodeBlock(..) => Symbol::new("code_block"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::HtmlBlock(..) => Symbol::new("html_block"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Paragraph => Symbol::new("paragraph"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Heading(..) => Symbol::new("heading"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::ThematicBreak => Symbol::new("thematic_break"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Table(..) => Symbol::new("table"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::TableRow(..) => Symbol::new("table_row"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::TableCell => Symbol::new("table_cell"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Text(..) => Symbol::new("text"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::SoftBreak => Symbol::new("softbreak"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::LineBreak => Symbol::new("linebreak"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Image(..) => Symbol::new("image"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Link(..) => Symbol::new("link"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Emph => Symbol::new("emph"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Strong => Symbol::new("strong"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Code(..) => Symbol::new("code"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::HtmlInline(..) => Symbol::new("html_inline"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Strikethrough => Symbol::new("strikethrough"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::FrontMatter(_) => Symbol::new("frontmatter"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::TaskItem { .. } => Symbol::new("taskitem"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Superscript => Symbol::new("superscript"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::FootnoteReference(..) => Symbol::new("footnote_reference"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::ShortCode(_) => Symbol::new("shortcode"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::MultilineBlockQuote(_) => Symbol::new("multiline_block_quote"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Escaped => Symbol::new("escaped"),
-#             ComrakNodeValue::Math(..) => Symbol::new("math"),