diff --git a/src/uu/chroot/src/chroot.rs b/src/uu/chroot/src/chroot.rs
index 240b5eafe..40799d009 100644
--- a/src/uu/chroot/src/chroot.rs
+++ b/src/uu/chroot/src/chroot.rs
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ fn set_context(root: &Path, options: &clap::ArgMatches) {
         Some(u) => {
             let s: Vec<&str> = u.split(':').collect();
             if s.len() != 2 || s.iter().any(|&spec| spec.is_empty()) {
-                crash!(1, "invalid userspec: `{}`", u)
+                crash!(1, "invalid userspec: {}", u.quote())
             };
             s
         }
diff --git a/src/uu/fmt/src/fmt.rs b/src/uu/fmt/src/fmt.rs
index df5d971e5..669c98b14 100644
--- a/src/uu/fmt/src/fmt.rs
+++ b/src/uu/fmt/src/fmt.rs
@@ -133,7 +133,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
         fmt_opts.width = match s.parse::<usize>() {
             Ok(t) => t,
             Err(e) => {
-                crash!(1, "Invalid WIDTH specification: `{}': {}", s, e);
+                crash!(1, "Invalid WIDTH specification: {}: {}", s.quote(), e);
             }
         };
         if fmt_opts.width > MAX_WIDTH {
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
         fmt_opts.goal = match s.parse::<usize>() {
             Ok(t) => t,
             Err(e) => {
-                crash!(1, "Invalid GOAL specification: `{}': {}", s, e);
+                crash!(1, "Invalid GOAL specification: {}: {}", s.quote(), e);
             }
         };
         if !matches.is_present(OPT_WIDTH) {
@@ -164,7 +164,7 @@ pub fn uumain(args: impl uucore::Args) -> i32 {
         fmt_opts.tabwidth = match s.parse::<usize>() {
             Ok(t) => t,
             Err(e) => {
-                crash!(1, "Invalid TABWIDTH specification: `{}': {}", s, e);
+                crash!(1, "Invalid TABWIDTH specification: {}: {}", s.quote(), e);
             }
         };
     };
diff --git a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
index bab6dd770..c8a429e53 100644
--- a/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
+++ b/src/uu/sort/src/sort.rs
@@ -767,19 +767,19 @@ impl KeyPosition {
 
         let field = field_and_char
             .next()
-            .ok_or_else(|| format!("invalid key `{}`", key))?;
+            .ok_or_else(|| format!("invalid key {}", key.quote()))?;
         let char = field_and_char.next();
 
         let field = field
             .parse()
-            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to parse field index `{}`: {}", field, e))?;
+            .map_err(|e| format!("failed to parse field index {}: {}", field.quote(), e))?;
         if field == 0 {
             return Err("field index can not be 0".to_string());
         }
 
         let char = char.map_or(Ok(default_char_index), |char| {
             char.parse()
-                .map_err(|e| format!("failed to parse character index `{}`: {}", char, e))
+                .map_err(|e| format!("failed to parse character index {}: {}", char.quote(), e))
         })?;
 
         Ok(Self {
@@ -890,7 +890,7 @@ impl FieldSelector {
                     'R' => key_settings.set_sort_mode(SortMode::Random)?,
                     'r' => key_settings.reverse = true,
                     'V' => key_settings.set_sort_mode(SortMode::Version)?,
-                    c => return Err(format!("invalid option: `{}`", c)),
+                    c => return Err(format!("invalid option: '{}'", c)),
                 }
             }
             Ok(ignore_blanks)
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
index b389c9011..2aa26ad24 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_sort.rs
@@ -531,7 +531,7 @@ fn test_keys_invalid_field() {
     new_ucmd!()
         .args(&["-k", "1."])
         .fails()
-        .stderr_only("sort: failed to parse key '1.': failed to parse character index ``: cannot parse integer from empty string");
+        .stderr_only("sort: failed to parse key '1.': failed to parse character index '': cannot parse integer from empty string");
 }
 
 #[test]
@@ -539,7 +539,7 @@ fn test_keys_invalid_field_option() {
     new_ucmd!()
         .args(&["-k", "1.1x"])
         .fails()
-        .stderr_only("sort: failed to parse key '1.1x': invalid option: `x`");
+        .stderr_only("sort: failed to parse key '1.1x': invalid option: 'x'");
 }
 
 #[test]