diff --git a/src/uu/stat/src/stat.rs b/src/uu/stat/src/stat.rs
index 70c06bdf6..c56971f6b 100644
--- a/src/uu/stat/src/stat.rs
+++ b/src/uu/stat/src/stat.rs
@@ -436,6 +436,7 @@ impl Stater {
                             'f' => tokens.push(Token::Char('\x0C')),
                             'n' => tokens.push(Token::Char('\n')),
                             'r' => tokens.push(Token::Char('\r')),
+                            't' => tokens.push(Token::Char('\t')),
                             'v' => tokens.push(Token::Char('\x0B')),
                             c => {
                                 show_warning!("unrecognized escape '\\{}'", c);
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_stat.rs b/tests/by-util/test_stat.rs
index 7cff0d89c..af9e3de45 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_stat.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_stat.rs
@@ -64,7 +64,7 @@ mod test_generate_tokens {
 
     #[test]
     fn printf_format() {
-        let s = "%-# 15a\\r\\\"\\\\\\a\\b\\e\\f\\v%+020.-23w\\x12\\167\\132\\112\\n";
+        let s = "%-# 15a\\t\\r\\\"\\\\\\a\\b\\e\\f\\v%+020.-23w\\x12\\167\\132\\112\\n";
         let expected = vec![
             Token::Directive {
                 flag: F_LEFT | F_ALTER | F_SPACE,
@@ -72,6 +72,7 @@ mod test_generate_tokens {
                 precision: -1,
                 format: 'a',
             },
+            Token::Char('\t'),
             Token::Char('\r'),
             Token::Char('"'),
             Token::Char('\\'),