diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/escape.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/escape.rs
index b8c21741c..1e06a8176 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/escape.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/escape.rs
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 #[derive(Debug)]
 pub enum EscapedChar {
-    Char(u8),
+    Byte(u8),
+    Char(char),
     Backslash(u8),
     End,
 }
@@ -61,6 +62,24 @@ fn parse_code(input: &mut &[u8], base: Base) -> Option<u8> {
     Some(ret)
 }
 
+/// Parse `\uHHHH` and `\UHHHHHHHH`
+// TODO: This should print warnings and possibly halt execution when it fails to parse
+// TODO: If the character cannot be converted to u32, the input should be printed.
+fn parse_unicode(input: &mut &[u8], digits: u8) -> Option<char> {
+    let (c, rest) = input.split_first()?;
+    let mut ret = Base::Hex.to_digit(*c)? as u32;
+    *input = &rest[..];
+
+    for _ in 1..digits {
+        let (c, rest) = input.split_first()?;
+        let n = Base::Hex.to_digit(*c)?;
+        ret = ret.wrapping_mul(Base::Hex as u32).wrapping_add(n as u32);
+        *input = &rest[..];
+    }
+
+    char::from_u32(ret)
+}
+
 pub fn parse_escape_code(rest: &mut &[u8]) -> EscapedChar {
     if let [c, new_rest @ ..] = rest {
         // This is for the \NNN syntax for octal sequences.
@@ -68,33 +87,35 @@ pub fn parse_escape_code(rest: &mut &[u8]) -> EscapedChar {
         // would be the \0NNN syntax.
         if let b'1'..=b'7' = c {
             if let Some(parsed) = parse_code(rest, Base::Oct) {
-                return EscapedChar::Char(parsed);
+                return EscapedChar::Byte(parsed);
             }
         }
 
         *rest = &new_rest[..];
         match c {
-            b'\\' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\\'),
-            b'a' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\x07'),
-            b'b' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\x08'),
+            b'\\' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\\'),
+            b'a' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\x07'),
+            b'b' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\x08'),
             b'c' => return EscapedChar::End,
-            b'e' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\x1b'),
-            b'f' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\x0c'),
-            b'n' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\n'),
-            b'r' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\r'),
-            b't' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\t'),
-            b'v' => EscapedChar::Char(b'\x0b'),
+            b'e' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\x1b'),
+            b'f' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\x0c'),
+            b'n' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\n'),
+            b'r' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\r'),
+            b't' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\t'),
+            b'v' => EscapedChar::Byte(b'\x0b'),
             b'x' => {
                 if let Some(c) = parse_code(rest, Base::Hex) {
-                    EscapedChar::Char(c)
+                    EscapedChar::Byte(c)
                 } else {
                     EscapedChar::Backslash(b'x')
                 }
             }
-            b'0' => EscapedChar::Char(parse_code(rest, Base::Oct).unwrap_or(b'\0')),
+            b'0' => EscapedChar::Byte(parse_code(rest, Base::Oct).unwrap_or(b'\0')),
+            b'u' => EscapedChar::Char(parse_unicode(rest, 4).unwrap_or('\0')),
+            b'U' => EscapedChar::Char(parse_unicode(rest, 8).unwrap_or('\0')),
             c => EscapedChar::Backslash(*c),
         }
     } else {
-        EscapedChar::Char(b'\\')
+        EscapedChar::Byte(b'\\')
     }
 }
diff --git a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/mod.rs b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/mod.rs
index 47e6fa4cc..cfa9a034f 100644
--- a/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/mod.rs
+++ b/src/uucore/src/lib/features/format/mod.rs
@@ -19,11 +19,12 @@
 
 // spell-checker:ignore (vars) charf decf floatf intf scif strf Cninety
 
-mod escape;
 mod argument;
+mod escape;
 pub mod num_format;
 mod spec;
 
+pub use argument::*;
 use spec::Spec;
 use std::{
     error::Error,
@@ -31,7 +32,6 @@ use std::{
     io::{stdout, Write},
     ops::ControlFlow,
 };
-pub use argument::*;
 
 use crate::error::UError;
 
@@ -91,9 +91,12 @@ impl FormatChar for u8 {
 impl FormatChar for EscapedChar {
     fn write(&self, mut writer: impl Write) -> std::io::Result<ControlFlow<()>> {
         match self {
-            EscapedChar::Char(c) => {
+            EscapedChar::Byte(c) => {
                 writer.write(&[*c])?;
             }
+            EscapedChar::Char(c) => {
+                write!(writer, "{c}")?;
+            }
             EscapedChar::Backslash(c) => {
                 writer.write(&[b'\\', *c])?;
             }
@@ -125,7 +128,7 @@ pub fn parse_spec_and_escape(
         [] => return None,
         [b'%', b'%', rest @ ..] => {
             current = rest;
-            Some(Ok(FormatItem::Char(EscapedChar::Char(b'%'))))
+            Some(Ok(FormatItem::Char(EscapedChar::Byte(b'%'))))
         }
         [b'%', rest @ ..] => {
             current = rest;
@@ -141,7 +144,7 @@ pub fn parse_spec_and_escape(
         }
         [c, rest @ ..] => {
             current = rest;
-            Some(Ok(FormatItem::Char(EscapedChar::Char(*c))))
+            Some(Ok(FormatItem::Char(EscapedChar::Byte(*c))))
         }
     })
 }
@@ -179,7 +182,7 @@ fn parse_escape_only(fmt: &[u8]) -> impl Iterator<Item = EscapedChar> + '_ {
         }
         [c, rest @ ..] => {
             current = rest;
-            Some(EscapedChar::Char(*c))
+            Some(EscapedChar::Byte(*c))
         }
     })
 }