diff --git a/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp b/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp
index 77a6f79..6826e62 100644
--- a/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp
+++ b/src/factory/PVDataCreateFactory.cpp
@@ -144,8 +144,7 @@ PVString::PVString(ScalarConstPtr const & scalar)
 
 std::ostream& PVString::dumpValue(std::ostream& o) const
 {
-    // we escape, but do not quote, for scalar string
-    o<<escape(get());
+    o<<maybeQuote(get());
     return o;
 }
 
@@ -233,7 +232,7 @@ std::ostream& PVValueArray<T>::dumpValue(std::ostream& o) const
 template<>
 std::ostream& PVValueArray<std::string>::dumpValue(std::ostream& o, size_t index) const
 {
-    return o << '"' << escape(this->view().at(index)) << '"';
+    return o << maybeQuote(this->view().at(index));
 }
 
 template<>
@@ -244,9 +243,9 @@ std::ostream& PVValueArray<std::string>::dumpValue(std::ostream& o) const
                                   end(v.end());
     o << '[';
     if(it!=end) {
-        o << '"' << escape(*it++) << '"';
+        o << maybeQuote(*it++);
         for(; it!=end; ++it)
-            o << ", \"" << escape(*it) << '"';
+            o << ", " << maybeQuote(*it);
 
     }
     return o << ']';
diff --git a/src/factory/printer.cpp b/src/factory/printer.cpp
index 70e81c7..928fc4f 100644
--- a/src/factory/printer.cpp
+++ b/src/factory/printer.cpp
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ bool printEnumT(std::ostream& strm, const PVStructure& top, bool fromtop)
     if(I>=ch.size()) {
         strm<<" <undefined>";
     } else {
-        strm<<' '<<escape(ch[I]);
+        strm<<' '<<maybeQuote(ch[I]);
     }
     return true;
 }
@@ -180,7 +180,7 @@ void csvEscape(std::string& S)
 {
     // concise, not particularly efficient...
     std::string temp(escape(S).style(escape::CSV).str());
-    if(S.find_first_of(" ,\\")!=S.npos) {// only quote if necessary (stupid Excel)
+    if(S.find_first_of("\" ,\\")!=S.npos) {// only quote if necessary (stupid Excel)
         std::string temp2;
         temp2.reserve(temp.size()+2);
         temp2.push_back('\"');
@@ -188,7 +188,7 @@ void csvEscape(std::string& S)
         temp2.push_back('\"');
         temp2.swap(temp);
     }
-    S = temp;
+    S.swap(temp);
 }
 
 bool printTable(std::ostream& strm, const PVStructure& top)
@@ -514,4 +514,38 @@ std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const escape& Q)
     return strm;
 }
 
+
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const maybeQuote& q)
+{
+    bool esc = false;
+    for(size_t i=0, N=q.s.size(); i<N && !esc; i++) {
+        switch(q.s[i]) {
+        case '\a':
+        case '\b':
+        case '\f':
+        case '\n':
+        case '\r':
+        case '\t':
+        case ' ':
+        case '\v':
+        case '\\':
+        case '\'':
+        case '\"':
+            esc = true;
+            break;
+        default:
+            if(!isprint(q.s[i])) {
+                esc = true;
+            }
+            break;
+        }
+    }
+    if(esc) {
+        strm<<'"'<<escape(q.s)<<'"';
+    } else {
+        strm<<q.s;
+    }
+    return strm;
+}
+
 }} //epics::pvData
diff --git a/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h b/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h
index 869f025..a660cb2 100644
--- a/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h
+++ b/src/misc/pv/typeCast.h
@@ -237,6 +237,14 @@ public:
     std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const escape& Q);
 };
 
+struct maybeQuote {
+    const std::string& s;
+    maybeQuote(const std::string& s) :s(s) {}
+};
+
+epicsShareExtern
+std::ostream& operator<<(std::ostream& strm, const maybeQuote& q);
+
 }} // end namespace
 
 #endif // PVTYPECAST_H
diff --git a/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp b/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp
index c4c0c22..dcd8263 100644
--- a/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp
+++ b/testApp/misc/testprinter.cpp
@@ -197,12 +197,12 @@ void showNTEnum()
 
     input->getSubFieldT<pvd::PVInt>("value.index")->put(1);
 
-    testDiff("<undefined>              (1) a two\n", print(input->stream()), "two");
+    testDiff("<undefined>              (1) \"a two\"\n", print(input->stream()), "two");
 
     testDiff("epics:nt/NTEnum:1.0 \n"
-             "    enum_t value (1) a two\n"
+             "    enum_t value (1) \"a two\"\n"
              "        int index 1\n"
-             "        string[] choices [\"one\", \"a two\"]\n"
+             "        string[] choices [one, \"a two\"]\n"
              "    alarm_t alarm \n"
              "        int severity 0\n"
              "        int status 0\n"
@@ -299,7 +299,7 @@ void testRaw()
 
     testDiff("omg \n"
              "    string scalar \n"          // bit 1
-             "    string[] scalarArray [\"hello\", \"world\\x7F\"]\n"
+             "    string[] scalarArray [hello, \"world\\x7F\"]\n"
              "    structure below\n"
              "        int A 0\n"             // bit 4
              "        union select\n"
@@ -319,7 +319,7 @@ void testRaw()
 
     testDiff("omg \n"
              "\033[1m    string scalar \n"
-             "\033[0m\033[1m    string[] scalarArray [\"hello\", \"world\\x7F\"]\n"
+             "\033[0m\033[1m    string[] scalarArray [hello, \"world\\x7F\"]\n"
              "\033[0m    structure below\n"
              "\033[1m        int A 0\n"
              "\033[0m        union select\n"
@@ -347,13 +347,20 @@ void testEscape()
     testEqual("hello\"\"world", std::string(SB()<<pvd::escape("hello\"world").style(pvd::escape::CSV)));
 
     testEqual("hello\"\"world", pvd::escape("hello\"world").style(pvd::escape::CSV).str());
+
+    testEqual("hello_world", std::string(SB()<<pvd::maybeQuote("hello_world")));
+    testEqual("\"hello_world\\\"\"", std::string(SB()<<pvd::maybeQuote("hello_world\"")));
+    testEqual("\"hello world\"", std::string(SB()<<pvd::maybeQuote("hello world")));
+    testEqual("\"hello\\nworld\"", std::string(SB()<<pvd::maybeQuote("hello\nworld")));
+    testEqual("\"hello\\\"world\"", std::string(SB()<<pvd::maybeQuote("hello\"world")));
+    testEqual("\"hello\\x7Fworld\"", std::string(SB()<<pvd::maybeQuote("hello\x7Fworld")));
 }
 
 } // namespace
 
 MAIN(testprinter)
 {
-    testPlan(20);
+    testPlan(26);
     showNTScalarNumeric();
     showNTScalarString();
     showNTEnum();