diff --git a/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb b/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb
index 23a88f2..4e8aec8 100644
--- a/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb
+++ b/lib/net/ldap/filter.rb
@@ -1,3 +1,4 @@
+# Encoding: UTF-8
 # Copyright (C) 2006 by Francis Cianfrocca and other contributors. All
 # Rights Reserved.
 #
@@ -243,10 +244,28 @@ class Net::LDAP::Filter
     alias_method :present, :present?
     alias_method :pres, :present?
 
+    # http://tools.ietf.org/html/rfc4515 lists these exceptions from UTF1
+    # charset for filters. All of the following must be escaped in any normal
+    # string using a single backslash ('\') as escape. 
+    #
+    ESCAPES = {
+      '!' => '21', # EXCLAMATION    = %x21 ; exclamation mark ("!")
+      '&' => '26', # AMPERSAND      = %x26 ; ampersand (or AND symbol) ("&")
+      '*' => '2A', # ASTERISK       = %x2A ; asterisk ("*")
+      ':' => '3A', # COLON          = %x3A ; colon (":")
+      '|' => '7C', # VERTBAR        = %x7C ; vertical bar (or pipe) ("|")
+      '~' => '7E', # TILDE          = %x7E ; tilde ("~")
+    }
+    # Compiled character class regexp using the keys from the above hash. 
+    ESCAPE_RE = Regexp.new(
+      "[" + 
+      ESCAPES.keys.map { |e| Regexp.escape(e) }.join + 
+      "]")
+
     ##
     # Escape a string for use in an LDAP filter
     def escape(string)
-      string.gsub(/[\*\(\)\\\0]/) {|s| sprintf("\\%02x", s[0]) } 
+      string.gsub(ESCAPE_RE) { |char| "\\" + ESCAPES[char] }
     end
 
     ##
diff --git a/spec/unit/ldap/filter_spec.rb b/spec/unit/ldap/filter_spec.rb
index fac0c28..623f032 100644
--- a/spec/unit/ldap/filter_spec.rb
+++ b/spec/unit/ldap/filter_spec.rb
@@ -49,5 +49,35 @@ describe Net::LDAP::Filter do
       Net::LDAP::Filter.construct("uid=O'Keefe").to_rfc2254.should == "(uid=O'Keefe)"
     end 
   end
-  
+
+  describe "convenience filter constructors" do
+    def eq(attribute, value)
+      described_class.eq(attribute, value)
+    end
+    describe "<- .equals(attr, val)" do
+      it "should delegate to .eq with escaping" do
+        described_class.equals('dn', 'f*oo').should == eq('dn', 'f\2Aoo')
+      end 
+    end
+    describe "<- .begins(attr, val)" do
+      it "should delegate to .eq with escaping" do
+        described_class.begins('dn', 'f*oo').should == eq('dn', 'f\2Aoo*')
+      end 
+    end
+    describe "<- .ends(attr, val)" do
+      it "should delegate to .eq with escaping" do
+        described_class.ends('dn', 'f*oo').should == eq('dn', '*f\2Aoo')
+      end 
+    end
+    describe "<- .contains(attr, val)" do
+      it "should delegate to .eq with escaping" do
+        described_class.contains('dn', 'f*oo').should == eq('dn', '*f\2Aoo*')
+      end 
+    end
+  end
+  describe "<- .escape(str)" do
+    it "should escape !, &, *, :, | and ~" do
+      Net::LDAP::Filter.escape('!&*:|~').should == "\\21\\26\\2A\\3A\\7C\\7E"
+    end 
+  end
 end
\ No newline at end of file
diff --git a/test/test_filter.rb b/test/test_filter.rb
index c7214a7..88495f1 100644
--- a/test/test_filter.rb
+++ b/test/test_filter.rb
@@ -24,13 +24,6 @@ class TestFilter < Test::Unit::TestCase
     assert_equal("(uid=george *)", Filter.eq("uid", "george *").to_s)
   end
 
-  def test_convenience_filters
-    assert_equal("(uid=\\2a)", Filter.equals("uid", "*").to_s)
-    assert_equal("(uid=\\28*)", Filter.begins("uid", "(").to_s)
-    assert_equal("(uid=*\\29)", Filter.ends("uid", ")").to_s)
-    assert_equal("(uid=*\\5c*)", Filter.contains("uid", "\\").to_s)
-  end
-
 	def test_c2
     assert_equal("(uid=george *)",
                  Filter.from_rfc2254("uid=george *").to_rfc2254)