diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/keyed_args.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/keyed_args.ludic
index 6de5a29c..e3668e1d 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/keyed_args.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/keyed_args.ludic
@@ -1,6 +1,7 @@
 # keyed_args.ludic - a key's arguments as the decoder reads them: unescaped, looked up while still English, a count
 
-# an argument as it was handed in: each 27 before a 27 or a 31 taken off
+# an argument as it was handed in: each 27 before a 27 or a 31 taken off, outside a bracket only (a
+# bracketed line inside it was carried raw, and its own escapes are its own)
 @alloc_ok("a key made into text (a cache miss): an argument that held a key with holes")
 function kr_unescape(s: string) -> string {
   var esc = false
@@ -8,9 +9,11 @@ function kr_unescape(s: string) -> string {
   if not esc { return s }
   let buf = buffer(len(s))
   var n = 0
+  var d = 0
   var i = 0
   while i < len(s) {
-    if s[i] == I18N_ESC and i + 1 < len(s) { i += 1 }
+    d = kx_depth(d, s[i])
+    if d == 0 and s[i] == I18N_ESC and i + 1 < len(s) { i += 1 }
     buf[n] = s[i]
     n += 1
     i += 1
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/keys.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/keys.ludic
index 5d9a9b38..8266d6bd 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/keys.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/keys.ludic
@@ -63,16 +63,23 @@ function kx_sep(buf: []byte, at: int) -> int {
   buf[at] = I18N_SEP
   return at + 1
 }
-# an argument's bytes, a 27 before each 27 or 31 of its own, so a key with holes can be one
+# an argument's bytes, a 27 before each 27 or 31 of its own outside any bracket (a bracketed line's
+# bytes are its own and ride raw, 29 .. 30 delimit it), so a key with holes can be one
 function kx_len(s: string) -> int {
   var n = len(s)
-  for i in 0 .. len(s) { if s[i] == I18N_SEP or s[i] == I18N_ESC { n += 1 } }
+  var d = 0
+  for i in 0 .. len(s) {
+    d = kx_depth(d, s[i])
+    if d == 0 and (s[i] == I18N_SEP or s[i] == I18N_ESC) { n += 1 }
+  }
   return n
 }
 function kx_arg(buf: []byte, at: int, s: string) -> int {
   var j = at
+  var d = 0
   for i in 0 .. len(s) {
-    if s[i] == I18N_SEP or s[i] == I18N_ESC {
+    d = kx_depth(d, s[i])
+    if d == 0 and (s[i] == I18N_SEP or s[i] == I18N_ESC) {
       buf[j] = I18N_ESC
       j += 1
     }
@@ -81,6 +88,12 @@ function kx_arg(buf: []byte, at: int, s: string) -> int {
   }
   return j
 }
+# how deep in brackets a byte leaves the reader
+function kx_depth(d: int, c: int) -> int {
+  if c == I18N_OPEN { return d + 1 }
+  if c == I18N_CLOSE and d > 0 { return d - 1 }
+  return d
+}
 function kx_put(buf: []byte, at: int, s: string) -> int {
   for i in 0 .. len(s) { buf[at + i] = s[i] }
   return at + len(s)
diff --git a/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/nest_test.ludic b/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/nest_test.ludic
index 1be2f917..1bf5eaab 100644
--- a/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/nest_test.ludic
+++ b/packages/ludic.i18n/tests/nest_test.ludic
@@ -5,7 +5,7 @@ program I18nNestTest {
   numbers float
   function q(s: string) -> string { return "\"" + s + "\"" }
   function po_line(id: string, tr: string) -> string { return "msgid " + q(id) + "\nmsgstr " + q(tr) + "\n\n" }
-  function en() -> string { return po_line("hud.day", "Day {1}") + po_line("pause.quit", "Quit") + po_line("shop.ada", "Ada: {1}") }
+  function en() -> string { return po_line("hud.day", "Day {1}") + po_line("pause.quit", "Quit") + po_line("shop.ada", "Ada: {1}") + po_line("lore.talk", "{1} is back, {2}.") + po_line("lore.brief", "{1} {2} {3}") }
   function tt() -> string { return po_line("hud.day", "{1}. Gun") + po_line("pause.quit", "Cik") + po_line("Settings", "Ayarlar") }
   function b(s: string) -> string {
     let o = buffer(1)
@@ -39,4 +39,17 @@ program I18nNestTest {
     expect(L(i18n_st, "Quit" + text_of(c, 1)) == "Quit")
     expect(kx_nested("Quit") == false)
   }
+
+  test "a key whose hole holds a key with two holes, bare, bracketed as a game's txt_key puts it, or in trf" (i18n_st: mut I18nState) {
+    start(i18n_st)
+    let talk = trf(k"lore.talk", "Old Maroon", "under the far shore", "", "")
+    let brief = trf(k"lore.brief", "Lightning.", talk, tr(k"pause.quit"), "")
+    let whole = "Lightning. Old Maroon is back, under the far shore. Quit"
+    expect(L(i18n_st, brief) == whole)
+    let sep = buffer(1)
+    sep[0] = I18N_SEP
+    expect(L(i18n_st, b(tr(k"shop.ada") + text_of(sep, 1) + b(brief))) == "Ada: " + whole)   # txt_key's shape: raw inside
+    expect(L(i18n_st, trf(k"shop.ada", b(brief), "", "", "")) == "Ada: " + whole)
+    expect(L(i18n_st, trf(k"shop.ada", brief, "", "", "")) == "Ada: " + whole)
+  }
 }