diff --git a/src/sgfParser/propValues.py b/src/sgfParser/propValues.py
old mode 100644
new mode 100755
--- a/src/sgfParser/propValues.py
+++ b/src/sgfParser/propValues.py
@@ -7,6 +7,15 @@ class Regexp:
 	number=re.compile(r"(\+|-|)\d+")
 	real=re.compile(r"(\+|-|)\d+(\.\d+)?")
 	point=re.compile(r"[a-zA-Z]{2}|")
+	text=re.compile(r"(?:.*?[^\\])??(?:\\\\)*(?=])", re.DOTALL)
+	composedText=re.compile(r"(?:.*?[^\\])??(?:\\\\)*(?=]|:)", re.DOTALL)
+
+	class Text:
+		softBreaks=re.compile(r"(^|[^\\])((\\\\)*)\\((\n\r)|(\r\n)|\r|\n)")
+		whitespace=re.compile(r"[\t\f\v]")
+		simpleWhitespace=re.compile(r"[\t\f\v\n\r]")
+		removeSlashes=re.compile(r"(^|[^\\])((\\\\)*)\\($|[^\\])")
+		unescapeSlashes=re.compile(r"\\\\")
 
 
 class Composed:
@@ -124,27 +133,18 @@ def color(s,start):
 
 def text(simple=True,composed=False):
 	def f(s,start):
-		res=""
-		esc=False
-		lastC=""
-		i=start
-		for i,c in enumerate(s[start:],start):
-			if esc:
-				if c!="\n" and c!="\r": res+=c
-				esc=False
-			elif (c=="\n" and lastC=="\r") or (c=="\r" and lastC=="\n"): pass
-			elif c=="\r" or c=="\n" and not simple:
-				res+="\n"
-			elif c.isspace():
-				res+=" "
-			elif c=="\\":
-				esc=True
-			elif c=="]" or (c==":" and composed):
-				break
-			else:
-				res+=c
-			lastC=c
-		return (i,res)
+		regexps=Regexp.Text
+		m=Regexp.composedText.match(s,start) if composed else Regexp.text.match(s,start)
+		res=m.group(0)
+		res=regexps.softBreaks.sub(r"\1\2",res) # remove soft line breaks
+		if simple:
+			res=regexps.simpleWhitespace.sub(" ",res) # convert whitespace to spaces, no escapes
+		else:
+			res=regexps.whitespace.sub(" ",res) # convert whitespace to spaces, no escapes
+		res=regexps.removeSlashes.sub(r"\1\2\4",res)
+		res=regexps.unescapeSlashes.sub(r"\\",res) # unescape slashes
+
+		return (m.end(),res)
 	return f
 
 
@@ -153,6 +153,7 @@ def empty(s,start): return (start,"")
 
 def anything(s,start):
 	esc=False
+	i=start
 	for i,c in enumerate(s[start:],start):
 		if esc: esc=False
 		elif c=="\\": esc=True
diff --git a/src/tests/testSgfParser.py b/src/tests/testSgfParser.py
--- a/src/tests/testSgfParser.py
+++ b/src/tests/testSgfParser.py
@@ -6,6 +6,7 @@ import os
 from sgfParser import strRowCol
 from sgfParser.collection import Collection
 from sgfParser.property import Property
+from sgfParser.propValues import text,compose
 
 
 dataDir=os.path.join(os.path.dirname(__file__), "data")
@@ -37,6 +38,21 @@ class TestProperty(TestCase):
 		self.assertNotEqual((i,prop), (0,None))
 		self.assertEqual((i,prop.name), (6,"MN"))
 
+	def testText(self):
+		s=r"""[abc\
+def
+ghi]"""
+		self.assertEqual(text()(s,1)[1], "abcdef ghi")
+		self.assertEqual(text(False)(s,1)[1], "abcdef\nghi")
+
+		s="""[m\\no\\\tpqr\\]\\\\]"""
+		self.assertEqual(text()(s,1)[1], "mno pqr]\\")
+		self.assertEqual(text(False)(s,1)[1], "mno pqr]\\")
+
+		s="""[abc:def]"""
+		parsed=compose(text(composed=True),text(composed=True))(s,1)
+		self.assertEqual(str(parsed[1]), "abc:def")
+
 
 class TestCollection(TestCase):
 	def testSubtrees(self):