diff --git a/lib/elixir/lib/kernel.ex b/lib/elixir/lib/kernel.ex
index c652a0099a..c2476ea290 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/lib/kernel.ex
+++ b/lib/elixir/lib/kernel.ex
@@ -5185,7 +5185,7 @@ defmodule Kernel do
           quote(do: Kernel.LexicalTracker.read_cache(unquote(pid), unquote(integer)))
 
         %{} ->
-          :elixir_quote.escape(block, :none, false)
+          :elixir_quote.escape(block, :escape, false)
       end
 
     versioned_vars = env.versioned_vars
@@ -5465,7 +5465,7 @@ defmodule Kernel do
     store =
       case unquoted_expr or unquoted_call do
         true ->
-          :elixir_quote.escape({call, expr}, :none, true)
+          :elixir_quote.escape({call, expr}, :escape, true)
 
         false ->
           key = :erlang.unique_integer()
diff --git a/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/utils.ex b/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/utils.ex
index c126ef10cf..1850fd8ce9 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/utils.ex
+++ b/lib/elixir/lib/kernel/utils.ex
@@ -126,7 +126,7 @@ defmodule Kernel.Utils do
         key == :__struct__ and raise(ArgumentError, "cannot set :__struct__ in struct definition")
 
         try do
-          :elixir_quote.escape(val, :none, false)
+          :elixir_quote.escape(val, :escape, false)
         rescue
           e in [ArgumentError] ->
             raise ArgumentError, "invalid value for struct field #{key}, " <> Exception.message(e)
@@ -171,7 +171,7 @@ defmodule Kernel.Utils do
 
     :lists.foreach(foreach, enforce_keys)
     struct = :maps.from_list([__struct__: module] ++ fields)
-    escaped_struct = :elixir_quote.escape(struct, :none, false)
+    escaped_struct = :elixir_quote.escape(struct, :escape, false)
 
     body =
       case bootstrapped? do
diff --git a/lib/elixir/lib/macro.ex b/lib/elixir/lib/macro.ex
index 2bb45d2a46..ed31255c4a 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/lib/macro.ex
+++ b/lib/elixir/lib/macro.ex
@@ -803,7 +803,9 @@ defmodule Macro do
     * `:unquote` - when `true`, this function leaves `unquote/1` and
       `unquote_splicing/1` expressions unescaped, effectively unquoting
       the contents on escape. This option is useful only when escaping
-      ASTs which may have quoted fragments in them. Defaults to `false`.
+      ASTs which may have quoted fragments in them. Note this option
+      will give a special meaning to `quote`/`unquote` nodes, which need
+      to be valid AST before escaping. Defaults to `false`.
 
     * `:prune_metadata` - when `true`, removes most metadata from escaped AST
       nodes. Note this option changes the semantics of escaped code and
@@ -912,7 +914,7 @@ defmodule Macro do
   @spec escape(term, escape_opts) :: t()
   def escape(expr, opts \\ []) do
     unquote = Keyword.get(opts, :unquote, false)
-    kind = if Keyword.get(opts, :prune_metadata, false), do: :prune_metadata, else: :none
+    kind = if Keyword.get(opts, :prune_metadata, false), do: :escape_and_prune, else: :escape
     generated = Keyword.get(opts, :generated, false)
 
     case :elixir_quote.escape(expr, kind, unquote) do
diff --git a/lib/elixir/src/elixir_quote.erl b/lib/elixir/src/elixir_quote.erl
index 095e402625..c68c485bd3 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/src/elixir_quote.erl
+++ b/lib/elixir/src/elixir_quote.erl
@@ -18,7 +18,7 @@
   line=false,
   file=nil,
   context=nil,
-  op=none, % none | prune_metadata | add_context
+  op=escape, % escape | escape_and_prune | quote
   aliases_hygiene=nil,
   imports_hygiene=nil,
   unquote=true,
@@ -145,21 +145,27 @@ do_tuple_linify(Fun, Meta, Left, Right, Var, Gen) ->
 %% Escapes the given expression. It is similar to quote, but
 %% lines are kept and hygiene mechanisms are disabled.
 escape(Expr, Op, Unquote) ->
-  do_quote(Expr, #elixir_quote{
+  Q = #elixir_quote{
     line=true,
     file=nil,
     op=Op,
     unquote=Unquote
-  }).
+  },
+  case Unquote of
+    true -> do_quote(Expr, Q);
+    false -> do_escape(Expr, Q)
+  end.
 
-do_escape({Left, Meta, Right}, #elixir_quote{op=prune_metadata} = Q) when is_list(Meta) ->
+do_escape({Left, Meta, Right}, #elixir_quote{op=escape_and_prune} = Q) when is_list(Meta) ->
   TM = [{K, V} || {K, V} <- Meta, (K == no_parens) orelse (K == line) orelse (K == delimiter)],
-  TL = do_quote(Left, Q),
-  TR = do_quote(Right, Q),
+  TL = do_escape(Left, Q),
+  TR = do_escape(Right, Q),
   {'{}', [], [TL, TM, TR]};
 
+do_escape({Left, Right}, Q) ->
+  {do_escape(Left, Q), do_escape(Right, Q)};
 do_escape(Tuple, Q) when is_tuple(Tuple) ->
-  TT = do_quote(tuple_to_list(Tuple), Q),
+  TT = do_escape(tuple_to_list(Tuple), Q),
   {'{}', [], TT};
 
 do_escape(BitString, _) when is_bitstring(BitString) ->
@@ -193,7 +199,7 @@ do_escape([], _) ->
   [];
 
 do_escape([H | T], #elixir_quote{unquote=false} = Q) ->
-  do_quote_simple_list(T, do_quote(H, Q), Q);
+  do_quote_simple_list(T, do_escape(H, Q), Q);
 
 do_escape([H | T], Q) ->
   %% The improper case is inefficient, but improper lists are rare.
@@ -203,7 +209,7 @@ do_escape([H | T], Q) ->
     _:_ ->
       {L, R} = reverse_improper(T, [H]),
       TL = do_quote_splice(L, Q, [], []),
-      TR = do_quote(R, Q),
+      TR = do_escape(R, Q),
       update_last(TL, fun(X) -> {'|', [], [X, TR]} end)
   end;
 
@@ -232,7 +238,7 @@ escape_map_key_value(K, V, Map, Q) ->
                         ('Elixir.Kernel':inspect(MaybeRef, []))/binary, ") and therefore it cannot be escaped ",
                         "(it must be defined within a function instead). ", (bad_escape_hint())/binary>>);
     true ->
-      {do_quote(K, Q), do_quote(V, Q)}
+      {do_escape(K, Q), do_escape(V, Q)}
   end.
 
 find_tuple_ref(Tuple, Index) when Index > tuple_size(Tuple) -> nil;
@@ -261,7 +267,7 @@ build(Meta, Line, File, Context, Unquote, Generated, E) ->
   validate_runtime(generated, Generated),
 
   Q = #elixir_quote{
-    op=add_context,
+    op=quote,
     aliases_hygiene=E,
     imports_hygiene=E,
     line=VLine,
@@ -341,7 +347,7 @@ do_quote({quote, Meta, [Arg]}, Q) when is_list(Meta) ->
   TArg = do_quote(Arg, Q#elixir_quote{unquote=false}),
 
   NewMeta = case Q of
-    #elixir_quote{op=add_context, context=Context} -> keystore(context, Meta, Context);
+    #elixir_quote{op=quote, context=Context} -> keystore(context, Meta, Context);
     _ -> Meta
   end,
 
@@ -352,7 +358,7 @@ do_quote({quote, Meta, [Opts, Arg]}, Q) when is_list(Meta) ->
   TArg = do_quote(Arg, Q#elixir_quote{unquote=false}),
 
   NewMeta = case Q of
-    #elixir_quote{op=add_context, context=Context} -> keystore(context, Meta, Context);
+    #elixir_quote{op=quote, context=Context} -> keystore(context, Meta, Context);
     _ -> Meta
   end,
 
@@ -379,7 +385,7 @@ do_quote({'__aliases__', Meta, [H | T]}, #elixir_quote{aliases_hygiene=(#{}=E)}
 
 %% Vars
 
-do_quote({Name, Meta, nil}, #elixir_quote{op=add_context} = Q)
+do_quote({Name, Meta, nil}, #elixir_quote{op=quote} = Q)
     when is_atom(Name), is_list(Meta) ->
   ImportMeta = case Q#elixir_quote.imports_hygiene of
     nil -> Meta;
@@ -435,7 +441,7 @@ do_quote({Left, Right}, Q) ->
 
 %% Everything else
 
-do_quote(Other, #elixir_quote{op=Op} = Q) when Op =/= add_context ->
+do_quote(Other, #elixir_quote{op=Op} = Q) when Op =/= quote ->
   do_escape(Other, Q);
 
 do_quote({_, _, _} = Tuple, Q) ->
diff --git a/lib/elixir/test/elixir/macro_test.exs b/lib/elixir/test/elixir/macro_test.exs
index feaeebe3c7..0c09b31887 100644
--- a/lib/elixir/test/elixir/macro_test.exs
+++ b/lib/elixir/test/elixir/macro_test.exs
@@ -146,6 +146,11 @@ defmodule MacroTest do
       assert Macro.escape({:quote, [], [[do: :foo]]}) == {:{}, [], [:quote, [], [[do: :foo]]]}
     end
 
+    test "escapes the content of :quote tuples" do
+      assert Macro.escape({:quote, [%{}], [{}]}) ==
+               {:{}, [], [:quote, [{:%{}, [], []}], [{:{}, [], []}]]}
+    end
+
     test "escape container when a reference cannot be escaped" do
       assert_raise ArgumentError, ~r"contains a reference", fn ->
         Macro.escape(%{re_pattern: {:re_pattern, 0, 0, 0, make_ref()}})