diff --git a/examples/main/main.cpp b/examples/main/main.cpp
index 5545831c2..ad7b7abf5 100644
--- a/examples/main/main.cpp
+++ b/examples/main/main.cpp
@@ -320,14 +320,8 @@ int main(int argc, char ** argv) {
     }
 
     // prefix & suffix for instruct mode
-    std::string inp_pfx_str = "\n\n### Instruction:\n\n";
-    std::string inp_sfx_str = "\n\n### Response:\n\n";
-    if (params.escape) {
-        process_escapes(inp_pfx_str);
-        process_escapes(inp_sfx_str);
-    }
-    const auto inp_pfx = ::llama_tokenize(ctx, inp_pfx_str, add_bos);
-    const auto inp_sfx = ::llama_tokenize(ctx, inp_sfx_str,   false);
+    const auto inp_pfx = ::llama_tokenize(ctx, "\n\n### Instruction:\n\n", add_bos);
+    const auto inp_sfx = ::llama_tokenize(ctx, "\n\n### Response:\n\n",    false);
 
     LOG("inp_pfx: %s\n", LOG_TOKENS_TOSTR_PRETTY(ctx, inp_pfx));
     LOG("inp_sfx: %s\n", LOG_TOKENS_TOSTR_PRETTY(ctx, inp_sfx));