diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dblookup.c b/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dblookup.c
index 0d5458778..432abc48e 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dblookup.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dblookup.c
@@ -459,10 +459,10 @@ txtrr(Ndbtuple*, Ndbtuple *pair)
 		for(i = 0; i < n && sofar < len; i++){
 			uint c = pair->val[sofar++];
 			if(c == '\\' && sofar < len){
-				if(pair->val[sofar] >= '0' && pair->val[sofar] <= '7'){
+				if(pair->val[sofar] >= '0' && pair->val[sofar] <= '9'){
 					c = pair->val[sofar++] - '0';
-					while(pair->val[sofar] >= '0' && pair->val[sofar] <= '7')
-						c = (c << 3) | (pair->val[sofar++] - '0');
+					while(pair->val[sofar] >= '0' && pair->val[sofar] <= '9')
+						c = (c * 10) + (pair->val[sofar++] - '0');
 				} else {
 					c = pair->val[sofar++];
 				}
diff --git a/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dn.c b/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dn.c
index 377fdd987..2fbbb50c6 100644
--- a/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dn.c
+++ b/sys/src/cmd/ndb/dn.c
@@ -1201,7 +1201,7 @@ idnname(DN *dn, char *buf, int nbuf)
  *  control characters and double quotes (") which would
  *  collide with ndb(6) format.
  *  escape special characters by encoding them as: \DDD
- *  where D is a octal digit. backslash (\) is escaped
+ *  where D is a decimal digit. backslash (\) is escaped
  *  by doubling. valid utf8 is encoded verbatim.
  */
 int
@@ -1227,7 +1227,7 @@ bslashfmt(Fmt *f)
 		}
 		c = *data;
 		if(c < ' ' || c == '"' || c > '~')
-			out += fmtprint(f, "\\%.3o", c);
+			out += fmtprint(f, "\\%.3d", c);
 		else if(c == '\\')
 			out += fmtprint(f, "\\\\");
 		else