diff --git a/src/k_dialogue.cpp b/src/k_dialogue.cpp
index 538e6d7d8..f489088cc 100644
--- a/src/k_dialogue.cpp
+++ b/src/k_dialogue.cpp
@@ -218,7 +218,7 @@ void Dialogue::SetSpeaker(std::string name, patch_t *patch, UINT8 *colormap, sfx
 	typewriter.voiceSfx = voice;
 }
 
-void Dialogue::NewText(std::string rawText)
+void Dialogue::NewText(std::string_view rawText)
 {
 	Init();
 
@@ -226,7 +226,7 @@ void Dialogue::NewText(std::string rawText)
 		290 << FRACBITS,
 		FRACUNIT, FRACUNIT, FRACUNIT,
 		0, HU_FONT,
-		rawText.c_str()
+		srb2::Draw::TextElement().parse(rawText).string().c_str() // parse special characters
 	);
 
 	typewriter.NewText(newText);
diff --git a/src/k_dialogue.hpp b/src/k_dialogue.hpp
index bdea25626..eda14d67d 100644
--- a/src/k_dialogue.hpp
+++ b/src/k_dialogue.hpp
@@ -15,6 +15,7 @@
 #define __K_DIALOGUE_HPP__
 
 #include <string>
+#include <string_view>
 
 #include "doomdef.h"
 #include "doomtype.h"
@@ -34,7 +35,7 @@ public:
 	void SetSpeaker(std::string skinName, int portraitID);
 	void SetSpeaker(std::string name, patch_t *patch, UINT8 *colormap, sfxenum_t voice);
 
-	void NewText(std::string newText);
+	void NewText(std::string_view newText);
 
 	bool Active(void);
 	bool TextDone(void);