diff --git a/src/bin/fish_key_reader.rs b/src/bin/fish_key_reader.rs
index 6d83da1a4..d874941de 100644
--- a/src/bin/fish_key_reader.rs
+++ b/src/bin/fish_key_reader.rs
@@ -20,7 +20,7 @@ use fish::{
     eprintf, fprintf,
     input::input_terminfo_get_name,
     input_common::{terminal_protocols_enable_ifn, CharEvent, InputEventQueue, InputEventQueuer},
-    key::{self, char_to_symbol, Key},
+    key::{self, byte_to_symbol, Key},
     panic::panic_handler,
     print_help::print_help,
     printf,
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ fn process_input(continuous_mode: bool, verbose: bool) -> i32 {
         if verbose {
             printf!("# decoded from: ");
             for byte in kevt.seq.chars() {
-                printf!("%s", &char_to_symbol(byte));
+                printf!("%s", &byte_to_symbol(byte));
             }
             printf!("\n");
         }
diff --git a/src/key.rs b/src/key.rs
index 086f5e869..415798d17 100644
--- a/src/key.rs
+++ b/src/key.rs
@@ -418,7 +418,7 @@ fn ctrl_to_symbol(buf: &mut WString, c: char) {
     // 2. key names that are given as raw escape sequence (\e123); those we want to display
     // similar to how they are given.
 
-    let ctrl_symbolic_names: [&wstr; 29] = {
+    let ctrl_symbolic_names: [&wstr; 28] = {
         std::array::from_fn(|i| match i {
             8 => L!("\\b"),
             9 => L!("\\t"),
@@ -453,15 +453,26 @@ fn ascii_printable_to_symbol(buf: &mut WString, c: char) {
     }
 }
 
+pub fn byte_to_symbol(c: char) -> WString {
+    let mut buff = WString::new();
+    let buf = &mut buff;
+    if c <= '\x1b' {
+        ctrl_to_symbol(buf, c);
+    } else if ('\u{30}'..'\u{7f}').contains(&c) {
+        // ASCII characters that are not control characters
+        ascii_printable_to_symbol(buf, c);
+    } else {
+        sprintf!(=> buf, "\\x%02x", 0x7f);
+    }
+    buff
+}
+
 /// Convert a wide-char to a symbol that can be used in our output.
-pub fn char_to_symbol(c: char) -> WString {
+pub(crate) fn char_to_symbol(c: char) -> WString {
     let mut buff = WString::new();
     let buf = &mut buff;
     if c <= ' ' {
         ctrl_to_symbol(buf, c);
-    } else if c == '\u{7f}' {
-        // DEL is at the end of the ASCII range
-        sprintf!(=> buf, "\\x%02x", 0x7f);
     } else if c < '\u{80}' {
         // ASCII characters that are not control characters
         ascii_printable_to_symbol(buf, c);