diff --git a/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl b/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl
index 1ae3b68cd5d..76a6fa486a1 100644
--- a/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/dd/locales/en-US.ftl
@@ -90,21 +90,21 @@ dd-error-not-directory = setting flags for '{ $file }': Not a directory
 dd-error-failed-discard-cache = failed to discard cache for: { $file }
 
 # Parse errors
-dd-error-unrecognized-operand = unrecognized operand '{ $operand }'
+dd-error-unrecognized-operand = unrecognized operand { $operand }
 dd-error-multiple-format-table = cannot combine any two of {"{"}ascii,ebcdic,ibm{"}"}
 dd-error-multiple-case = cannot combine lcase and ucase
 dd-error-multiple-block = cannot combine block and unblock
 dd-error-multiple-excl = cannot combine excl and nocreat
-dd-error-invalid-flag = invalid input flag: '{ $flag }'
-dd-error-invalid-output-flag = invalid output flag: '{ $flag }'
-dd-error-conv-flag-no-match = invalid conversion: '{ $flag }'
-dd-error-multiplier-parse-failure = invalid number: '{ $input }'
+dd-error-invalid-flag = invalid input flag: { $flag }
+dd-error-invalid-output-flag = invalid output flag: { $flag }
+dd-error-conv-flag-no-match = invalid conversion: { $flag }
+dd-error-multiplier-parse-failure = invalid number: { $input }
 dd-error-multiplier-overflow = Multiplier string would overflow on current system -> { $input }
 dd-error-block-without-cbs = conv=block or conv=unblock specified without cbs=N
-dd-error-status-not-recognized = invalid status level: '{ $level }'
+dd-error-status-not-recognized = invalid status level: { $level }
 dd-error-unimplemented = feature not implemented on this system -> { $feature }
 dd-error-bs-out-of-range = { $param }=N cannot fit into memory
-dd-error-invalid-number = invalid number: '{ $input }'
+dd-error-invalid-number = invalid number: { $input }
 
 # Progress messages
 dd-progress-records-in = { $complete }+{ $partial } records in
diff --git a/src/uu/dd/locales/fr-FR.ftl b/src/uu/dd/locales/fr-FR.ftl
index 10c96bc766d..2e418672e1d 100644
--- a/src/uu/dd/locales/fr-FR.ftl
+++ b/src/uu/dd/locales/fr-FR.ftl
@@ -91,21 +91,21 @@ dd-error-not-directory = définir les indicateurs pour '{ $file }' : N'est pas u
 dd-error-failed-discard-cache = échec de la suppression du cache pour : { $file }
 
 # Parse errors
-dd-error-unrecognized-operand = opérande non reconnue '{ $operand }'
+dd-error-unrecognized-operand = opérande non reconnue { $operand }
 dd-error-multiple-format-table = impossible de combiner deux options parmi {"{"}ascii,ebcdic,ibm{"}"}
 dd-error-multiple-case = impossible de combiner lcase et ucase
 dd-error-multiple-block = impossible de combiner block et unblock
 dd-error-multiple-excl = impossible de combiner excl et nocreat
-dd-error-invalid-flag = indicateur d'entrée invalide : '{ $flag }'
-dd-error-invalid-output-flag = indicateur de sortie invalide : '{ $flag }'
-dd-error-conv-flag-no-match = conversion invalide : '{ $flag }'
-dd-error-multiplier-parse-failure = nombre invalide : '{ $input }'
+dd-error-invalid-flag = indicateur d'entrée invalide : { $flag }
+dd-error-invalid-output-flag = indicateur de sortie invalide : { $flag }
+dd-error-conv-flag-no-match = conversion invalide : { $flag }
+dd-error-multiplier-parse-failure = nombre invalide : { $input }
 dd-error-multiplier-overflow = La chaîne de multiplicateur déborderait sur le système actuel -> { $input }
 dd-error-block-without-cbs = conv=block ou conv=unblock spécifié sans cbs=N
-dd-error-status-not-recognized = niveau d'état invalide : '{ $level }'
+dd-error-status-not-recognized = niveau d'état invalide : { $level }
 dd-error-unimplemented = fonctionnalité non implémentée sur ce système -> { $feature }
 dd-error-bs-out-of-range = { $param }=N ne peut pas tenir en mémoire
-dd-error-invalid-number = nombre invalide : '{ $input }'
+dd-error-invalid-number = nombre invalide : { $input }
 
 # Progress messages
 dd-progress-records-in = { $complete }+{ $partial } enregistrements en entrée
diff --git a/src/uu/dd/src/parseargs.rs b/src/uu/dd/src/parseargs.rs
index d0aa6d88e2e..183f6da8b3c 100644
--- a/src/uu/dd/src/parseargs.rs
+++ b/src/uu/dd/src/parseargs.rs
@@ -14,13 +14,39 @@ use thiserror::Error;
 use uucore::display::Quotable;
 use uucore::error::UError;
 use uucore::parser::parse_size::{ParseSizeError, Parser as SizeParser};
+use uucore::quoting_style::{Quotes, QuotingStyle, locale_aware_escape_name};
 use uucore::show_warning;
 use uucore::translate;
 
+/// A value in single quotes, with the characters a terminal would not show
+/// spelled out, as GNU's `quote` does: `status=$'\1'` is reported as `'\001'`
+/// rather than as the byte itself.
+fn quote(value: &str) -> String {
+    escape(
+        value,
+        QuotingStyle::C {
+            quotes: Quotes::Single,
+        },
+    )
+}
+
+/// The same, in the shell syntax GNU quotes numbers and operands with, where
+/// an unprintable byte ends the quoted run rather than being escaped inside
+/// it: `''$'\001'`.
+fn shell_quote(value: &str) -> String {
+    escape(value, QuotingStyle::SHELL_ESCAPE_QUOTE)
+}
+
+fn escape(value: &str, style: QuotingStyle) -> String {
+    locale_aware_escape_name(value.as_ref(), style)
+        .into_string()
+        .expect("escaping a str only ever adds ASCII")
+}
+
 /// Parser Errors describe errors with parser input
 #[derive(Debug, PartialEq, Eq, Error)]
 pub enum ParseError {
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-unrecognized-operand", "operand" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-unrecognized-operand", "operand" => shell_quote(.0)))]
     UnrecognizedOperand(String),
     #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-multiple-format-table"))]
     MultipleFmtTable,
@@ -30,27 +56,27 @@ pub enum ParseError {
     MultipleBlockUnblock,
     #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-multiple-excl"))]
     MultipleExclNoCreate,
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-invalid-flag", "flag" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-invalid-flag", "flag" => quote(.0)))]
     FlagNoMatch(String),
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-invalid-output-flag", "flag" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-invalid-output-flag", "flag" => quote(.0)))]
     OutputFlagNoMatch(String),
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-conv-flag-no-match", "flag" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-conv-flag-no-match", "flag" => quote(.0)))]
     ConvFlagNoMatch(String),
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-multiplier-parse-failure", "input" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-multiplier-parse-failure", "input" => shell_quote(.0)))]
     MultiplierStringParseFailure(String),
     #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-multiplier-overflow", "input" => .0))]
     MultiplierStringOverflow(String),
     #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-block-without-cbs"))]
     BlockUnblockWithoutCBS,
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-status-not-recognized", "level" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-status-not-recognized", "level" => quote(.0)))]
     StatusLevelNotRecognized(String),
     #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-unimplemented", "feature" => .0))]
     Unimplemented(String),
     #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-bs-out-of-range", "param" => .0))]
     BsOutOfRange(String),
-    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-invalid-number", "input" => .0))]
+    #[error("{}", translate!("dd-error-invalid-number", "input" => shell_quote(.0)))]
     InvalidNumber(String),
-    #[error("invalid number: '{0}': {1}")]
+    #[error("invalid number: {}: {}", shell_quote(.0), .1)]
     InvalidNumberWithErrMsg(String, String),
 }
 
diff --git a/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs b/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs
index 943fdd4feaa..a132e5b4bab 100644
--- a/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs
+++ b/tests/by-util/test_dd.rs
@@ -1394,6 +1394,49 @@ fn test_invalid_flag_arg_gnu_compatibility() {
     }
 }
 
+/// A value that would not survive being printed is spelled out instead, as
+/// GNU does, rather than sending the raw byte to the terminal.
+#[test]
+fn test_operand_value_is_quoted_like_gnu() {
+    // The choices GNU quotes plainly: single quotes with C escapes inside.
+    for (operand, message) in [
+        ("status=\u{1}", r"invalid status level: '\001'"),
+        ("status=a\tb", r"invalid status level: 'a\tb'"),
+        ("status=a'b", r"invalid status level: 'a\'b'"),
+        ("status=a\\b", r"invalid status level: 'a\\b'"),
+        ("status=a b", "invalid status level: 'a b'"),
+        ("iflag=\u{1}", r"invalid input flag: '\001'"),
+        ("oflag=\u{1}", r"invalid output flag: '\001'"),
+        ("conv=\u{1}", r"invalid conversion: '\001'"),
+    ] {
+        new_ucmd!().args(&[operand]).fails().usage_error(message);
+    }
+
+    // Numbers and operands take the shell syntax GNU uses for them, where an
+    // unprintable byte ends the quoted run rather than being escaped inside
+    // it, and a quote switches which quotes are used.
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["\u{1}=1"])
+        .fails()
+        .usage_error(r"unrecognized operand ''$'\001''=1'");
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["bs=\u{1}"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_is("dd: invalid number: ''$'\\001'\n");
+
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["bs=a'b"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_is("dd: invalid number: \"a'b\"\n");
+
+    // An ordinary value is quoted too, which is what it already was.
+    new_ucmd!()
+        .args(&["bs=29d"])
+        .fails()
+        .stderr_is("dd: invalid number: '29d'\n");
+}
+
 #[test]
 fn test_invalid_file_arg_gnu_compatibility() {
     new_ucmd!()