diff --git a/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js b/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js
index ebf7be80e2a2f5..20514a88e1741a 100644
--- a/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js
+++ b/lib/internal/test_runner/reporter/tap.js
@@ -132,14 +132,14 @@ function indent(nesting) {
 
 // In certain places, # and \ need to be escaped as \# and \\.
 function tapEscape(input) {
-  let result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(input, '\\', '\\\\');
-  result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '#', '\\#');
-  result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\b', '\\b');
+  let result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(input, '\b', '\\b');
   result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\f', '\\f');
   result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\t', '\\t');
   result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\n', '\\n');
   result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\r', '\\r');
   result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\v', '\\v');
+  result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '\\', '\\\\');
+  result = StringPrototypeReplaceAll(result, '#', '\\#');
   return result;
 }
 
diff --git a/test/message/test_runner_output.out b/test/message/test_runner_output.out
index 42eae979daf6dd..15d2009816a961 100644
--- a/test/message/test_runner_output.out
+++ b/test/message/test_runner_output.out
@@ -346,8 +346,8 @@ ok 36 - functionAndOptions # SKIP
   ---
   duration_ms: *
   ...
-# Subtest: escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ \n \t \f \v \b \r
-ok 37 - escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ \n \t \f \v \b \r
+# Subtest: escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ \\n \\t \\f \\v \\b \\r
+ok 37 - escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ \\n \\t \\f \\v \\b \\r
   ---
   duration_ms: *
   ...
diff --git a/test/message/test_runner_output_cli.out b/test/message/test_runner_output_cli.out
index 044610905755ca..a8e2f2c5b586f4 100644
--- a/test/message/test_runner_output_cli.out
+++ b/test/message/test_runner_output_cli.out
@@ -122,9 +122,9 @@ TAP version 13
       failureType: 'testCodeFailure'
       error: |-
         Expected values to be strictly equal:
-        
+
         true !== false
-        
+
       code: 'ERR_ASSERTION'
       expected: false
       actual: true
@@ -345,8 +345,8 @@ TAP version 13
       ---
       duration_ms: *
       ...
-    # Subtest: escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ n \\t f \\v b \\r
-    ok 37 - escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ n \\t f \\v b \\r
+    # Subtest: escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ \\n \\t \\f \\v \\b \\r
+    ok 37 - escaped description \\ \# \\\#\\ \\n \\t \\f \\v \\b \\r
       ---
       duration_ms: *
       ...