diff --git a/helix-term/src/commands.rs b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
index b232c0246002..98d10ef965cb 100644
--- a/helix-term/src/commands.rs
+++ b/helix-term/src/commands.rs
@@ -5978,9 +5978,15 @@ fn record_macro(cx: &mut Context) {
         keys.pop();
         let s = keys
             .into_iter()
-            .map(|key| key.to_string())
-            .collect::<Vec<_>>()
-            .join(" ");
+            .map(|key| {
+                let s = key.to_string();
+                if s.chars().count() == 1 {
+                    s
+                } else {
+                    format!("<{}>", s)
+                }
+            })
+            .collect::<String>();
         cx.editor.registers.get_mut(reg).write(vec![s]);
         cx.editor
             .set_status(format!("Recorded to register [{}]", reg));
@@ -5995,8 +6001,38 @@ fn record_macro(cx: &mut Context) {
 fn replay_macro(cx: &mut Context) {
     let reg = cx.register.unwrap_or('@');
     // TODO: macro keys should be parsed one by one and not space delimited (see kak)
-    let keys: Vec<KeyEvent> = if let Some([keys]) = cx.editor.registers.read(reg) {
-        match keys.split_whitespace().map(str::parse).collect() {
+    let keys: Vec<KeyEvent> = if let Some([keys_str]) = cx.editor.registers.read(reg) {
+        let mut keys_res: anyhow::Result<_> = Ok(Vec::new());
+        let mut i = 0;
+        while let Ok(keys) = &mut keys_res {
+            if i >= keys_str.len() {
+                break;
+            }
+            if !keys_str.is_char_boundary(i) {
+                i += 1;
+                continue;
+            }
+
+            let s = &keys_str[i..];
+            let mut end_i = 1;
+            while !s.is_char_boundary(end_i) {
+                end_i += 1;
+            }
+            let c = &s[..end_i];
+            if c != "<" {
+                keys.push(c);
+                i += end_i;
+            } else {
+                match s.find('>').context("'>' expected") {
+                    Ok(end_i) => {
+                        keys.push(&s[1..end_i]);
+                        i += end_i + 1;
+                    }
+                    Err(err) => keys_res = Err(err),
+                }
+            }
+        }
+        match keys_res.and_then(|keys| keys.into_iter().map(str::parse).collect()) {
             Ok(keys) => keys,
             Err(err) => {
                 cx.editor.set_error(format!("Invalid macro: {}", err));