diff --git a/pymc3/distributions/continuous.py b/pymc3/distributions/continuous.py
index b1f1f84570..ee67a89e68 100644
--- a/pymc3/distributions/continuous.py
+++ b/pymc3/distributions/continuous.py
@@ -201,9 +201,7 @@ def logp(self, value):
         return tt.zeros_like(value)
 
     def _repr_latex_(self, name=None, dist=None):
-        if dist is None:
-            dist = self
-        return r'${} \sim \text{Flat}()$'
+        return r'${} \sim \text{Flat}()$'.format(name)
 
 
 class HalfFlat(PositiveContinuous):
@@ -220,9 +218,7 @@ def logp(self, value):
         return bound(tt.zeros_like(value), value > 0)
 
     def _repr_latex_(self, name=None, dist=None):
-        if dist is None:
-            dist = self
-        return r'${} \sim \text{{HalfFlat}()$'
+        return r'${} \sim \text{{HalfFlat}()$'.format(name)
 
 
 class Normal(Continuous):
diff --git a/pymc3/model.py b/pymc3/model.py
index 1c626d01cb..01ac38ddc9 100644
--- a/pymc3/model.py
+++ b/pymc3/model.py
@@ -17,7 +17,7 @@
 from .theanof import gradient, hessian, inputvars, generator
 from .vartypes import typefilter, discrete_types, continuous_types, isgenerator
 from .blocking import DictToArrayBijection, ArrayOrdering
-from .util import get_transformed_name
+from .util import get_transformed_name, escape_latex
 
 __all__ = [
     'Model', 'Factor', 'compilef', 'fn', 'fastfn', 'modelcontext',
@@ -1081,7 +1081,7 @@ def _repr_latex_(self, name=None, dist=None):
             name = self.name
         if dist is None:
             dist = self.distribution
-        return self.distribution._repr_latex_(name=name, dist=dist)
+        return self.distribution._repr_latex_(name=escape_latex(name), dist=dist)
 
     __latex__ = _repr_latex_
 
@@ -1186,7 +1186,7 @@ def _repr_latex_(self, name=None, dist=None):
             name = self.name
         if dist is None:
             dist = self.distribution
-        return self.distribution._repr_latex_(name=name, dist=dist)
+        return self.distribution._repr_latex_(name=escape_latex(name), dist=dist)
 
     __latex__ = _repr_latex_
 
@@ -1335,7 +1335,7 @@ def _repr_latex_(self, name=None, dist=None):
             name = self.name
         if dist is None:
             dist = self.distribution
-        return self.distribution._repr_latex_(name=name, dist=dist)
+        return self.distribution._repr_latex_(name=escape_latex(name), dist=dist)
 
     __latex__ = _repr_latex_
 
diff --git a/pymc3/tests/test_distributions.py b/pymc3/tests/test_distributions.py
index 8ca047384f..312e6a0134 100644
--- a/pymc3/tests/test_distributions.py
+++ b/pymc3/tests/test_distributions.py
@@ -957,11 +957,11 @@ def setup_class(self):
             Y_obs = Normal('Y_obs', mu=mu, sd=sigma, observed=Y)
         self.distributions = [alpha, sigma, mu, b, Y_obs]
         self.expected = (
-            '$alpha \\sim \\text{Normal}(\\mathit{mu}=0, \\mathit{sd}=10.0)$',
-            '$sigma \\sim \\text{HalfNormal}(\\mathit{sd}=1.0)$',
-            '$mu \\sim \\text{Deterministic}(alpha, \\text{Constant}, beta)$',
-            '$beta \\sim \\text{Normal}(\\mathit{mu}=0, \\mathit{sd}=10.0)$',
-            '$Y_obs \\sim \\text{Normal}(\\mathit{mu}=mu, \\mathit{sd}=f(sigma))$'
+            r'$alpha \sim \text{Normal}(\mathit{mu}=0, \mathit{sd}=10.0)$',
+            r'$sigma \sim \text{HalfNormal}(\mathit{sd}=1.0)$',
+            r'$mu \sim \text{Deterministic}(alpha, \text{Constant}, beta)$',
+            r'$beta \sim \text{Normal}(\mathit{mu}=0, \mathit{sd}=10.0)$',
+            r'$Y\_obs \sim \text{Normal}(\mathit{mu}=mu, \mathit{sd}=f(sigma))$'
         )
 
     def test__repr_latex_(self):
diff --git a/pymc3/util.py b/pymc3/util.py
index bfcbfe3a34..db24777dc8 100644
--- a/pymc3/util.py
+++ b/pymc3/util.py
@@ -1,5 +1,33 @@
+import re
+
 from numpy import asscalar
 
+LATEX_ESCAPE_RE = re.compile(r'(%|_|\$|#|&)', re.MULTILINE)
+
+
+def escape_latex(strng):
+    """Consistently escape LaTeX special characters for _repr_latex_ in IPython
+
+    Implementation taken from the IPython magic `format_latex`
+
+    Example
+    -------
+        escape_latex('disease_rate')  # 'disease\_rate'
+
+    Parameters
+    ----------
+    strng : str
+        string to escape LaTeX characters
+
+    Returns
+    -------
+    str
+        A string with LaTeX escaped
+    """
+    if strng is None:
+        return u'None'
+    return LATEX_ESCAPE_RE.sub(r'\\\1', strng)
+
 
 def get_transformed_name(name, transform):
     """
@@ -14,7 +42,7 @@ def get_transformed_name(name, transform):
 
     Returns
     -------
-    str 
+    str
         A string to use for the transformed variable
     """
     return "{}_{}__".format(name, transform.name)
@@ -88,6 +116,7 @@ def get_variable_name(variable):
             try:
                 names = [get_variable_name(item)
                          for item in variable.get_parents()[0].inputs]
+                # do not escape_latex these, since it is not idempotent
                 return 'f(%s)' % ','.join([n for n in names if isinstance(n, str)])
             except IndexError:
                 pass
@@ -95,7 +124,7 @@ def get_variable_name(variable):
         if not value.shape:
             return asscalar(value)
         return 'array'
-    return name
+    return escape_latex(name)
 
 
 def update_start_vals(a, b, model):