diff --git a/src/mail/ngx_mail_imap_handler.c b/src/mail/ngx_mail_imap_handler.c
index 5dfdd76..ba66b89 100644
--- a/src/mail/ngx_mail_imap_handler.c
+++ b/src/mail/ngx_mail_imap_handler.c
@@ -101,10 +101,9 @@
 void
 ngx_mail_imap_auth_state(ngx_event_t *rev)
 {
-    u_char              *p, *dst, *src, *end;
-    ngx_str_t           *arg;
+    u_char              *p;
     ngx_int_t            rc;
-    ngx_uint_t           tag, i;
+    ngx_uint_t           tag;
     ngx_connection_t    *c;
     ngx_mail_session_t  *s;
 
@@ -158,27 +157,6 @@
         ngx_log_debug1(NGX_LOG_DEBUG_MAIL, c->log, 0, "imap auth command: %i",
                        s->command);
 
-        if (s->backslash) {
-
-            arg = s->args.elts;
-
-            for (i = 0; i < s->args.nelts; i++) {
-                dst = arg[i].data;
-                end = dst + arg[i].len;
-
-                for (src = dst; src < end; dst++) {
-                    *dst = *src;
-                    if (*src++ == '\\') {
-                        *dst = *src++;
-                    }
-                }
-
-                arg[i].len = dst - arg[i].data;
-            }
-
-            s->backslash = 0;
-        }
-
         switch (s->mail_state) {
 
         case ngx_imap_start:
diff --git a/src/mail/ngx_mail_parse.c b/src/mail/ngx_mail_parse.c
index 299858c..cc52930 100644
--- a/src/mail/ngx_mail_parse.c
+++ b/src/mail/ngx_mail_parse.c
@@ -227,7 +227,7 @@
 ngx_int_t
 ngx_mail_imap_parse_command(ngx_mail_session_t *s)
 {
-    u_char      ch, *p, *c;
+    u_char      ch, *p, *c, *dst, *src, *end;
     ngx_str_t  *arg;
     enum {
         sw_start = 0,
@@ -470,6 +470,22 @@
                 }
                 arg->len = p - s->arg_start;
                 arg->data = s->arg_start;
+
+                if (s->backslash) {
+                    dst = s->arg_start;
+                    end = p;
+
+                    for (src = dst; src < end; dst++) {
+                        *dst = *src;
+                        if (*src++ == '\\') {
+                            *dst = *src++;
+                        }
+                    }
+
+                    arg->len = dst - s->arg_start;
+                    s->backslash = 0;
+                }
+
                 s->arg_start = NULL;
 
                 switch (ch) {