diff --git a/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigParser.php b/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigParser.php
index 10cfe7b..4293b1e 100644
--- a/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigParser.php
+++ b/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigParser.php
@@ -301,7 +301,7 @@ class LegacyConfigParser
         }
 
         $op = '&';
-        if (preg_match_all('~([\|\+&\!])~', $value, $m)) {
+        if (preg_match_all('~(?<!\\\\)([\|\+&\!])~', $value, $m)) {
             $op = implode('', $m[1]);
             for ($i = 1; $i < strlen($op); $i++) {
                 if ($op[$i] !== $op[$i - 1]) {
@@ -328,8 +328,9 @@ class LegacyConfigParser
         ));
         $node->setBpConfig($bp);
 
-        $cmps = preg_split('~\s*\\' . $op . '\s*~', $value, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
+        $cmps = preg_split('~\s*(?<!\\\\)\\' . $op . '\s*~', $value, -1, PREG_SPLIT_NO_EMPTY);
         foreach ($cmps as $val) {
+            $val = preg_replace('~(\\\\([\|\+&\!]))~', '$2', $val);
             if (strpos($val, ';') !== false) {
                 if ($bp->hasNode($val)) {
                     $node->addChild($bp->getNode($val));
diff --git a/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigRenderer.php b/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigRenderer.php
index d90db95..77a1d13 100644
--- a/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigRenderer.php
+++ b/library/Businessprocess/Storage/LegacyConfigRenderer.php
@@ -184,7 +184,9 @@ class LegacyConfigRenderer
     {
         $op = static::renderOperator($node);
         $children = $node->getChildNames();
-        $str = implode(' ' . $op . ' ', $children);
+        $str = implode(' ' . $op . ' ', array_map(function ($val) {
+            return preg_replace('~([\|\+&\!])~', '\\\\$1', $val);
+        }, $children));
 
         if ((count($children) < 2) && $op !== '&') {
             return $op . ' ' . $str;