diff --git a/qubes_menu/app_widgets.py b/qubes_menu/app_widgets.py
index d0becf7..540a7e0 100644
--- a/qubes_menu/app_widgets.py
+++ b/qubes_menu/app_widgets.py
@@ -22,6 +22,7 @@
 """
 import subprocess
 import logging
+import urllib.parse
 from typing import Optional, List
 from functools import reduce
 
@@ -75,7 +76,8 @@ def __init__(self, app_info: ApplicationInfo, **properties):
         self.connect("drag-data-get", self._on_drag_data_get)
 
     def _on_drag_data_get(self, _widget, _drag_context, data, _info, _time):
-        data.set_uris(['file://' + str(self.app_info.file_path)])
+        data.set_uris(['file://' +
+                       urllib.parse.quote(str(self.app_info.file_path))])
 
     def show_menu(self, _widget, event):
         """
diff --git a/qubes_menu/utils.py b/qubes_menu/utils.py
index e4f7c9c..2d8cc7d 100644
--- a/qubes_menu/utils.py
+++ b/qubes_menu/utils.py
@@ -58,7 +58,6 @@ def load_icon(icon_name,
             pixbuf.fill(0x000)
             return pixbuf
 
-
 def show_error(title, text):
     """
     Helper function to display error messages.
@@ -66,7 +65,7 @@ def show_error(title, text):
     dialog = Gtk.MessageDialog(
         None, 0, Gtk.MessageType.ERROR, Gtk.ButtonsType.OK)
     dialog.set_title(title)
-    dialog.set_markup(text)
+    dialog.set_markup(GLib.markup_escape_text(text))
     dialog.connect("response", lambda *x: dialog.destroy())
     dialog.show()
 
@@ -94,7 +93,7 @@ def text_search(search_word: str, text_words: List[str]):
 
 
 def highlight_words(labels: List[Gtk.Label], search_words: List[str],
-                    hl_tag: Optional[str] = None):
+                    hl_tag: Optional[str] = None) -> None:
     """Highlight provided search_words in the provided labels."""
     if not labels:
         return
@@ -113,7 +112,7 @@ def highlight_words(labels: List[Gtk.Label], search_words: List[str],
     for label in labels:
         text = label.get_text()
         # remove existing highlighting
-        label.set_markup(text)
+        label.set_markup(GLib.markup_escape_text(text))
         search_text = text.lower()
         found_intervals = []
         for word in search_words:
@@ -134,12 +133,17 @@ def highlight_words(labels: List[Gtk.Label], search_words: List[str],
             else:
                 result_intervals.append(interval)
 
-        for interval in reversed(result_intervals):
-            start, end = interval
-            text = text[:start] + hl_tag + \
-                   text[start:end] + '</span>' + text[end:]
-
-        label.set_markup(text)
+        markup_list = []
+        last_start = 0
+        for start, end in reversed(result_intervals):
+            markup_list.append(GLib.markup_escape_text(text[last_start:start]))
+            markup_list.append(hl_tag)
+            markup_list.append(GLib.markup_escape_text(text[start:end]))
+            markup_list.append('</span>')
+            last_start = end
+        markup_list.append(GLib.markup_escape_text(text[last_start:]))
+
+        label.set_markup("".join(markup_list))
 
 
 def get_visible_child(widget: Gtk.Container, reverse=False):