diff --git a/kernel/log.cc b/kernel/log.cc
index b2c92e4e..3108bddf 100644
--- a/kernel/log.cc
+++ b/kernel/log.cc
@@ -205,3 +205,11 @@ const char *log_signal(const RTLIL::SigSpec &sig, bool autoint)
 	return string_buf.back().c_str();
 }
 
+const char *log_id(std::string str)
+{
+	if (str.size() > 1 && str[0] == '\\' && str[1] != '$')
+		string_buf.push_back(str.substr(1));
+	else
+		string_buf.push_back(str);
+	return string_buf.back().c_str();
+}
diff --git a/kernel/log.h b/kernel/log.h
index 3e280a6f..2c3597c9 100644
--- a/kernel/log.h
+++ b/kernel/log.h
@@ -51,13 +51,10 @@ void log_reset_stack();
 void log_flush();
 
 const char *log_signal(const RTLIL::SigSpec &sig, bool autoint = true);
-
-static inline const char *log_id(std::string id) {
-	return RTLIL::id2cstr(id);
-}
+const char *log_id(std::string id);
 
 template<typename T> static inline const char *log_id(T *obj) {
-	return RTLIL::id2cstr(obj->name);
+	return log_id(obj->name);
 }
 
 #define log_abort() log_error("Abort in %s:%d.\n", __FILE__, __LINE__)