diff --git a/bash_unit b/bash_unit
index 9318a02..e9e2288 100755
--- a/bash_unit
+++ b/bash_unit
@@ -17,6 +17,7 @@
 #  https://github.com/bash-unit/bash_unit
 
 # shellcheck disable=2317  # Ignore unreachable - most function are not called.
+# shellcheck disable=2329  # Ignore unreachable - most function are not called.
 # shellcheck disable=2155  # Ignore Declare and assign separately
 # spellchecker: ignore NOCOLOR SHUF
 
@@ -413,8 +414,7 @@ text_format() {
   }
   notify_message() {
     local message="$1"
-    # shellcheck disable=SC2059
-    [[ -z "$message" ]] || printf -- "$message\n"
+    [[ -z "$message" ]] || printf -- "%b\n" "$message"
   }
 
   notify_stdout() {
diff --git a/tests/test_cli.sh b/tests/test_cli.sh
index 5959348..96264aa 100644
--- a/tests/test_cli.sh
+++ b/tests/test_cli.sh
@@ -204,6 +204,30 @@ test_one_test_should_stop_when_assert_fails() {
     "$($BASH_UNIT <(echo 'test_fail() { echo "before failure" >&2 ; assert false ; echo "after failure" >&2 ; }') 2>&1 >/dev/null)"
 }
 
+test_notify_message_handles_percent_signs_as_literal_text() {
+  # Test that printf in notify_message doesn't interpret % as placeholder
+  bash_unit_output=$($BASH_UNIT <(echo 'test_percent() { fail "Expected 100% but got 50%" ; }') 2>&1 | "$GREP" "Expected 100% but got 50%")
+  assert_equals "Expected 100% but got 50%" "$bash_unit_output"
+}
+
+test_notify_message_handles_percent_signs_as_literal_text_tap_format() {
+  # Test that printf in notify_message doesn't interpret % as placeholder
+  bash_unit_output=$($BASH_UNIT -f tap <(echo 'test_percent() { fail "Expected 100% but got 50%" ; }') 2>&1 | "$GREP" "Expected 100% but got 50%")
+  assert_equals "# Expected 100% but got 50%" "$bash_unit_output"
+}
+
+test_notify_message_renders_unicode_characters_correctly() {
+  # Test that notify_message properly interprets Unicode escape sequences and newlines
+  bash_unit_output=$($BASH_UNIT <(printf '%s\n' 'test_escape() { fail "Symbol: \u2713\nMultiline message" ; }') 2>&1 || : )
+  assert_matches "Symbol: ✓"$'\n'"Multiline message" "$bash_unit_output"
+}
+
+test_notify_message_renders_unicode_characters_correctly_tap_format() {
+  # Test that notify_message properly interprets Unicode escape sequences and newlines in TAP format
+  bash_unit_output=$($BASH_UNIT -f tap <(printf '%s\n' 'test_escape() { fail "Symbol: \u2713\nMultiline message" ; }') 2>&1 || : )
+  assert_matches "# Symbol: ✓"$'\n'"# Multiline message" "$bash_unit_output"
+}
+
 setup() {
   # fake basic unix commands bash_unit relies on so that
   # we ensure bash_unit keeps working when people fake