diff --git a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/path/PathCompiler.java b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/path/PathCompiler.java
index 4a8af920..e1ea89b3 100644
--- a/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/path/PathCompiler.java
+++ b/json-path/src/main/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/internal/path/PathCompiler.java
@@ -4,6 +4,7 @@ import com.jayway.jsonpath.InvalidPathException;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.Predicate;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.CharacterIndex;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.Path;
+import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.Utils;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.internal.filter.FilterCompiler;
 
 import java.util.ArrayList;
@@ -361,16 +362,22 @@ public class PathCompiler {
         int readPosition = startPosition;
         int endPosition = 0;
         boolean inProperty = false;
+        boolean inEscape = false;
 
         while (path.inBounds(readPosition)) {
             char c = path.charAt(readPosition);
 
-            if (c == CLOSE_SQUARE_BRACKET && !inProperty) {
+            if(inEscape){
+                inEscape = false;
+            } else if('\\' == c){
+                inEscape = true;
+            } else if (c == CLOSE_SQUARE_BRACKET && !inProperty) {
                 break;
             } else if (c == potentialStringDelimiter) {
-                if (inProperty) {
+                if (inProperty && !inEscape) {
                     endPosition = readPosition;
-                    properties.add(path.subSequence(startPosition, endPosition).toString());
+                    String prop = path.subSequence(startPosition, endPosition).toString();
+                    properties.add(Utils.unescape(prop));
                     inProperty = false;
                 } else {
                     startPosition = readPosition + 1;
diff --git a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/old/IssuesTest.java b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/old/IssuesTest.java
index 2a04b993..93d3f8b2 100644
--- a/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/old/IssuesTest.java
+++ b/json-path/src/test/java/com/jayway/jsonpath/old/IssuesTest.java
@@ -1,5 +1,6 @@
 package com.jayway.jsonpath.old;
 
+import com.fasterxml.jackson.databind.node.ObjectNode;
 import com.google.gson.JsonObject;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.BaseTest;
 import com.jayway.jsonpath.Configuration;
@@ -980,4 +981,22 @@ public class IssuesTest extends BaseTest {
         assertThat(list).containsExactly(null, 1, null);
 
     }
+
+    @Test
+    public void issue_171() {
+
+        String json = "{\n" +
+                "  \"can delete\": \"this\",\n" +
+                "  \"can't delete\": \"this\"\n" +
+                "}";
+
+        DocumentContext context = using(JACKSON_JSON_NODE_CONFIGURATION).parse(json);
+        context.set("$.['can delete']", null);
+        context.set("$.['can\\'t delete']", null);
+
+        ObjectNode objectNode = context.read("$");
+
+        assertThat(objectNode.get("can delete").isNull());
+        assertThat(objectNode.get("can't delete").isNull());
+    }
 }