diff --git a/R/utils.R b/R/utils.R
index f773622f9..75f6e9dfd 100644
--- a/R/utils.R
+++ b/R/utils.R
@@ -930,7 +930,7 @@ fmt_txt <- function(
   }
 
   xml_t_attr <- if (grepl("(^\\s+)|(\\s+$)", x)) c("xml:space" = "preserve") else NULL
-  xml_t <- xml_node_create("t", xml_children = x, xml_attributes = xml_t_attr)
+  xml_t <- xml_node_create("t", xml_children = replace_legal_chars(x), xml_attributes = xml_t_attr)
 
   xml_rpr <- xml_node_create(
     "rPr",
diff --git a/man/wb_add_formula.Rd b/man/wb_add_formula.Rd
index a0db878dc..2a1545cd3 100644
--- a/man/wb_add_formula.Rd
+++ b/man/wb_add_formula.Rd
@@ -61,7 +61,6 @@ The examples below show a small list of possible formulas:
 \item MAX(B2:B4)
 \item ...
 }
-
 }
 \examples{
 wb <- wb_workbook()$add_worksheet()
diff --git a/tests/testthat/test-utils.R b/tests/testthat/test-utils.R
index a7ffd2cef..0eb564de5 100644
--- a/tests/testthat/test-utils.R
+++ b/tests/testthat/test-utils.R
@@ -399,4 +399,13 @@ test_that("fmt_txt works", {
   got <- as.character(txt)
   expect_equal(exp, got)
 
+  txt <- fmt_txt("0 < 1", bold = TRUE)
+  exp <- "0 < 1"
+  got <- as.character(txt)
+  expect_equal(exp, got)
+
+  exp <- "<r><rPr><b/></rPr><t>0 &lt; 1</t></r>"
+  got <- unclass(txt)
+  expect_equal(exp, got)
+
 })