diff --git a/benchmark/utils/general_matrix.hpp b/benchmark/utils/general_matrix.hpp
index e499d5d9326..2049dadf45f 100644
--- a/benchmark/utils/general_matrix.hpp
+++ b/benchmark/utils/general_matrix.hpp
@@ -67,9 +67,17 @@ void initialize_argument_parsing_matrix(
                 << "-input and -input_matrix cannot be used simultaneously\n";
             std::exit(1);
         }
-        auto input_json = R"([{"filename":")" + input_matrix_str + "\"" +
-                          additional_matrix_file_json + "}]";
-        input_stream = std::make_unique<std::stringstream>(input_json);
+        // create JSON for the filename via RapidJSON to ensure the string is
+        // correctly escaped
+        rapidjson::Document d;
+        auto json_template =
+            R"([{"filename":"")" + additional_matrix_file_json + "}]";
+        d.Parse(json_template.c_str());
+        d[0]["filename"].SetString(input_matrix_str.c_str(), d.GetAllocator());
+        rapidjson::StringBuffer sb;
+        rapidjson::PrettyWriter<rapidjson::StringBuffer> writer(sb);
+        d.Accept(writer);
+        input_stream = std::make_unique<std::stringstream>(sb.GetString());
     }
 }