diff --git a/Annex/SpecialRemote.hs b/Annex/SpecialRemote.hs
index aab29cf564..2b23b06b5d 100644
--- a/Annex/SpecialRemote.hs
+++ b/Annex/SpecialRemote.hs
@@ -23,6 +23,7 @@ import Logs.Remote
 import Logs.Trust
 import qualified Types.Remote as Remote
 import Git.Types (RemoteName)
+import Utility.SafeOutput
 
 import qualified Data.Map as M
 
@@ -95,7 +96,12 @@ autoEnable = do
 			Just (Sameas u') -> u'
 			Nothing -> cu
 		case (lookupName c, findType c) of
-			(Just name, Right t) -> do
+			-- Avoid auto-enabling when the name contains a
+			-- control character, because git does not avoid
+			-- displaying control characters in the name of a
+			-- remote, and an attacker could leverage
+			-- autoenabling it as part of an attack.
+			(Just name, Right t) | safeOutput name == name -> do
 				showSideAction $ UnquotedString $ "Auto enabling special remote " ++ name
 				dummycfg <- liftIO dummyRemoteGitConfig
 				tryNonAsync (setup t (AutoEnable c) (Just u) Nothing c dummycfg) >>= \case
diff --git a/CHANGELOG b/CHANGELOG
index 6de2c496f1..649f74f4d4 100644
--- a/CHANGELOG
+++ b/CHANGELOG
@@ -1,17 +1,19 @@
 git-annex (10.20230408) UNRELEASED; urgency=medium
 
-  * Many commands now quotes filenames that contain unusual characters the
+  * Many commands now quote filenames that contain unusual characters the
     same way that git does, to avoid exposing control characters to the terminal.
   * Support core.quotePath, which can be set to false to display utf8
     characters as-is in filenames.
-  * Control characters in information coming from the repository or other
-    possible untrusted sources are filtered out of the display of many
+  * Control characters in non-filename data coming from the repository or
+    other possible untrusted sources are filtered out of the display of many
     commands.
   * find, findkeys, examinekey: When outputting to a terminal and --format
-    is not used, quote unusual characters. 
+    is not used, quote unusual characters.
     (Similar to the behavior of GNU find.)
   * addurl --preserve-filename now rejects filenames that contain other
     control characters, besides the escape sequences it already rejected.
+  * init: Avoid autoenabling special remotes that have control characters
+    in their names.
 
  -- Joey Hess <id@joeyh.name>  Sat, 08 Apr 2023 13:57:18 -0400
 
diff --git a/doc/todo/terminal_escapes_in_filenames.mdwn b/doc/todo/terminal_escapes_in_filenames.mdwn
index 6fc967c3be..d06cf29d46 100644
--- a/doc/todo/terminal_escapes_in_filenames.mdwn
+++ b/doc/todo/terminal_escapes_in_filenames.mdwn
@@ -52,6 +52,9 @@ that, when outputting to a terminal?
 Also: git-annex initremote with autoenable may be able to cause a remote
 with a malicious name to be set up?
 
+> Fixed this by silently skipping autoenable, which seems fine since only
+> an attacker would ever try this.
+
 Also: Any place that an exception is thrown with an attacker-controlled value.
 `giveup` has been made to filter out control characters, but that leaves
 other exceptions, including ones thrown by libraries. Catch all exceptions