diff --git a/lisp/imenu.el b/lisp/imenu.el
index 1426bb3cd96..885a0d20ae7 100644
--- a/lisp/imenu.el
+++ b/lisp/imenu.el
@@ -139,9 +139,9 @@ function, variable or type) that is to appear in the menu.
 
 For emacs-lisp-mode for example PATTERN would look like:
 
-'((nil \"^\\s-*(def\\(un\\|subst\\|macro\\|advice\\)\\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)\" 2)
-  (\"*Vars*\" \"^\\s-*(def\\(var\\|const\\)\\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)\" 2)
-  (\"*Types*\" \"^\\s-*(def\\(type\\|struct\\|class\\|ine-condition\\)\\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\)\" 2))
+'((nil \"^\\\\s-*(def\\\\(un\\\\|subst\\\\|macro\\\\|advice\\\\)\\\\s-+\\\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\\\)\" 2)
+  (\"*Vars*\" \"^\\\\s-*(def\\\\(var\\\\|const\\\\)\\\\s-+\\\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\\\)\" 2)
+  (\"*Types*\" \"^\\\\s-*(def\\\\(type\\\\|struct\\\\|class\\\\|ine-condition\\\\)\\\\s-+\\\\([-A-Za-z0-9+]+\\\\)\" 2))
 
 The variable is buffer-local.")
 
@@ -570,9 +570,9 @@ function, variable or type) that is to appear in the menu.
 
 For emacs-lisp-mode for example PATTERN would look like:
 
-'((nil \"^\\s-*(def\\(un\\|subst\\|macro\\|advice\\)\\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9]+\\)\" 2)
-  (\"*Vars*\" \"^\\s-*(def\\(var\\|const\\)\\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9]+\\)\" 2)
-  (\"*Types*\" \"^\\s-*(def\\(type\\|struct\\|class\\|ine-condition\\)\\s-+\\([-A-Za-z0-9]+\\)\" 2))'
+'((nil \"^\\\\s-*(def\\\\(un\\\\|subst\\\\|macro\\\\|advice\\\\)\\\\s-+\\\\([-A-Za-z0-9]+\\\\)\" 2)
+  (\"*Vars*\" \"^\\\\s-*(def\\\\(var\\\\|const\\\\)\\\\s-+\\\\([-A-Za-z0-9]+\\\\)\" 2)
+  (\"*Types*\" \"^\\\\s-*(def\\\\(type\\\\|struct\\\\|class\\\\|ine-condition\\\\)\\\\s-+\\\\([-A-Za-z0-9]+\\\\)\" 2))'
 
 Returns an index of the current buffer as an alist.  The elements in
 the alist look like: (INDEX-NAME . INDEX-POSITION).  They may also be