diff --git a/src/config/element.rs b/src/config/element.rs
index 42bc2db..1f2b1fc 100644
--- a/src/config/element.rs
+++ b/src/config/element.rs
@@ -74,7 +74,12 @@ impl WidgetUse {
                 attrs: elem
                     .attributes()
                     .iter()
-                    .map(|attr| (AttrName(attr.name().to_owned()), AttrValue::parse_string(attr.value())))
+                    .map(|attr| {
+                        (
+                            AttrName(attr.name().to_owned()),
+                            AttrValue::parse_string(&xml_ext::resolve_escaped_symbols(&attr.value())),
+                        )
+                    })
                     .collect::<HashMap<_, _>>(),
                 ..WidgetUse::default()
             },
diff --git a/src/config/script_var.rs b/src/config/script_var.rs
index dc2ac6b..5e9a999 100644
--- a/src/config/script_var.rs
+++ b/src/config/script_var.rs
@@ -54,7 +54,7 @@ impl ScriptVar {
         let name = VarName(xml.attr("name")?.to_owned());
         let command = xml.only_child()?.as_text()?.text();
         if let Ok(interval) = xml.attr("interval") {
-            let interval = util::parse_duration(interval)?;
+            let interval = util::parse_duration(&interval)?;
             Ok(ScriptVar::Poll(PollScriptVar { name, command, interval }))
         } else {
             Ok(ScriptVar::Tail(TailScriptVar { name, command }))
diff --git a/src/config/xml_ext.rs b/src/config/xml_ext.rs
index 738a0da..b8cdf9c 100644
--- a/src/config/xml_ext.rs
+++ b/src/config/xml_ext.rs
@@ -11,6 +11,11 @@ macro_rules! with_text_pos_context {
     }};
 }
 
+/// resolve symbols such as &quot; to replace them with the actual " symbol
+pub fn resolve_escaped_symbols(s: &str) -> String {
+    s.replace("&quot;", "\"").replace("&lt;", "<").replace("&gt;", ">")
+}
+
 #[derive(Debug, Clone)]
 pub enum XmlNode<'a, 'b> {
     Element(XmlElement<'a, 'b>),
@@ -58,7 +63,7 @@ fn get_text_from_text_range(s: &str, (start_pos, end_pos): (TextPos, TextPos)) -
     if let Some(last_line) = code_text.last_mut() {
         *last_line = last_line.split_at(end_pos.col as usize - 1).0;
     }
-    code_text.join("\n")
+    resolve_escaped_symbols(&code_text.join("\n"))
 }
 
 impl<'a, 'b> XmlNode<'a, 'b> {
@@ -71,7 +76,7 @@ impl<'a, 'b> XmlNode<'a, 'b> {
     }
 
     pub fn as_text_or_sourcecode(&self) -> String {
-        self.as_text().map(|c| c.text()).unwrap_or_else(|_| self.get_sourcecode())
+        self.as_text().map(|c| resolve_escaped_symbols(&c.text())).unwrap_or_else(|_| self.get_sourcecode())
     }
 
     pub fn as_text(&self) -> Result<&XmlText<'a, 'b>> {
@@ -118,7 +123,7 @@ impl<'a, 'b> fmt::Display for XmlText<'a, 'b> {
 
 impl<'a, 'b> XmlText<'a, 'b> {
     pub fn text(&self) -> String {
-        self.0.text().unwrap_or_default().trim_lines().trim_matches('\n').to_owned()
+        self.0.text().map(resolve_escaped_symbols).unwrap_or_default().trim_lines().trim_matches('\n').to_owned()
     }
 
     pub fn text_pos(&self) -> TextPos {
@@ -181,10 +186,11 @@ impl<'a, 'b> XmlElement<'a, 'b> {
         self.0.attributes()
     }
 
-    pub fn attr(&self, key: &str) -> Result<&str> {
+    pub fn attr(&self, key: &str) -> Result<String> {
         with_text_pos_context! { self =>
             self.0
                 .attribute(key)
+                .map(resolve_escaped_symbols)
                 .with_context(|| anyhow!("'{}' missing attribute '{}'", self.as_tag_string(), key))?
         }
     }