diff --git a/DESCRIPTION b/DESCRIPTION
index 9ebce3e..823056a 100644
--- a/DESCRIPTION
+++ b/DESCRIPTION
@@ -1,7 +1,7 @@
 Package: mschart
 Type: Package
 Title: Chart Generation for 'Microsoft Word' and 'Microsoft PowerPoint' Documents
-Version: 0.4.0.003
+Version: 0.4.0.004
 Authors@R: c(
     person("David", "Gohel", role = c("aut", "cre"), 
       email = "david.gohel@ardata.fr"),
diff --git a/NEWS.md b/NEWS.md
index 9885198..15de806 100644
--- a/NEWS.md
+++ b/NEWS.md
@@ -5,6 +5,10 @@
 * Support for openxlsx2 by Jan Marvin Garbuszus
 * option to add table of data below corresponding levels by Marlon Molina
 
+## Issues
+
+* fix issue with % in labels of the graphic
+
 # mschart 0.3.1
 
 ## New features
diff --git a/R/axis_codes.R b/R/axis_codes.R
index cabfc23..6e2571a 100644
--- a/R/axis_codes.R
+++ b/R/axis_codes.R
@@ -27,15 +27,14 @@ get_axis_tag <- function(x){
 #' @param is_x if TRUE, generate xml for x axis, else for y axis
 #' @param lab label for the axis
 #' @param rot rotation of title
-axis_content_xml <- function(x, id, cross_id, theme, is_x = TRUE, lab = NULL, rot = 0 ){
-
+axis_content_xml <- function(x, id, cross_id, theme, is_x = TRUE, lab = NULL, rot = 0) {
   x_title_id <- paste0("axis_title_", ifelse(is_x, "x", "y"))
 
-  if( is.null(lab)) {
+  if (is.null(lab)) {
     title_ <- ""
   } else {
     title_ <- "<c:title><c:tx><c:rich><a:bodyPr rot=\"%.0f\" vert=\"horz\" anchor=\"ctr\"/><a:lstStyle/><a:p><a:pPr><a:defRPr/></a:pPr><a:r>%s<a:t>%s</a:t></a:r></a:p></c:rich></c:tx><c:layout/><c:overlay val=\"0\"/></c:title>"
-    title_ <- sprintf(title_, rot * 60000 , format(theme[[x_title_id]], type = "pml" ), lab )
+    title_ <- sprintf(title_, rot * 60000, format(theme[[x_title_id]], type = "pml"), lab)
   }
 
   major_tm <- "<c:majorTickMark val=\"%s\"/>"
@@ -46,38 +45,44 @@ axis_content_xml <- function(x, id, cross_id, theme, is_x = TRUE, lab = NULL, ro
 
   grid_major_id <- paste0("grid_major_line_", ifelse(is_x, "x", "y"))
   major_gl <- ooxml_fp_border(theme[[grid_major_id]],
-                                in_tags = c("c:majorGridlines", "c:spPr"))
+    in_tags = c("c:majorGridlines", "c:spPr")
+  )
 
   grid_minor_id <- paste0("grid_minor_line_", ifelse(is_x, "x", "y"))
   minor_gl <- ooxml_fp_border(theme[[grid_minor_id]],
-                              in_tags = c("c:minorGridlines", "c:spPr"))
+    in_tags = c("c:minorGridlines", "c:spPr")
+  )
 
   lim_max <- ""
-  if( !is.null(x$limit_max) )
-    lim_max <- sprintf("<c:max val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_max )
+  if (!is.null(x$limit_max)) {
+    lim_max <- sprintf("<c:max val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_max)
+  }
   lim_min <- ""
-  if( !is.null(x$limit_min) )
-    lim_min <- sprintf("<c:min val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_min )
+  if (!is.null(x$limit_min)) {
+    lim_min <- sprintf("<c:min val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_min)
+  }
 
-  scaling_str <- sprintf("<c:scaling><c:orientation val=\"%s\"/>%s%s</c:scaling>", x$orientation, lim_max, lim_min )
-  delete <- sprintf("<c:delete val=\"%.0f\"/>", x$delete )
-  position <- sprintf("<c:axPos val=\"%s\"/>", x$axis_position )
-  crosses <- sprintf("<c:crosses val=\"%s\"/>", x$crosses )
+  scaling_str <- sprintf("<c:scaling><c:orientation val=\"%s\"/>%s%s</c:scaling>", x$orientation, lim_max, lim_min)
+  delete <- sprintf("<c:delete val=\"%.0f\"/>", x$delete)
+  position <- sprintf("<c:axPos val=\"%s\"/>", x$axis_position)
+  crosses <- sprintf("<c:crosses val=\"%s\"/>", x$crosses)
 
   lim_max <- ""
-  if( !is.null(x$limit_max) )
-    lim_max <- sprintf("<c:max val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_max )
+  if (!is.null(x$limit_max)) {
+    lim_max <- sprintf("<c:max val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_max)
+  }
   lim_min <- ""
-  if( !is.null(x$limit_min) )
-    lim_min <- sprintf("<c:min val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_min )
+  if (!is.null(x$limit_min)) {
+    lim_min <- sprintf("<c:min val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$limit_min)
+  }
   cross_at <- ""
-  if( !is.null(x$position) ){
-    cross_at <- sprintf("<c:crossesAt val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$position )
+  if (!is.null(x$position)) {
+    cross_at <- sprintf("<c:crossesAt val=\"%.02f\"/>", x$position)
     crosses <- ""
   }
 
   num_fmt <- ""
-  if( !is.null(x$num_fmt) ){
+  if (!is.null(x$num_fmt)) {
     num_fmt <- sprintf("<c:numFmt formatCode=\"%s\" sourceLinked=\"0\"/>", x$num_fmt)
   }
 
@@ -88,27 +93,28 @@ axis_content_xml <- function(x, id, cross_id, theme, is_x = TRUE, lab = NULL, ro
 
   axis_major_ticks_id <- paste0("axis_ticks_", ifelse(is_x, "x", "y"))
   axis_ticks <- ooxml_fp_border(theme[[axis_major_ticks_id]],
-                              in_tags = c("c:spPr"))
+    in_tags = c("c:spPr")
+  )
 
 
   labels_text_id <- paste0("axis_text_", ifelse(is_x, "x", "y"))
   rpr <- format(theme[[labels_text_id]], type = "pml")
   rpr <- gsub("a:rPr", "a:defRPr", rpr)
   labels_text_pr <- "<c:txPr><a:bodyPr rot=\"%.0f\" vert=\"horz\"/><a:lstStyle/><a:p><a:pPr>%s</a:pPr></a:p></c:txPr>"
-  labels_text_pr <- sprintf(labels_text_pr, x$rotation * 60000, rpr )
-
-  str_ <- paste0( "<c:axId val=\"%s\"/>",
-                  scaling_str, delete, position,
-                  major_gl, minor_gl,
-                  title_,
-                  major_tm, minor_tm, tl_pos,
-                  labels_text_pr,
-                  axis_ticks, num_fmt,
-                  "<c:crossAx val=\"%s\"/>",
-                  cross_at,
-                  crosses)
-  str_ <- sprintf(str_, id, cross_id)
+  labels_text_pr <- sprintf(labels_text_pr, x$rotation * 60000, rpr)
+
+  str_ <- paste0(
+    sprintf("<c:axId val=\"%s\"/>", id),
+    scaling_str, delete, position,
+    major_gl, minor_gl,
+    title_,
+    major_tm, minor_tm, tl_pos,
+    labels_text_pr,
+    axis_ticks, num_fmt,
+    sprintf("<c:crossAx val=\"%s\"/>", cross_id),
+    cross_at,
+    crosses
+  )
   str_
-
 }
 
diff --git a/R/chart_labels.R b/R/chart_labels.R
index 8871beb..6ede2d1 100644
--- a/R/chart_labels.R
+++ b/R/chart_labels.R
@@ -10,13 +10,13 @@
 #' mylc <- chart_labels(mylc, title = "my title", xlab = "my x label",
 #'   ylab = "my y label")
 chart_labels <- function( x, title = NULL, xlab = NULL, ylab = NULL){
-  if( !is.null(title) ) x$labels[["title"]] <- htmlEscape(title)
+  if( !is.null(title) ) x$labels[["title"]] <- title
   else x$labels[["title"]] <- NULL
 
-  if( !is.null(xlab) ) x$labels[["x"]] <- htmlEscape(xlab)
+  if( !is.null(xlab) ) x$labels[["x"]] <- xlab
   else x$labels[["x"]] <- NULL
 
-  if( !is.null(ylab) ) x$labels[["y"]] <- htmlEscape(ylab)
+  if( !is.null(ylab) ) x$labels[["y"]] <- ylab
   else x$labels[["y"]] <- NULL
   x
 }
diff --git a/R/ms_chart.R b/R/ms_chart.R
index 2cacb60..5e56c71 100644
--- a/R/ms_chart.R
+++ b/R/ms_chart.R
@@ -415,7 +415,7 @@ format.ms_chart <- function(x, id_x, id_y, sheetname = "sheet1", drop_ext_data =
   if (!is.null(x$labels[["title"]])) {
     chartnode <- xml_find_first(xml_doc, "//c:chart")
     title_ <- "<c:title %s><c:tx><c:rich><a:bodyPr/><a:lstStyle/><a:p><a:pPr><a:defRPr/></a:pPr><a:r>%s<a:t>%s</a:t></a:r></a:p></c:rich></c:tx><c:layout/><c:overlay val=\"0\"/></c:title>"
-    title_ <- sprintf(title_, ns, format(x$theme[["main_title"]], type = "pml"), x$labels[["title"]])
+    title_ <- sprintf(title_, ns, format(x$theme[["main_title"]], type = "pml"), htmlEscape(x$labels[["title"]]))
     xml_add_child(chartnode, as_xml_document(title_), .where = 0)
   } else { # null is not enough
     atd_node <- xml_find_first(xml_doc, "//c:chart/c:autoTitleDeleted")