diff --git a/action.yml b/action.yml
index 7c1edf563..aaba5c4d3 100644
--- a/action.yml
+++ b/action.yml
@@ -41,6 +41,10 @@ inputs:
     description: 'Separator used for the paths output.'
     required: true
     default: " "
+  escape-paths:
+    description: 'Escape regex special characters used in the `paths` output'
+    required: true
+    default: false
   strip-top-level-dir:
     description: 'Strip the `$GITHUB_WORKSPACE` from the `paths` output'
     required: false
diff --git a/package.json b/package.json
index 0cb5ddee9..5cff6e1fd 100644
--- a/package.json
+++ b/package.json
@@ -34,6 +34,7 @@
     "@actions/github": "5.0.0",
     "@actions/glob": "0.2.1",
     "@actions/io": "1.1.2",
+    "escape-string-regexp": "^5.0.0",
     "temp-dir": "2.0.0",
     "uuid": "8.3.2"
   },
diff --git a/src/main.ts b/src/main.ts
index b629f37c1..fb6f1de7b 100644
--- a/src/main.ts
+++ b/src/main.ts
@@ -2,6 +2,7 @@ import * as path from 'path'
 import * as core from '@actions/core'
 import * as glob from '@actions/glob'
 import {promises as fs} from 'fs'
+import escapeStringRegexp from 'escape-string-regexp'
 
 import {
   getDeletedFiles,
@@ -53,6 +54,7 @@ export async function run(): Promise<void> {
     required: true,
     trimWhitespace: false
   })
+  const escapePaths = core.getBooleanInput('escape-paths', { required: true })
   const stripTopLevelDir = core.getBooleanInput('strip-top-level-dir', {
     required: true
   })
@@ -153,7 +155,11 @@ export async function run(): Promise<void> {
       .filter((p: string) => p !== '')
   }
 
-  const pathsOutput = paths.join(separator)
+  let pathsOutput = paths.join(separator)
+
+  if (escapePaths) {
+    pathsOutput = escapeStringRegexp(pathsOutput)
+  }
   core.setOutput('paths', pathsOutput)
 
   if (pathsOutput) {
diff --git a/yarn.lock b/yarn.lock
index a4379b0fc..02da6d530 100644
--- a/yarn.lock
+++ b/yarn.lock
@@ -1527,6 +1527,11 @@ escape-string-regexp@^4.0.0:
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/escape-string-regexp/-/escape-string-regexp-4.0.0.tgz#14ba83a5d373e3d311e5afca29cf5bfad965bf34"
   integrity sha512-TtpcNJ3XAzx3Gq8sWRzJaVajRs0uVxA2YAkdb1jm2YkPz4G6egUFAyA3n5vtEIZefPk5Wa4UXbKuS5fKkJWdgA==
 
+escape-string-regexp@^5.0.0:
+  version "5.0.0"
+  resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/escape-string-regexp/-/escape-string-regexp-5.0.0.tgz#4683126b500b61762f2dbebace1806e8be31b1c8"
+  integrity sha512-/veY75JbMK4j1yjvuUxuVsiS/hr/4iHs9FTT6cgTexxdE0Ly/glccBAkloH/DofkjRbZU3bnoj38mOmhkZ0lHw==
+
 escodegen@^2.0.0:
   version "2.0.0"
   resolved "https://registry.yarnpkg.com/escodegen/-/escodegen-2.0.0.tgz#5e32b12833e8aa8fa35e1bf0befa89380484c7dd"