diff --git a/packages/block-library/src/footnotes/index.php b/packages/block-library/src/footnotes/index.php
index 20065747beb37..855c53e920579 100644
--- a/packages/block-library/src/footnotes/index.php
+++ b/packages/block-library/src/footnotes/index.php
@@ -243,7 +243,7 @@ function _wp_rest_api_autosave_meta( $autosave ) {
 		return;
 	}
 
-	update_post_meta( $id, 'footnotes', json_encode( $body['meta']['footnotes'] ) );
+	update_post_meta( $id, 'footnotes', wp_slash( $body['meta']['footnotes'] ) );
 }
 // See https://github.com/WordPress/wordpress-develop/blob/2103cb9966e57d452c94218bbc3171579b536a40/src/wp-includes/rest-api/endpoints/class-wp-rest-autosaves-controller.php#L391C1-L391C1.
 add_action( 'wp_creating_autosave', '_wp_rest_api_autosave_meta' );
diff --git a/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/footnotes.spec.js b/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/footnotes.spec.js
index b96d4530cb499..faf870f6c0a75 100644
--- a/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/footnotes.spec.js
+++ b/test/e2e/specs/editor/various/footnotes.spec.js
@@ -392,12 +392,12 @@ test.describe( 'Footnotes', () => {
 		// path).
 		await editor.canvas.click( 'ol.wp-block-footnotes li span' );
 		await page.keyboard.press( 'End' );
-		await page.keyboard.type( '3' );
+		await page.keyboard.type( '3"' );
 
 		const previewPage2 = await editor.openPreviewPage();
 
 		await expect(
 			previewPage2.locator( 'ol.wp-block-footnotes li' )
-		).toHaveText( '123  ↩︎' );
+		).toHaveText( '123"  ↩︎' );
 	} );
 } );