diff --git a/cssselect/parser.py b/cssselect/parser.py
index a63246b..3567725 100644
--- a/cssselect/parser.py
+++ b/cssselect/parser.py
@@ -638,10 +638,16 @@ def parse_simple_selector(
             stream.next()
             namespace = "*"
         if stream.peek() == ("DELIM", "|"):
+            if peek.type == "IDENT" and namespace == "*":
+                # An escaped "*" (e.g. "\*|f") is a prefix named "*",
+                # not the namespace wildcard, and no XPath prefix can be "*".
+                raise SelectorSyntaxError(f"Expected namespace prefix, got {peek}")
             stream.next()
             element = stream.next_ident_or_star()
         else:
-            element = None if namespace == "*" else namespace
+            # An escaped "*" (e.g. "\*") is a type selector for elements
+            # named "*", not the universal selector.
+            element = namespace if peek.type == "IDENT" else None
             namespace = None
     else:
         element = namespace = None
@@ -863,6 +869,11 @@ def parse_attrib(selector: Tree, stream: TokenStream) -> Attrib:
                 stream.next()
                 op = "|="
             else:
+                if attrib == "*":
+                    # An escaped "*" (e.g. "[\*|attr]"), not the wildcard.
+                    raise SelectorSyntaxError(
+                        f"Expected namespace prefix, got {stream.used[-2]}"
+                    )
                 namespace = "*" if attrib is None else attrib
                 attrib = stream.next_ident()
                 op = None
diff --git a/tests/test_cssselect.py b/tests/test_cssselect.py
index 07bf58b..276c593 100644
--- a/tests/test_cssselect.py
+++ b/tests/test_cssselect.py
@@ -532,6 +532,12 @@ def get_error(css: str) -> str | None:
         assert get_error("div > ") == ("Expected selector, got <EOF at 6>")
         assert get_error("  > div") == ("Expected selector, got <DELIM '>' at 2>")
         assert get_error("foo|#bar") == ("Expected ident or '*', got <HASH 'bar' at 4>")
+        assert get_error(r"\*|foo") == (
+            "Expected namespace prefix, got <IDENT '*' at 0>"
+        )
+        assert get_error(r"[\2a|foo]") == (
+            "Expected namespace prefix, got <IDENT '*' at 1>"
+        )
         assert get_error(".foo|bar") == ("Expected selector, got <DELIM '|' at 4>")
         assert get_error("#bar|foo") == ("Expected selector, got <DELIM '|' at 4>")
         assert get_error("[baz]|foo") == ("Expected selector, got <DELIM '|' at 5>")
@@ -965,6 +971,11 @@ def xpath(css: str) -> str:
         assert xpath(r"div\a ") == "*[name() = 'div\n']"
         assert xpath(r"[href\a ]") == "*[attribute::*[name() = 'href\n']]"
         assert xpath(r"ns\a |div") == "*[name() = 'ns\n:div']"
+        # An escaped "*" is a name, not the universal selector or wildcard
+        assert xpath(r"\*") == "*[name() = '*']"
+        assert xpath(r"\2a") == "*[name() = '*']"
+        assert xpath(r"e > \*") == "e/*[name() = '*']"
+        assert xpath(r"[\*]") == "*[attribute::*[name() = '*']]"
         # Escaped identifiers survive inside :has() arguments
         assert xpath(r"e:has(di\[v)") == "e[descendant::*[name() = 'di[v']]"