diff --git a/README.md b/README.md
index 0c323d9..8a364eb 100644
--- a/README.md
+++ b/README.md
@@ -411,7 +411,6 @@ require'fzf-lua'.setup {
     -- set to '' for a non-value flag
     -- for raw args use `fzf_args` instead
     ['--ansi']        = '',
-    ['--prompt']      = '> ',
     ['--info']        = 'inline',
     ['--height']      = '100%',
     ['--layout']      = 'reverse',
diff --git a/doc/fzf-lua.txt b/doc/fzf-lua.txt
index b462891..41e3931 100644
--- a/doc/fzf-lua.txt
+++ b/doc/fzf-lua.txt
@@ -450,7 +450,6 @@ Consult the list below for available settings:
         -- set to '' for a non-value flag
         -- for raw args use `fzf_args` instead
         ['--ansi']        = '',
-        ['--prompt']      = '> ',
         ['--info']        = 'inline',
         ['--height']      = '100%',
         ['--layout']      = 'reverse',
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/actions.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/actions.lua
index 69e018e..2f3877d 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/actions.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/actions.lua
@@ -614,6 +614,12 @@ M.grep_lgrep = function(_, opts)
       rg_glob = opts.rg_glob or opts.__call_opts.rg_glob,
       -- globs always require command processing with 'multiprocess'
       requires_processing = opts.rg_glob or opts.__call_opts.rg_glob,
+      -- grep has both search string and query prompt, when switching
+      -- from live_grep to grep we want to restore both:
+      --   * we save the last query prompt when exiting grep
+      --   * we set query to the last known when entering grep
+      __prev_query = not opts.fn_reload and opts.__resume_data.last_query,
+      query = opts.fn_reload and opts.__call_opts.__prev_query,
     }, opts.__call_opts or {})
 
   -- 'fn_reload' is set only on 'live_grep' calls
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua
index 88e4a7d..2808dac 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/config.lua
@@ -132,7 +132,6 @@ M.globals = {
   fzf_bin             = nil,
   fzf_opts = {
     ['--ansi']        = '',
-    ['--prompt']      = '> ',
     ['--info']        = 'inline',
     ['--height']      = '100%',
     ['--layout']      = 'reverse',
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua
index 714d232..a9523e3 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/core.lua
@@ -92,7 +92,6 @@ M.fzf_resume = function(opts)
   end
   opts.__resume = true
   opts.query = last_query
-  opts.fzf_opts['--query'] = last_query and vim.fn.shellescape(last_query)
   M.fzf_exec(config.__resume_data.contents, opts)
 end
 
@@ -130,6 +129,8 @@ M.fzf = function(opts, contents)
       -- providers
       config.__resume_data.last_query = nil
     end
+    -- save a ref to resume data for 'grep_lgrep'
+    opts.__resume_data = config.__resume_data
   end
   if opts.save_query or
     opts.global_resume and opts.global_resume_query then
@@ -180,6 +181,9 @@ M.fzf = function(opts, contents)
     previewer = preview_opts._ctor()(preview_opts, opts, fzf_win)
   end
   if previewer then
+    -- we use fzf_opts because previewer:cmdline is already
+    -- shellescaped, clear opts.preview so it doesn't override
+    opts.preview = nil
     opts.fzf_opts['--preview'] = previewer:cmdline()
     if type(previewer.preview_window) == 'function' then
       -- do we need to override the preview_window args?
@@ -226,7 +230,7 @@ M.fzf = function(opts, contents)
   -- in the first line, save&remove it
   if selected and #selected>0 and
      opts.fzf_opts['--print-query'] ~= nil then
-    if opts.fn_save_query then
+    if opts.fn_save_query and not (opts._is_skim and opts.fn_reload) then
       -- reminder: this doesn't get called with 'live_grep' when using skim
       -- due to a bug where '--print-query --interactive' combo is broken:
       -- skim always prints an emtpy line where the typed query should be
@@ -329,12 +333,24 @@ M.build_fzf_cli = function(opts)
   }) do
     opts[o] = opts[o] or config.globals[o]
   end
+  -- preview and query have special handling:
+  --   'opts.<name>' is prioritized over 'fzf_opts[--name]'
+  --   'opts.<name>' is automatically shellescaped
+  for _, o in ipairs({ 'query', 'preview' }) do
+    local flag = string.format("--%s", o)
+    if opts[o] ~= nil then
+      -- opt can be 'false' (disabled)
+      -- don't shellescape in this case
+      opts.fzf_opts[flag] = opts[o] and vim.fn.shellescape(opts[o])
+    else
+      opts.fzf_opts[flag] = opts.fzf_opts[flag]
+    end
+  end
   opts.fzf_opts["--bind"] = M.create_fzf_binds(opts.keymap.fzf)
   if opts.fzf_colors then
     opts.fzf_opts["--color"] = M.create_fzf_colors(opts)
   end
   opts.fzf_opts["--expect"] = actions.expect(opts.actions)
-  opts.fzf_opts["--preview"] = opts.preview or opts.fzf_opts["--preview"]
   if opts.fzf_opts["--preview-window"] == nil then
     opts.fzf_opts["--preview-window"] = M.preview_window(opts)
   end
@@ -343,7 +359,7 @@ M.build_fzf_cli = function(opts)
       opts.fzf_opts["--preview-window"] .. ":" .. opts.preview_offset
   end
   -- shell escape the prompt
-  opts.fzf_opts["--prompt"] =
+  opts.fzf_opts["--prompt"] = (opts.prompt or opts.fzf_opts["--prompt"]) and
     vim.fn.shellescape(opts.prompt or opts.fzf_opts["--prompt"])
   -- multi | no-multi (select)
   if opts.nomulti or opts.fzf_opts["--no-multi"] then
@@ -645,20 +661,26 @@ M.setup_fzf_interactive_flags = function(command, fzf_field_expression, opts)
   if opts._is_skim then
     -- skim interactive mode does not need a piped command
     opts.__fzf_init_cmd = nil
-    opts.prompt = opts.prompt or opts.fzf_opts['--prompt']
+    opts.prompt = opts.__prompt or opts.prompt or opts.fzf_opts['--prompt']
     if opts.prompt then
       opts.fzf_opts['--prompt'] = opts.prompt:match("[^%*]+")
       opts.fzf_opts['--cmd-prompt'] = libuv.shellescape(opts.prompt)
+      -- save original prompt and reset the current one since
+      -- we're using the '--cmd-prompt' as the "main" prompt
+      -- required for resume to have the asterisk prompt prefix
+      opts.__prompt = opts.prompt
       opts.prompt = nil
     end
+    -- since we surrounded the skim placeholder with quotes
+    -- we need to escape them in the initial query
+    opts.fzf_opts['--cmd-query'] = libuv.shellescape(utils.sk_escape(opts.query))
     -- '--query' was set by 'resume()', skim has the option to switch back and
     -- forth between interactive command and fuzzy matching (using 'ctrl-q')
     -- setting both '--query' and '--cmd-query' will use <query> to fuzzy match
     -- on top of our result set double filtering our results (undesierable)
     opts.fzf_opts['--query'] = nil
-    -- since we surrounded the skim placeholder with quotes
-    -- we need to escape them in the initial query
-    opts.fzf_opts['--cmd-query'] = libuv.shellescape(utils.sk_escape(opts.query))
+    opts.query = nil
+    -- setup as inetarctive
     opts._fzf_cli_args = string.format("--interactive --cmd %s",
         vim.fn.shellescape(reload_command))
   else
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/providers/git.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/providers/git.lua
index dd81bae..0fcbd0f 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/providers/git.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/providers/git.lua
@@ -32,7 +32,7 @@ M.status = function(opts)
   opts = set_git_cwd_args(opts)
   if not opts.cwd then return end
   if opts.preview then
-    opts.preview = vim.fn.shellescape(path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts))
+    opts.preview = path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts)
   end
   -- we don't need git icons since we get them
   -- as part of our `git status -s`
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ end
 M.commits = function(opts)
   opts = config.normalize_opts(opts, config.globals.git.commits)
   if not opts then return end
-  opts.preview = vim.fn.shellescape(path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts))
+  opts.preview = path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts)
   return git_cmd(opts)
 end
 
@@ -115,7 +115,7 @@ M.bcommits = function(opts)
       .. vim.fn.shellescape(file)
       .. after_pipe
   end
-  opts.preview = vim.fn.shellescape(path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts))
+  opts.preview = path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts)
   return git_cmd(opts)
 end
 
@@ -123,8 +123,10 @@ M.branches = function(opts)
   opts = config.normalize_opts(opts, config.globals.git.branches)
   if not opts then return end
   opts.fzf_opts["--no-multi"] = ''
-  opts._preview = path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts)
-  opts.preview = shell.preview_action_cmd(function(items)
+  opts.__preview = path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts)
+  -- nullify 'opts.preview' doesn't take priority over '--preview'
+  opts.preview = nil
+  opts.fzf_opts["--preview"] = shell.preview_action_cmd(function(items)
     local branch = items[1]:gsub("%*", "")  -- remove the * from current branch
     if branch:find("%)") ~= nil then
       -- (HEAD detached at origin/master)
@@ -133,7 +135,7 @@ M.branches = function(opts)
       -- remove anything past space
       branch = branch:match("[^ ]+")
     end
-    return opts._preview:gsub("{.*}", branch)
+    return opts.__preview:gsub("{.*}", branch)
     -- return "echo " .. branch
   end, nil, opts.debug)
   return git_cmd(opts)
@@ -144,7 +146,7 @@ M.stash = function(opts)
   if not opts then return end
 
   if opts.preview then
-    opts.preview = vim.fn.shellescape(path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts))
+    opts.preview = path.git_cwd(opts.preview, opts)
   end
 
   if opts.fzf_opts['--header'] == nil then
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/providers/lsp.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/providers/lsp.lua
index 3f8a9dd..1b6c381 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/providers/lsp.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/providers/lsp.lua
@@ -443,7 +443,7 @@ M.workspace_symbols = function(opts)
   opts = set_async_default(opts, true)
   opts = normalize_lsp_opts(opts, config.globals.lsp)
   if not opts then return end
-  opts.lsp_params = {query = opts.query or ''}
+  opts.lsp_params = {query = opts.lsp_query or ''}
   opts = core.set_header(opts, opts.headers or {"cwd","query","regex_filter"})
   opts = core.set_fzf_field_index(opts)
   if opts.force_uri == nil then opts.force_uri = true end
diff --git a/lua/fzf-lua/win.lua b/lua/fzf-lua/win.lua
index 8e555c7..7c869d2 100644
--- a/lua/fzf-lua/win.lua
+++ b/lua/fzf-lua/win.lua
@@ -24,16 +24,25 @@ function FzfWin.save_query(key)
   if not self then return end
   local lines = vim.api.nvim_buf_get_lines(self.fzf_bufnr, 0, 1, false)
   if not lines or vim.tbl_isempty(lines) then return end
-  -- 'live_grep' prepends an asterisk to the prompt
-  -- remove '*' from the start of the line & prompt
-  local query = lines[1]:gsub("^%*+", "")
-    :gsub("^"..utils.lua_escape(self.prompt:match("[^%*]+")), "")
-  -- remove '--info=inline'
-  query = query and query:gsub("[<%-]%s%d+/%d+.*$", "")
-  -- remove '< [Command failed: ...]
-  query = query and query:gsub("<%s%[Command failed:.*$", "")
-  -- trim whitespaces at the end
-  query = query and query:gsub("%s*$", "")
+  local query = nil
+  if not self.prompt then
+    -- no prompt specifed, assume default '> '
+    -- or 'c> ' in skim interactive mode
+    query = lines[1]:match(".->%s(.*)")
+  else
+    -- 'live_grep' prepends an asterisk to the prompt
+    -- remove '*' from the start of the line & prompt
+    query = lines[1]:gsub("^%*+", "")
+      :gsub("^"..utils.lua_escape(self.prompt:match("[^%*]+")), "")
+  end
+  if query then
+    -- remove '--info=inline'
+    query = query:gsub("[<%-]%s%d+/%d+.*$", "")
+    -- remove '< [Command failed: ...]
+    query = query:gsub("<%s%[Command failed:.*$", "")
+    -- trim whitespaces at the end
+    query = query:gsub("%s*$", "")
+  end
   if self.fn_save_query then
     self.fn_save_query(query)
   end