diff --git a/changelog.rst b/changelog.rst
index 6e4c47c36..d7e9aa61d 100644
--- a/changelog.rst
+++ b/changelog.rst
@@ -3,6 +3,12 @@ Upcoming (TBD)
 
 Bug fixes:
 ----------
+* Fix special commands being broken while explain mode (F5) is on. Every input
+  was prefixed with ``EXPLAIN (...)`` and sent to the server as SQL, including
+  backslash commands and the bare words ``exit``/``quit``, so ``\q``, ``\d``,
+  ``\i``, named queries and ``\G`` all failed with ``syntax error at or near
+  "\"`` and there was no way to leave explain mode or quit. Special commands
+  are now detected first and the EXPLAIN prefix is applied only to real SQL.
 * Restore cursor shape behaviour for Emacs mode
 * Fix ``TypeError: cannot use a string pattern on a bytes-like object`` when
   completion metadata comes back as bytes (e.g. ``SQL_ASCII`` client encoding).
diff --git a/pgcli/pgexecute.py b/pgcli/pgexecute.py
index 578f8291d..0f1e3e47f 100644
--- a/pgcli/pgexecute.py
+++ b/pgcli/pgexecute.py
@@ -373,9 +373,11 @@ def run(
             if not sql:
                 continue
             try:
-                if explain_mode:
-                    sql = self.explain_prefix() + sql
-                elif pgspecial:
+                # Try special commands first, regardless of explain mode: they
+                # are not SQL, so prefixing them with EXPLAIN just sends garbage
+                # to the server. The EXPLAIN prefix is applied further down, to
+                # statements that are not special commands.
+                if pgspecial:
                     # \G is treated specially since we have to set the expanded output.
                     if sql.endswith("\\G"):
                         if not pgspecial.expanded_output:
@@ -410,6 +412,9 @@ def run(
                         pass
 
                 # Not a special command, so execute as normal sql
+                if explain_mode:
+                    sql = self.explain_prefix() + sql
+
                 yield self.execute_normal_sql(sql) + (sql, True, False)
             except psycopg.DatabaseError as e:
                 _logger.error("sql: %r, error: %r", sql, e)
diff --git a/tests/test_pgexecute.py b/tests/test_pgexecute.py
index 9a8c942e7..c5fcaa2cd 100644
--- a/tests/test_pgexecute.py
+++ b/tests/test_pgexecute.py
@@ -755,6 +755,62 @@ def execute(self, *args, **kwargs):
         self.protocol_message = "Command not supported"
 
 
+@dbtest
+def test_explain_mode_does_not_wrap_special_command(executor):
+    """A special command is dispatched as a special command in explain mode.
+
+    Prefixing it with EXPLAIN would send it to the server as invalid SQL, which
+    used to make it impossible to even quit while explain mode was on.
+    """
+    quit_handler = MagicMock()
+    pgspecial = PGSpecial()
+    pgspecial.register(
+        quit_handler,
+        "\\q",
+        "\\q",
+        "Quit pgcli.",
+        arg_type=NO_QUERY,
+        case_sensitive=True,
+        aliases=(":q",),
+    )
+    with patch.object(executor, "execute_normal_sql") as normal_sql:
+        list(executor.run("\\q", pgspecial=pgspecial, explain_mode=True))
+
+    quit_handler.assert_called_once()
+    normal_sql.assert_not_called()
+
+
+@dbtest
+def test_explain_mode_runs_describe_as_special(executor, pgspecial):
+    """A describe command still runs as a special command in explain mode."""
+    with patch.object(executor, "execute_normal_sql") as normal_sql:
+        result = list(executor.run("\\dt", pgspecial=pgspecial, explain_mode=True))
+
+    normal_sql.assert_not_called()
+    assert result[0][6] is True  # is_special
+
+
+@dbtest
+def test_explain_mode_wraps_normal_sql(executor, pgspecial):
+    """Normal SQL is still prefixed with EXPLAIN in explain mode."""
+    with patch.object(executor, "execute_normal_sql", return_value=("", None, None, "")) as normal_sql:
+        list(executor.run("select 1", pgspecial=pgspecial, explain_mode=True))
+
+    normal_sql.assert_called_once()
+    assert normal_sql.call_args.args[0] == executor.explain_prefix() + "select 1"
+
+
+@dbtest
+def test_explain_mode_strips_G_suffix(executor, pgspecial):
+    """`select ... \\G` strips the \\G in explain mode instead of sending it."""
+    with patch.object(executor, "execute_normal_sql", return_value=("", None, None, "")) as normal_sql:
+        list(executor.run("select 1 \\G", pgspecial=pgspecial, explain_mode=True))
+
+    sent = normal_sql.call_args.args[0]
+    assert sent == executor.explain_prefix() + "select 1"
+    assert "\\G" not in sent
+
+
 @dbtest
 def test_exit_without_active_connection(executor):
     quit_handler = MagicMock()