diff --git a/lua/lualine.lua b/lua/lualine.lua
index bf76511..49e38a1 100644
--- a/lua/lualine.lua
+++ b/lua/lualine.lua
@@ -82,7 +82,7 @@ local function fill_section_separator(status, is_focused, str_checked, last_hl,
 end
 
 --- processes statusline string
---- replaces %s/S{sep} with proper left/right separator highlight + sep
+--- replaces %z/Z{sep} with proper left/right separator highlight + sep
 ---@param status string : unprocessed statusline string
 ---@return string : processed statusline string
 local function apply_transitional_separators(status, is_focused)
@@ -93,7 +93,7 @@ local function apply_transitional_separators(status, is_focused)
   local copied_pos = 1 -- Tracks how much we've copied over to status_applied
   local str_checked = 1 -- Tracks where the searcher head is at
 
-  -- Process entire status replace the %s{sep} & %S{sep} placeholders
+  -- Process entire status replace the %z{sep} & %Z{sep} placeholders
   -- with proper transitional separator.
   while str_checked ~= nil do
     str_checked = status:find('%%', str_checked)
@@ -108,9 +108,9 @@ local function apply_transitional_separators(status, is_focused)
       -- %#hl_name# highlights
       last_hl = status:match('^%%#(.-)#', str_checked)
       str_checked = str_checked + #last_hl + 3
-    elseif next_char == 's' then
-      -- %s{sep} is marker for left separator and
-      local sep = status:match('^%%s{(.-)}', str_checked)
+    elseif next_char == 'z' then
+      -- %z{sep} is marker for left separator and
+      local sep = status:match('^%%z{(.-)}', str_checked)
       str_checked = str_checked + #sep + 4 -- 4 = len(%{})
       if not (last_hl == nil and last_hl_reseted) then
         local trans_sep = fill_section_separator(status, is_focused, str_checked, last_hl, sep, false)
@@ -122,11 +122,11 @@ local function apply_transitional_separators(status, is_focused)
         last_hl_reseted = false
       end
       copied_pos = str_checked
-    elseif next_char == 'S' then
-      -- %S{sep} is marker for right separator and
-      local sep = status:match('^%%S{(.-)}', str_checked)
+    elseif next_char == 'Z' then
+      -- %Z{sep} is marker for right separator and
+      local sep = status:match('^%%Z{(.-)}', str_checked)
       str_checked = str_checked + #sep + 4 -- 4 = len(%{})
-      if status:find('^%%s', str_checked) or status:find('^%%<%%s', str_checked) then
+      if status:find('^%%z', str_checked) or status:find('^%%<%%Z', str_checked) then
         -- When transitional right_sep and left_sep are right next to each other
         -- and in this exact order skip the left sep as we can't draw both.
         str_checked = status:find('}', str_checked) + 1
diff --git a/lua/lualine/component.lua b/lua/lualine/component.lua
index cb93dc7..a42f589 100644
--- a/lua/lualine/component.lua
+++ b/lua/lualine/component.lua
@@ -193,11 +193,11 @@ function M:apply_section_separators()
     return
   end
   if self.options.separator.left ~= nil and self.options.separator.left ~= '' then
-    self.status = string.format('%%s{%s}%s', self.options.separator.left, self.status)
+    self.status = string.format('%%z{%s}%s', self.options.separator.left, self.status)
     self.strip_previous_separator = true
   end
   if self.options.separator.right ~= nil and self.options.separator.right ~= '' then
-    self.status = string.format('%s%%S{%s}', self.status, self.options.separator.right)
+    self.status = string.format('%s%%Z{%s}', self.status, self.options.separator.right)
   end
 end
 
diff --git a/lua/lualine/components/buffers/buffer.lua b/lua/lualine/components/buffers/buffer.lua
index d5a5a23..c58c320 100644
--- a/lua/lualine/components/buffers/buffer.lua
+++ b/lua/lualine/components/buffers/buffer.lua
@@ -103,7 +103,7 @@ end
 ---@return string
 function Buffer:separator_before()
   if self.current or self.aftercurrent then
-    return '%S{' .. self.options.section_separators.left .. '}'
+    return '%Z{' .. self.options.section_separators.left .. '}'
   else
     return self.options.component_separators.left
   end
@@ -113,7 +113,7 @@ end
 ---@return string
 function Buffer:separator_after()
   if self.current or self.beforecurrent then
-    return '%s{' .. self.options.section_separators.right .. '}'
+    return '%z{' .. self.options.section_separators.right .. '}'
   else
     return self.options.component_separators.right
   end
diff --git a/lua/lualine/components/tabs/tab.lua b/lua/lualine/components/tabs/tab.lua
index 8b76861..8ccdc90 100644
--- a/lua/lualine/components/tabs/tab.lua
+++ b/lua/lualine/components/tabs/tab.lua
@@ -91,7 +91,7 @@ end
 ---@return string
 function Tab:separator_before()
   if self.current or self.aftercurrent then
-    return '%S{' .. self.options.section_separators.left .. '}'
+    return '%Z{' .. self.options.section_separators.left .. '}'
   else
     return self.options.component_separators.left
   end
@@ -101,7 +101,7 @@ end
 ---@return string
 function Tab:separator_after()
   if self.current or self.beforecurrent then
-    return '%s{' .. self.options.section_separators.right .. '}'
+    return '%z{' .. self.options.section_separators.right .. '}'
   else
     return self.options.component_separators.right
   end
diff --git a/lua/lualine/utils/section.lua b/lua/lualine/utils/section.lua
index 1521a02..57a309b 100644
--- a/lua/lualine/utils/section.lua
+++ b/lua/lualine/utils/section.lua
@@ -48,7 +48,7 @@ function M.draw_section(section, section_name, is_focused)
           and (section[1].options.section_separators.left ~= nil and section[1].options.section_separators.left ~= '')
         then
           status[component_no] =
-            string.format('%s%%S{%s}', status[component_no], section[1].options.section_separators.left)
+            string.format('%s%%Z{%s}', status[component_no], section[1].options.section_separators.left)
         end
       end
     end
@@ -89,7 +89,7 @@ function M.draw_section(section, section_name, is_focused)
     and (section[1].options.section_separators.right ~= nil and section[1].options.section_separators.right ~= '')
   then
     left_separator_string = string.format(
-      '%%s{%s}',
+      '%%z{%s}',
       section[first_component_no].options.ls_separator or section[1].options.section_separators.right
     )
   end
@@ -104,7 +104,7 @@ function M.draw_section(section, section_name, is_focused)
 
   local needs_hl
 
-  local find_start_trans_sep_start, find_start_trans_sep_end = status_str:find('^%%s{.-}')
+  local find_start_trans_sep_start, find_start_trans_sep_end = status_str:find('^%%z{.-}')
   if find_start_trans_sep_start then
     -- the section doesn't need to be prepended with default hl when sections
     -- first component has transitional sep